Casino Point, Catalina, CA

Dove with Instructor John’s Open Water Students – the young short guy from last weekend who I will now call Mason and another student Spike.*

In With: 2100 psi
Out With: 1100 psi
Max depth: 40 feet or so
Waves: Insignificant
Visibility: 15-20 feet
Water Temperature: Cool
Total Bottom Time: About 20 minutes
*Note: Student names have been changed.

We divided into groups just like the last dive.

The plan was to have everyone submerge – John was to feed the fish and then go off on our separate ways.

Pancho turned back again.

Everyone else managed to submerge; John fed the fish and our group was off to tour.

I went the way of the memorial, but basically weaved in and out of the kelp and rocks with the students behind me.

The students both did really well for their third dive; they both kept up with me.

One student started to do better on air consumption than the other.

I went father toward the right (looking out) than I thought.

I came up to where I thought was the stairs, but we were 50 yards or better away.

We did our shallow SCUBA swim to the stairs.

We made it out with no problem.

I stayed by the stairs and helped the rest in who were a few minutes behind us.

Casino Point, Catalina, CA

Dove with Instructor John’s Open Water Students – the young short guy from last weekend who I will now call Mason and another student Spike.*

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 2100 psi
Max depth: 40 feet
Waves: 1 foot, insignificant
Visibility: 15-20 feet
Water Temperature: Cool
Total Bottom Time: About 20 minutes
*Note: Student names have been changed.

We had 16 people or so come over to Catalina – 15 divers and my girlfriend Jane.

There were three non-students (two of John’s ex-students and Suzuki’s husband, Arrogant Asshole – See last dive).

Jim came along as a safety diver.

John divided us in to diving groups with Jim, John and myself as leads.

My charge was Mason, Spike and Pancho.

The plan was for them to do a basic checkout and then for me to take them on a short tour.

Spike and Mason descended.

Pancho got down to 10 feet and came back up.

“I’m going in,” he said.

I helped Pancho in and informed Jim.

Mason and Spike apparently passed their basic check out and John handed them to me on the surface; they both had about 1500 psi.

We submerged and went down to the Jacques Cousteau memorial, turned around and took a scenic route back.

It was a short dive, but they were almost down to 500 psi by the time we got to the stairs.

Spike hit his head on my tank coming in.

I waited for the rest at the stairs.

A lady from another class found a blue fin which I threw up to the top of the stairs.

It turned out to belong to Morticia, a student who was diving with John.