Ken Kurtis
Contributor
Surfer fights GWS, local conditions, and more
(please scroll down for details)
Maybe all those Shark Week attack shows inspired both the shark AND the surfer . . . ???
SURFER FIGHTS OFF GREAT WHITE SHARK - It appears that a juvy Great White was intent on chomping the leg of a female surfer in Australia when her companion came to rescue and repeatedly punched the shark until the GWS let go. The surfer then helped his friend to the shore. She was airlifted to a medical facility and is in stable condition. What seems unusual about this, assuming they have the age/size of the shark correct, is that juvies generally hunt fish, not mammals. In most case of attacks on humans, it's thought that our silhouettes either resemble that of a tasty yummy sea lion, or that the vibrations sent out by paddling/splashing the water mimic that of a wounded fish and the shark is honing in on the source. In either case, this could have been a lot worse. Here are the full details: AUSTRALIAN SHARK ATTACK & RESCUE.
LOCALLY, GIANT SEA BASS, NOT GREAT WHITES - If you're going to see a big fish, make it one of the Giant Sea Bass in the Underwater Park. Buck and the Barnacle Busters went over to the Park Saturday and had pretty good conditions. Buck says the Express was full (but full is now 50% capacity) and face-coverings are required. The Park was somewhat crowded too but they managed. Underwater, they did run into a few GSBs, mostly shallow (and one by what's left of the Cousteau plaque), with water temps that were around 70º and visibility that was 20-30 feet to the left but much cleaner when you got into the Pinnacles to the right. On the ride back, Buck says boat was again "full" but it was an every-other-seat thing. But social distancing flew out the window when it came time to disembark. So if you're going on the Express, embrace the idea of being one of the last ones off the boat.
SPEAKING OF GOING TO THE UNDERWATER PARK - On our schedule, we have Saturday, August 22, as our day to go to the Park. I'm still happy to go but would suggest - and I realize this may knock some of you out - that instead of going on the weekend, we go mid-week. Boat will be less crowded and the Park will be less-crowded. Less-crowded also equals less chance of COVID lurking. I'm thinking Tuesday, August 25, out of San Pedro. That would mean 9AM going over and leaving the island at 6PM. Group size will be limited to no more than 9 (including me). We can do 3 to a cab to get over to the Park and we'll get tanks there. $150 covers you for the three dives along with the boat, taxi, and tanks. Call us at 310/652-4990 (or e-mail) if you want to join us. The GSBs are calling!!!
MORE LOCAL CONDITIONS - John Lumb gave me a rundown of his busy diving weekend. Here are his (edited) comments: "Friday - 2 dives on Palawan. 5-6 dark green feet of vis to 50 ft, then easily 30ft below. 66º @ surface, 53º at 110 ft. Lots of corynactis & scallops (not large). Surprisingly few fish given that it's a reef. Third dive to the Avalon. Mostly broken up in 70 ft. but the cold water forced us back after 25 minutes. Saturday - Terranea Resort again 66º at the surface and still 55º about 12 ft. Very little surf, but quite powerful surge. Vis maybe 12 ft. We cut our dive short due to the cold and the fairly boring reef. Sunday - North Crescent Bay and out to Deadman's Reef. Water in the shallows 71º (finally a seasonal temp). Thermocline at 26 ft and temp below was 59º. I love the rock formations out at Deadman's, and at the East end where the pinnacles become quite shallow, there was an abundance of fish, large schools of pile perch and plenty of the usual suspects, Garibaldi, Calicos, sheephead, Blacksmith, wrasse etc. all swimming around above the reef. It was like an aquarium. Vis out here was probably 40ft. While we were enjoying the spectacle, a huge school of Barracuda cruised in and hung out. We'd have hung around here longer, but we were down to our turn-around pressure." Thanks John!!! As I always say, you never know if you don't go look.
COVID GAME-CHANGER??? - Some GOOD news about COVID for a change? In looking ahead to our January Socorro trip on the Nautilus Under Sea, I've been saying that saying since once you're on the boat, you're effectively in a bubble, wouldn't it be nice if there was a cheap and rapid COVID test we could have everyone - including crew - take just before boarding??? Once we confirm that everyone on board is negative, you can relax or eliminate anti-COVID measures like masks or social distancing. Over the weekend, it was announced that the FDA has given approval to a new rapid test called SalivaDirect. This is whatthey're using for the NBA. Although it doesn't seem like you can determine results yourself - like you might for a home pregnancy test - it sounds like it's going to be rapid, cheap, and easily mass-produced. I think it will have widespread positive implications in how we continue to deal with the COVID crisis. You can read more about it here: NEW COVID TEST.
SPEAKING OF SOCORRO - Since I mentioned this the other week, we've had three more people sign up. This means there are only TWO spots left on this trip (January 13-22). Both spots are in the co-ed triple (actually a quad but one bunk is left empty for extra storage). Socorro's a great place to visit, January's the perfect time to go, and - especially with this new SalivaDirect test - we will hopefully be dealing with COVID better by then. If you're interested in the last spots - $3,750/diver - call us at 310/652-4990.
NO RUNNING WHILE DIVING - From Scuba Diving College in the Red Sea, an admonition about running while diving. In all seriousness, you have to have GREAT buoyancy to pull this off. And I LOVED the music: RUNNING WHILE DIVING.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week, stay safe, wear your mask, wash your hands, and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
(please scroll down for details)
Maybe all those Shark Week attack shows inspired both the shark AND the surfer . . . ???
