Thank you, Professional Debriefer Paul for bringing these articles to my attention.

Apparently, a 45 year old woman was diving off of the Sundiver Express on Tuesday at Ship Rock and went missing.

She was wearing, according to one of the articles, a black wet suit and a white tank.

Quotes from the two articles, listed below:

“The diver was reported missing just before noon about three miles away off the island near Ship Rock, an area popular with divers, according to Lifeguard Specialist Lidia Barillas of the Lifeguards Division of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.”

“The Coast Guard sent a 45-foot patrol boat, a helicopter and the cutter Narwhal to assist in the search for the woman, whose name was not released.”

The articles goes on to state that you should never solo dive and to always dive within your limits and have your equipment serviced.

However, there was no speculation that she was diving alone or comments on her equipment or skill level.

For those of you who are not familiar with the California diving culture, the Dive Masters do not conduct underwater tours – on any boat that I have been on.

You simply check out when you jump overboard and check in when you come back; the Dive Master simply accounts for the divers and responds to any emergency on the surface, or reports anyone who doesn’t come back.

I am not going to speculate, and hope she is found alive and well.

Original articles are here:

Search continues for female scuba diver missing off Catalina Island

Scuba Diver Missing Off Catalina Island

Update January 1, 2016:

Search launched for woman diving near Catalina Island

Authorities searched Thursday for a Tustin woman missing since Tuesday while scuba diving near Catalina Island.

Laurel Silver-Valker, 45, dove into the waters off Ship Rock looking for lobsters when she disappeared, said Sgt. Dave Carver of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Thank you Richard The Brit of Divevets, for the excellent video that he sent me.

It is a step by step training guide on how to teach your dog to dive for lobsters that was put up by the YouTube channel Devoted to the Ocean.

I really have no idea where this channel originates, but my guess is Florida where lobsters apparently sun themselves in daylight and act like they are dead when caught.

Even though I have never dove for lobsters in Florida, I can only say that these are not California lobsters which hide between rocks and in reefs during the day and only come out only at night.

Also, there is no gear code for “Dog” on the California Lobster Report Card, but maybe it would be considered free diving?

Also undetermined, is how would a dog obtain a California fishing license?

Maybe training your dog to catch lobsters is not practical here, or even realistically in Florida, but it is a fun video to watch.

Video is here:

How To Train Your Dog To Catch Lobster

More diving to come!

I promise!