I have run across an interesting project that was crowd funded, and will hopefully do some good to the nasty ocean water that accumulates in the harbors.

Having personally dove in Los Angeles Harbor while helping to train LA Harbor Police during my Dive Master training, I can personally say, harbor water is some of the most disgusting water around – floating oil, fuel, trash and shit.

Literally, shit – some asshole boat owners are so cheap, that they will save the $6 charge to have their brown water tank pumped, and just empty it into the ocean.

Currently, there are cleaning boats that patrol the harbor, but they are expensive to operate and are only in service during certain hours.

The Seabin is about the size of a garbage can.

The Seabin floats in the harbor and is run by a pump on the dock.

Apparently, it collects the water on the surface, along with the trash and oil, and expels the cleaner water out the other end.

They say that they have never had a fish caught in the device.

You can see the crap that it collects, but my question is, will that small can be enough to make a difference?

I’m glad they got their funding, so hopefully technology will make a difference and clean the water.

See the Seabin in action on YouTube:

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.