SURFER FIGHTS OFF GREAT WHITE SHARK - It appears that a juvy Great White was intent on chomping the leg of a female surfer in Australia when her companion came to rescue and repeatedly punched the shark until the GWS let go. The surfer then helped his friend to the shore. She was airlifted to a medical facility and is in stable condition. What seems unusual about this, assuming they have the age/size of the shark correct, is that juvies generally hunt fish, not mammals. In most case of attacks on humans, it's thought that our silhouettes either resemble that of a tasty yummy sea lion, or that the vibrations sent out by paddling/splashing the water mimic that of a wounded fish and the shark is honing in on the source. In either case, this could have been a lot worse. Here are the full details: AUSTRALIAN SHARK ATTACK & RESCUE.
LOCALLY, GIANT SEA BASS, NOT GREAT WHITES - If you're going to see a big fish, make it one of the Giant Sea Bass in the Underwater Park. Buck and the Barnacle Busters went over to the Park Saturday and had pretty good conditions. Buck says the Express was full (but full is now 50% capacity) and face-coverings are required. The Park was somewhat crowded too but they managed. Underwater, they did run into a few GSBs, mostly shallow (and one by what's left of the Cousteau plaque), with water temps that were around 70º and visibility that was 20-30 feet to the left but much cleaner when you got into the Pinnacles to the right. On the ride back, Buck says boat was again "full" but it was an every-other-seat thing. But social distancing flew out the window when it came time to disembark. So if you're going on the Express, embrace the idea of being one of the last ones off the boat.
SPEAKING OF GOING TO THE UNDERWATER PARK - On our schedule, we have Saturday, August 22, as our day to go to the Park. I'm still happy to go but would suggest - and I realize this may knock some of you out - that instead of going on the weekend, we go mid-week. Boat will be less crowded and the Park will be less-crowded. Less-crowded also equals less chance of COVID lurking. I'm thinking Tuesday, August 25, out of San Pedro. That would mean 9AM going over and leaving the island at 6PM. Group size will be limited to no more than 9 (including me). We can do 3 to a cab to get over to the Park and we'll get tanks there. $150 covers you for the three dives along with the boat, taxi, and tanks. Call us at 310/652-4990 (or e-mail) if you want to join us. The GSBs are calling!!!
MORE LOCAL CONDITIONS - John Lumb gave me a rundown of his busy diving weekend. Here are his (edited) comments: "Friday - 2 dives on Palawan. 5-6 dark green feet of vis to 50 ft, then easily 30ft below. 66º @ surface, 53º at 110 ft. Lots of corynactis & scallops (not large). Surprisingly few fish given that it's a reef. Third dive to the Avalon. Mostly broken up in 70 ft. but the cold water forced us back after 25 minutes. Saturday - Terranea Resort again 66º at the surface and still 55º about 12 ft. Very little surf, but quite powerful surge. Vis maybe 12 ft. We cut our dive short due to the cold and the fairly boring reef. Sunday - North Crescent Bay and out to Deadman's Reef. Water in the shallows 71º (finally a seasonal temp). Thermocline at 26 ft and temp below was 59º. I love the rock formations out at Deadman's, and at the East end where the pinnacles become quite shallow, there was an abundance of fish, large schools of pile perch and plenty of the usual suspects, Garibaldi, Calicos, sheephead, Blacksmith, wrasse etc. all swimming around above the reef. It was like an aquarium. Vis out here was probably 40ft. While we were enjoying the spectacle, a huge school of Barracuda cruised in and hung out. We'd have hung around here longer, but we were down to our turn-around pressure." Thanks John!!! As I always say, you never know if you don't go look.
COVID GAME-CHANGER??? - Some GOOD news about COVID for a change? In looking ahead to our January Socorro trip on the Nautilus Under Sea, I've been saying that saying since once you're on the boat, you're effectively in a bubble, wouldn't it be nice if there was a cheap and rapid COVID test we could have everyone - including crew - take just before boarding??? Once we confirm that everyone on board is negative, you can relax or eliminate anti-COVID measures like masks or social distancing. Over the weekend, it was announced that the FDA has given approval to a new rapid test called SalivaDirect. This is whatthey're using for the NBA. Although it doesn't seem like you can determine results yourself - like you might for a home pregnancy test - it sounds like it's going to be rapid, cheap, and easily mass-produced. I think it will have widespread positive implications in how we continue to deal with the COVID crisis. You can read more about it here: NEW COVID TEST.
SPEAKING OF SOCORRO - Since I mentioned this the other week, we've had three more people sign up. This means there are only TWO spots left on this trip (January 13-22). Both spots are in the co-ed triple (actually a quad but one bunk is left empty for extra storage). Socorro's a great place to visit, January's the perfect time to go, and - especially with this new SalivaDirect test - we will hopefully be dealing with COVID better by then. If you're interested in the last spots - $3,750/diver - call us at 310/652-4990.
NO RUNNING WHILE DIVING - From Scuba Diving College in the Red Sea, an admonition about running while diving. In all seriousness, you have to have GREAT buoyancy to pull this off. And I LOVED the music: RUNNING WHILE DIVING.
And that'll do it for now. Have a great week, stay safe, wear your mask, wash your hands, and let's go diving soon!!!
- Ken
