After several days of bad conditions, we’re finally back in the water to rescue more lobsters from their watery hell that they call life.

Instructor John and I loaded the Red October and made a ride out to one of our secret deep lobster spots – about a quarter acre of man made reefs, i.e. dumped heavy construction material.

The wind was barely blowing, but the surface chop was in excess of five feet and steadily rolling; if I wasn’t so macho, I would have gotten sea sick.

We anchored perfectly on target, after trolling with a GPS for ten minutes.

Logged SCUBA Dive #364

SECRET LOCATION: 4a 75 73 74 20 6c 69 6b 65 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 2c 20 6f 66 66 20 74 68 65 20 53 70 61 6e 69 73 68 20 52 65 64 20 42 65 61 63 68 2c 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 61 20 66 61 72 6d 20 74 68 61 74 20 67 72 6f 77 73 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 70 69 70 65 73 2e, Redondo Beach (I think), CA

Solo Diving, SoCal Buddy Diving

In With: 2800 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 80 feet
Waves: Nauseating surface chop with light wind
Visibility: 10-15 feet
Water Temperature: About 58 degrees, slightly colder at depth
Total Bottom Time: About 22 minutes

The water seemed cold, especially after discovering a new ass rip in my wet suit – the consequences of too much underwater peeing.

For the first five minutes, I didn’t see one bug, but as I found structure, I spotted lots of shorts.

I pinned a legal looking bug on the gravel but it turned out to be short – it was released unharmed, along with an apology.

There was a big reef structure in 75 feet of water, lined with monster bugs inside – the big ones are still staying home?

I guess that’s how they got so big.

I could not reach them.

Along the side of a pipe, I spotted a large bug, pinned it and put it in the lobster liberation bag.

Now the anxiety of getting skunked was over.

I came across another large pipe – like a six foot diameter drainage pipe – with bugs underneath the hollows.

One large lobster caught my eye; I shoved my lights at him and he shot back.

I swam over the pipe; he was right there in the open, standing on the gravel.

I moved my light to the side and pinned his silhouette.

Yet another lobster who will soon no longer wallow in misery!

I was down to 1000 psi and decided to troll around until I got to 800 psi.

That last lobster that I liberated was flapping around in my bag really hard and then it went calm.

I checked my bag and only felt one bug.

Where was the second one?

Did he crawl out of my escape-proof, spring-loaded bag?

I felt again; the second bug was right at the top, waiting for me to open it once I rescued another lobster.

I shook him down to the bottom of the bag and started my ascent to the surface.

I came up slowly, but did not do a safety stop in the open water – I didn’t want a potential current to sweep me away from the boat.

I hit the surface and looked for the boat.

Where’s the boat?

I did several 360s in the rolling swells trying to spot the boat – a 14 foot rubber zodiac has a low profile.

Luckily, Instructor John has an extremely bright LED light mounted on board when we’re in the water, and as soon as I was in the right direction and as soon as a swell passed, I got a heading for the boat.

I submerged to 15 feet and swam in that direction.

John came back with one five pound bug – three lobsters total for the night.

We literally surfed back to King Harbor, riding the incoming waves.

No pictures tonight; my batteries died and besides, people tell me that one picture of me holding lobsters looks like all the rest after a while.

Now, remember when I mentioned in my last post that we called the lobster dive Friday night due to high swells and wind?

I found out that a friend of a friend actually went out that night because, “We needed lobsters for a barbecue on Saturday.”

Apparently, visibility sucked, and someone ended up dislocating their shoulder climbing back into the boat.

I hope those were some tasty lobsters, if they caught any at all!

Speaking of bad conditions from last weekend, here again is another lesson on how not to exit Terranea Resort, presented by the famous Max Bottomtime.

To view this video on YouTube, click here.

We may go out Thursday night, conditions permitting.

A transformer had blown up, causing King Harbor to be in pitch darkness – I hope it was not an attack by Al Qaeda.

Luckily, we were prepared for darkness, so that did not stop us on our mission to liberate some lobsters.

Last Sunday, divers dug three lobsters out of the rocks during the day at Terranea Resort – probably in depths no greater that 40 feet.

I talked to a free diver a couple of days ago who caught lobsters in Palos Verdes in 15 feet of water, only a week ago.

Commercial traps look like they’re still in 40 to 60 feet of water.

So, are the bugs deeper yet?

We had to find out.

Instructor John and I set out in his 14 foot inflatable yacht to a secret deep location off of Redondo Beach – or was it Manhattan Beach?

We anchored in 75 feet of water.

Logged SCUBA Dive #363

SECRET LOCATION: 4f 66 66 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 53 70 61 6e 69 73 68 20 52 65 64 20 42 65 61 63 68 2c 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6c 79 20 6f 75 74 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 4b 69 6e 67 20 6f 66 20 48 61 72 62 6f 72 73 2c 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 61 20 66 61 72 6d 20 74 68 61 74 20 67 72 6f 77 73 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 70 69 70 65 73 2e, Redondo Beach (I think), CA

Solo Diving, SoCal Buddy Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 80 feet
Waves: Wind chop on the surface, slight current going South
Visibility: 20+ feet
Water Temperature: About 58 degrees, slightly colder at depth
Total Bottom Time: About 22 minutes

The water was pleasantly sort of warmer than I expected – especially after I peed in my wetsuit.

I followed the anchor line to the ocean floor.

This area is covered with little man made reefs – pipes, concrete boxes and miscellaneous construction crap that was dumped here years ago when the breakwater was completed – which breakwater, I’m unsure of – it could be Pearl Harbor for all I know.

I literally saw dozens of short lobsters within the first few minutes of my dive.

I came across a section of pipes and looked inside – monsters!

Huge six to ten pound bugs!

It was almost 9 PM, it had been dark for almost four hours – why were they still hiding in the pipes?

Maybe I’ll bring some cat food next time?

I came across a short section of a pipe with a monster lobster in it – the back was open and I was about to put my expert lobster liberating skills to use.

I shined the light at the bug, and with my light mounted gauge, hit one of his antennae.

He flew backwards as I turned my light off and swam to the other end of the pipe’s opening.

I turned the light on, and there he was, sitting on the gravel, right out in the open.

I went for the pin and got him!

His carapace was soft enough so I could maintain a good grip before putting him in the lobster liberation bag!

I checked the gravel and did general reconnaissance of the area – yes, there are lobsters deeper now.

But like I stated earlier, there seem to be plenty still left in the shallows.

John surfaced with one bug.

This monster will no longer terrorize the seas!

You can catch them deeper now, however, your bottom time to hunt is significantly reduced.