Toilet Bowl Reef, Redondo Beach, CA

Solo Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 1000 psi
Max depth: 122 feet
Waves: Sort of choppy
Visibility: 30 feet plus
Water Temperature: 62 degrees on the surface, 55 at depth
Total Bottom Time: About 20 minutes

After the class finished their deep dive at the Palawan, I had already been up for twenty minutes.

We slowly made our way to the next spot, “Toilet Bowl Reef.”

Toilet Bowl Reef is a spot off of Redondo Beach near the edge of the canyon; Dive N Surf dumped a bunch of toilets from a hotel that was being remodeled to form an artificial reef.

The toilet bowls actually look like sea encrusted boxes.

The anchor was at 112 feet, with the chain dipping to 122 feet; I followed the line down to 122 feet and then swam up to the toilets that rest at 90 to 100 feet.

Ohh, Ahh, A spanish Shawl.

I again had problems with my camera case fogging; few pictures came out.

I checked the toilets for hiding lobsters; there weren’t any and I don’t think lobsters come here at all during the season anyway.

Vis was clear enough to easily find my way back to the anchor line for the slow ascent to the surface.

Me at the anchor line.

I surfaced as the class was descending and hung out again with Captain Dick; after all, where the hell else am I going to go?

Knowing we had a limited supply of beer, I drank as many beers as I possibly could before the class emerged.

About twenty minutes later, the deep diving class was back on board with a few newly certified “deep” divers.

Debriefing started immediately for the rest and continued in the parking lot afterwards.

The Palawan Wreck, Redondo Beach, CA

Solo Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 700 psi
Max depth: 120 feet
Waves: Sort of choppy
Visibility: 40 feet plus, but sort of dark
Water Temperature: 62 degrees on the surface, 53 at depth
Total Bottom Time: About 22 minutes
Notable Event: This is my 300th dive and I am still alive.

There were two cancellations from a deep diving class on the Island Diver; I took one of the vacancies.

It was the typical stag boat except for a newer member of Divevets – “Hollywood” a blonde hot chick.

After a short ride to the wreck, I realized that the entire boat, except for me, was part of the class.

I made sure my spare air was filled, and was the first one overboard.

I went down the anchor line; the anchor rested in 130 feet of water with the Palawan in sight.

I didn’t realize at first how good the vis was; the Palawan is 44 feet across and I could see from one side to the other.

Even though I put in one of those moisture absorbing packets in my camera case (aka “Do Not Eats”), I still had a slight problem with condensation forming on the lens.

I did a tour around the ship and descended into the hull; the top deck is off, so this was not a penetration dive.

This is what I look like, sort of narced, at 120 feet; sort of too dark, I know.

After 15 minutes at the wreck, I easily found the anchor line and started the journey back up; stopping at 50 feet for two minutes, then four minutes at 15 feet.

During my safety stop, I saw a tank, without a diver pass by.

I thought, “I’ve found fins and knives before, but I really scored today!”

As it turns out, it was safety and training equipment being lowered for the class; their dive was just starting.

I hung out with Captain Dick…

… and observed what I could of the class.

I figured I would be the first to out-gas for the second dive and the first one finished for the day; if all worked out, I could drink most of the beer before the class finished their second dive.