New Video! - "Bula! - Fiji 2006"

Scuba diving in Nadi, Fiji, and several dive sites by the Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort near Savusavu, Fiji. Video includes sharks, lion fish, octopus, beautiful coral and much more. Footage was shot during day and night dives. Video is approximately 7 1/2 minutes...Enjoy!

Dive # 280

Date: September 24, 2006
Time: 10:00
Location: Seal Rocks
Depth (feet): 43
Dive Time (minutes): 35
Surf (feet): 2-3 (occasional 4+)
Surge (feet): 2-4
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 64
Visibility (feet): 15-20
Visibility Description: Clear 'cept near the seal lion poo
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Scott and Patrick...haven't been to Seal Rocks in a while and I've forgotten just how nice and interesting the reef/rock structures around it are. Lots of schools of senorita fish...lobsters, and Scott found another octopus. Seal Rocks...anyone know why it isn't Sea Lion Rocks?...I've never seen a seal there...but we did see about 1 dozen playful seal lions. The surf was not the best for diving - but once through it the water was worth the effort...pretty clear and warm...a nice dive.

Dive # 279

Date: September 24, 2006
Time: 8:30am
Location: Deadman's Reef
Depth (feet): 67
Dive Time (minutes): 37
Surf (feet): 2-3 (occasional 4+)
Surge (feet): 3-4
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 64
Visibility (feet): 20
Visibility Description: pretty clear
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Pablo and Scott...surf entry wasn't perfect - but we got in without too much trouble. Swam out and dropped down just before Deadhenge...boy that has grown in the months since I've last seen it. Found the rope that must have been attached to the former bouy...looked kinda like it had been cut to me - and with only a foot or two attached to the rocks I would think a diver...not CSI though. Big sheephead, octopus, 2 spanish shawls and a bunch of smaller fish...one seal lion buzzed us as we came up and over the reef on the way home. Well timed exit...good time had by all.

SoCal lobster hunting "primer" - Only 2 weeks 'till the season starts!

This was a lead-in video to a lobster hunting presentation I did a few years back for a local dive club. Only a couple of weeks until lobster season opens here in Southern California...you can't beat free lobster!

Dive # 278

Date: September 13, 2006
Time: 8:45pm
Location: Diver's Cove
Depth (feet): 28
Dive Time (minutes): 40
Surf (feet): 1-3
Surge (feet): 3-6
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 64
Visibility (feet): 10
Visibility Description: shallower dive - surge kicked up alot of sand.
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Josh and Scott...saw several lobsters, octopi and both a large (nearly 3 foot) and tiny (maybe 9 inches) bat ray. The tiny bat ray was very easy to stay with - and we shadowed it for several minutes. One of the ocotpi was very small - but it wasn't color matching well, and it stood out nicely on the reef - shame I hadn't brought the video camera. The surge and visibility was a downturn from the earlier dive at Shaw's - but the critters made it certainly enjoyable.

Dive # 277

Date: September 13, 2006
Time: 6:15pm
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 45
Dive Time (minutes): 48
Surf (feet): 1-2
Surge (feet): 3-5
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 64
Visibility (feet): 20
Visibility Description: variable - but mostly clear
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Josh, Scott, Len and Barry (nice to meet you)...easy in, but the Arch/passage didn't check out due to surge...so we stayed on the outside. A couple of large morays, sheep crabs, octopi and a spanish shawl. Got buzzed by a couple of seals as well...harbor seals are alot more enjoyable than sea lions (personal opinion). Surge in shallows brought up more sand and lowered vis - but deeper it was pretty clear and about 20 feet. Overall - a good time had by all.

Dive #276

Date: September 6, 2006
Time: 8:30pm
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 46
Dive Time (minutes): 48
Surf (feet): 2
Surge (feet): 2-4
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 59
Visibility (feet): 20
Visibility Description: pretty clear - a little murky at the edges
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Patrick Ford and my brother-in-law Jeff. Haven't dove with Patrick in over 2 years...awesome to see him back in the water. Nice dive - very high tide (to the stairs) Dropped down pretty early and stuck our head in the first part of the main Arch passageway...surge was a bit more in there then I really felt like dealing with - but did see a couple of large morays - one that was nearly completely out while hunting. Worked our way on the outside of the reef - accompanied nearly the entire time by a pair of seals...one was a chubby little dude I've seen there before, but the other was a slightly more athletic newcomer. Several octopus and a bunch of lobster (3 weeks and counting!) Overall a nice dive - don't get to dive with Jeff much (lives in Chicago), and Patrick is making a triumphal return from some heart problems...a good time had by all!

Dives #266-275 - Fiji! - Rachel Returns!

The first 3 are a few "frame-grabs" from some of the video shot on the trip...a lionfish, moray eel and puffer fish...got a whole bunch of video to start going through...stay tuned!

Here are the quick stats on the dives - all temps were 80 degrees!
Sunday - August 27
Dive Troppex - Nadi - Westin Fiji
Dove Magic Island - sites were Magic Passage and Magic Patch
Depth: 89
Time: 32

Depth: 55
Time: 48

Wednesday - August 30
Dove L'aventure - Cousteau Resort - Savusavu Fiji
Dove Namena Marine Park - sites were Grand Central and Chimneys
Depth: 87
Time: 30

Depth: 75
Time: 45

Rachel:
Depth: 73
Time: 29

Rachel:
Depth: 57
Time: 46

Thursday - August 31
Dove "local" - site was Baracuda Point and night dive was Golden Nuggets
Depth: 72
Time: 40

Depth: 54
Time: 51

Rachel (Golden Nuggets):
Depth: 66
Time: 39

Saturday - September 2
Dove "local" - sites were Black Beacon, Lighthouse and night dive at Golden Nuggets

Depth: 75
Time: 42

Depth: 85
Time: 53

Depth: 53
Time: 56

Rachel:
Depth: 53
Time: 55

Sunday - September 3
Dove "local" - site was Dreadlocks
Depth: 54
Time: 44

Rachel:
Depth: 50
Time: 44