Veteran’s Park, Redondo Beach, California

Diving with buddy “Rafael”

In With: 2900 psi
Out With: 1200 psi
Max depth: 70 feet
Waves: Pretty flat
Visibility: 8-15 feet
Water Temperature: 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the canyon, warmer above
Total Bottom Time: 32 minutes

I haven’t been diving for two weeks and wanted to make sure I still remembered how.

I got to the parking lot and hooked up with “Rafael” who was looking for a buddy.

After a quick briefing of the dive plan and how each other’s gear was rigged, we entered the water and met outside the surf zone.

Rafael and Me off of Redondo Beach.

We descended to 20 feet and swam West, determined to find the “monument.”

Going over the shelf at 35 feet was a tremendous thermocline – the temperature went from 62 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

We went to 60 feet and swam South in search of the “monument.”

A sea snail? Sea slug????

A  crab sleeps in an old ammunition box.

A transient village of conch.

I tried to navigate… I was sort of narced… 50 degrees and 70 feet below.

Oh, yeah!

I felt really good, but had no idea where the hell I was going for a while.

Regaining my composure as I always do, we swam through a section of the canyon that was absolutely twilight dark.

This is what Rafael looks like underwater.

We headed back after a slow swim South, but at 70 feet instead of 60.

I thought we were sure to spot the monument.

A sea blob – What the hell is this?

An octopus squats in a vacant snail shell.

We came across a huge Shovel Nose Guitar fish that blended in to the sandy bottom so well, none of my pictures came out.

We swam across the orange traffic marker and the man eating killer crab from last dive was still waiting for its next victim.

Seeing that he couldn’t take me and Rafael on at the same time, the crab was passive.

We must have missed the “monument” by only a few feet.

At 1200 psi, we went back up the shelf to warmer water and did a slow swim and safety stop back to an almost easy exit.

There’s a sand step that I tripped over in a foot of water.

I crawled up and got back on my feet, hoping nobody saw my non-macho trip.

Rafael and me.

We debriefed with a couple beers and hung out with a few dive groupies.

A great dive and another day of cheating death!

Rafael is welcome as a dive buddy anytime.

Veteran’s Park, Redondo Beach, CA

Solo Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 700 psi
Max depth: About 95 feet
Waves: Small swells
Visibility: About 10-15 feet, maybe more in some places
Water Temperature: 52 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 45 minutes

Ah, yes!

Veteran’s Park once again!

Quite a number of displaced Marineland divers showed up this morning; even Dive Bum Don was at Vet’s – he later said that once a year gives him his fill for this place.

The waves were flat with an occasional ankle breaker; I was ready to submerge at about 9 AM.

That’s me with Palos Verdes in the background.

Diving conditions are improving; I could actually see the bottom before hitting it.

I swam to the drop off – the edge of the canyon; it goes from 35 feet straight down to 85 feet then continues to much deeper…

Down the canyon I went and spotted a lone white starfish.

There used to be a huge white starfish here a couple of years ago… until some douche bag student in a Sports Chalet class decided to take it home as a souvenir.

I always keep my eyes open for trouble, especially when I dive alone…

A killer human-eating crab was on a traffic cone waiting to pounce on the next unsuspecting diver.

Luckily he knew I was prepared and didn’t attack!

Nearby I found someone’s cell phone…

…obviously a remnant from one of the crab’s many victims.

I went deep today for the massage and therapeutic benefits such a dive has to offer.

My console read my deepest was 90 feet; my computer said 98 feet.

I turned around at 1500 psi and swam East… then I realized that I live on the West coast, so I needed to go West.

I turned around and started getting deeper again!

Narced!

I didn’t even feel a buzz, but my navigation skills proved that I was narced.

I corrected course and vowed to kick myself in the ass later.

As I was a ascending the canyon wall, I ran across a cool cap…

I did my best to look cool in it.

I later gave it to Dan from Divevets since he likes my taste in hats so much.

After a nice shallow swim in to out gas, I made it to shore with no problems.

I socialized for a bit with the Divevets, Jake and a few from the Marineland scene.

Dive Bum Don made a good point for diving with redundant air.

Twice he had O-rings burst and other problems with his air.

“That tank empties in a matter of a minute and a half, and at 65 feet you don’t have much time,” he said.

Another diver asked, “Can’t you just turn your tank off and turn in on only when needed, until you get to the surface?”

“That takes too much time, and in an emergency situation like that it’s best just to do an emergency ascent to the surface,” I said.

Don agreed.

I think my next major dive purchase is a pony bottle – my Spare Air (aka Three Breathes To Death) is still better than nothing.

I also heard that lame ass Sports Chalet is giving store credit for old SCUBA gear.

A dive store brought in all their decaying rental equipment and raped Sports Chalet for thousands of dollars in gear.

Before heading back to the hood, I had a few debriefing beers in the lot while getting a sun tan.