Dive #391

Date: July 1, 2009
Time: 9:30pm
Location: Diver's Cove
Depth (feet): 29
Dive Time (minutes): 69
Surf (feet): 1-3
Surge (feet): 1-3
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 55
Visibility (feet): 8-10
Visibility Description: medium-poor
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Jeff - his last before heading back to the windy city...some surf on the entry but manageable...dropped down quick and onto sand...proceeded on sand at a 240 for a bit - slowly looking for bat rays...none. Thornbacks and stingrays were out though...and a small moray eel. Otherwise pretty uneventful animal-wise...garibaldi, blacksmith and some perch - SOP fish. Stayed pretty shallow the whole dive and cold the whole dive - temp was the same as previous dive, but skin must be a bit thinner...easy walk out exit and a good time had by all.

Dive #390

Date: June 27, 2009
Time: 7:30pm
Location: Deadmans Reef
Depth (feet): 44
Dive Time (minutes): 65
Surf (feet): 1-2+
Surge (feet): light
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 58-62
Visibility (feet): 15+
Visibility Description: some murk - good
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Jeff - first dive to Deadmans in a long while...dropped down past the point and took a heading straight up Deadhenge...low tide made it a bit shallower than normal. Lots of fish out on the reef - we stayed pretty high on it - in the 30 foot range for most of the dive. A couple of morays, and a whole bunch of Spanish Shawls. We were shadowed by a coupole of sea lions towards the end of our time on the reef - took Deadhenge back and saw a medium sized sheep crab at the very end of it...had read a dive report from earlier that mentioned a sheep crab in that area - maybe the same one? An uneventful swim back over the sand and up just outside the surf zone...overall a good time had by all.

Dive #389

Date: June 26, 2009
Time: 9:30pm
Location: Wood's Cove
Depth (feet): 37
Dive Time (minutes): 87
Surf (feet): 1-2
Surge (feet): 2-4
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 61-63
Visibility (feet): 10-15
Visibility Description: good
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Jeff - alot of surge and disorienting sea grass and kelp in the beginning, but the reef structures are worth it. Long, easy dive with many lobster, stingrays, blacksmiths, garibaldi...a small plainfin midshipman - unfortunately no camera as it was photogenically sitting on the rock reef (I find them more often buried in the sand). A 2 1/2 foot horn shark and many scorpionsish, and a large cabezon were also found. Surfaced a bit north of the beach, but a quick surface swim and easy exit - a good time had by all.

Dive #388

Date: June 24, 2009
Time: 9:30pm
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 47
Dive Time (minutes): 73
Surf (feet): 1-2
Surge (feet): 2-6 - strong push away from shore
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 64-66 (Cobra)
Visibility (feet): 10-15
Visibility Description:
Notes and Highlights: Lots of animals and very active - first night dive this year...dove with Jeff. Many stingray, a couple of eels, octopi, nudibranchs (see below), and, unfortunately for the camera, a lot of plankton (small animals) in the water as well - very attracted to our dive lights. Warm - no hood...much warmer than the 50 degrees of Tasmania last week. Took a look at Shelly - she's nearly indistinguishable as Shelly with the growth. Long, slow dive around the reef...a good time had by all.

 

Dive #385 - Video

Date: May 25, 2009
Time: 6am
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 37
Dive Time (minutes): 63
Surf (feet): 1-3
Surge (feet): 2-5
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 61
Visibility (feet): 5-8
Visibility Description: Poor
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Len - first beach dive since Dec 10th - and only the 3rd for the year...felt great to be in the water regardless of conditions! The tide was very very low, and the 1-3's were breaking consistently...avoidable. Dropped down and spent some time inside the main passage to Crescent - too much surge to go all the way through comfortably, so we stayed outside the reef for the rest of the dive. Some Hopkins Roses, Spanish Shawls, a Cabezon and medium-sized bat ray were the highlights. Too much surge for very good macro, and too little vis for good wides. Said hello to Shelly...and basically enjoyed a leisurely dive in and around the reef. Was so happy to get back in the water that I kissed the sand on our exit...well...it may have looked like I stepped in a hole and face-planted...Mother Nature's "welcome back!". Overall a good time had by all, sandy gear included...and a short video clip to enjoy.

Dives #383 and 384

Date: May 3, 2009
Time: 9am/11am
Location: Isthmus Reef, Catalina Island
Depth (feet): 27/35
Dive Time (minutes): 92/35
Surf (feet): 0
Surge (feet): 1-2
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 57
Visibility (feet): 15-20
Visibility Description: Moderately Clear
Notes and Highlights: First dives in nearly 5 months! Dove to help shoot video for a project a friend was putting together for Reef Check. Two dives off the Sea Bass out of San Pedro. Ride over and back was uneventful...not too much swell. Conditions were not as clear for video as we would have liked, but overall I believe we got the shots we needed. Didn't see much sea life other than garibaldi and gobies. Once the project is finished I'll hopefully be able to link to it. Overall a good time had by all.

Dive #382

Date: December 10, 2008
Time: 6:30pm
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 44
Dive Time (minutes): 85
Surf (feet): 1-2+
Surge (feet): 1-3
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 59
Visibility (feet): 15-20
Visibility Description: good
Notes and Highlights: First dive with Jack (nice to meet you)...easy in with a couple of larger waves - dropped down by the entrance to the arch. Typical hopkin's roses in the archway...some surge so didn't stay too long. A nice, slow and easy tour of the outside of the reef. Octopi, an almost-legal lobster, a 3 foot horn shark that wasn't easy to get a picture of, and a harbor seal escort for the last half of the dive. Got a little chilly after the first hour, but a very relaxing and enjoyable dive - first with a camera in a long time as well, so check out the pictures below. Overall a good time had by all.


Click the moray eel for the picture slideshow


Harbor seal using our lights to hunt

Dive #381

Date: December 7, 2008
Time: 6:30am
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 47
Dive Time (minutes): 75
Surf (feet): 1
Surge (feet): 1
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 59-61
Visibility (feet): 15+
Visibility Description: good
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Len and Josh - first dive since Oct 22nd...awesome to finally get back in. Easy in with minimal surf. Dropped down just at the arch entrance. Some surge and whiteout had us decide to cut back through a passage to Shaw's outer reef. Went around by turn-around rock and found a 3 foot horn shark in a small crevice. Len found a small moray eel out in the further part of the reef. Cut back into the reef on the way back and back into the archway passage to Crescent...this time the surge was less and we spent about 20 minutes on the other side...coming back when Len was low on air. Easy walk-out, and overall a good time had by all.