Casino Point, Catalina, CA

Dove with Instructor John, his friend Jim, and John’s Open Water students* Archie, Gloria and Young Biologist.

In With: 3200 psi
Out With: 2000 psi
Max depth: 40 feet
Waves: Insignificant
Visibility: 10-15 feet
Water Temperature: Cool, maybe 60 degrees Fahrenheit
Total Bottom Time: 24 minutes
*Student names have been changed.

Here’s a breakdown of John’s current Open Water students:

1. One student couldn’t clear his mask in the pool, so he wasn’t allowed to go to Catalina – he cried.

2. One student is on mental medication, but “not while diving;” this student is not on this Catalina trip.

3. Brother of Young Biologist got sick the day before and couldn’t make this trip.

4. Young Biologist, student of Marine Biology; probably 18 or 19 years old.

5. and 6. Archie and Gloria, a father and daughter team that didn’t realize that setting up their gear is “hard work” – or so they said.

Jim’s wife and his kid came along for the ride.

John found a knife during the free dive; Young Biologist’s BC leaked from the inflator hose.

When the students were setting up their rigs, Gloria remarked to her father that “diving is a lot of work.”

He responded by saying, “Don’t worry, in Hawaii they do all this stuff for you.”

Young Biologist’s mask leaked, and kept leaking.

John had me bring her in and rejoin the group.

I got back down as they were heading off to the Jacques Cousteau memorial.

Jim and I kept an eye on the two students Archie and Gloria; I had to replace Gloria’s fin because it had fallen off.

Archie was doing a Stairmaster kick and crawling on the bottom.

Gloria was more buoyant, but had a lame kick.

We washed up with little problem.

The stairs were visible to the end of the rocks; it was extremely low tide.

Young Biologist as it turns out had her mask strap on lop-sided.

John took her out for a dive while we took a lunch.

The Dock Of The Los Angeles Harbor Police Headquarters
Inside Los Angeles Harbor

WARNING: You are not normally allowed to dive in a harbor unless you obtain permission first.

It is a great way to get arrested and interrogated by the Department of Homeland Security.

Having the Police with you is also a good idea.

But, by not diving in a harbor, you are not missing anything at all.

Dove with Instructor John, his friend Jim and John’s Harbor Police Open Water students as part of my Dive Master training.

In With: 2000 psi
Out With: 1700 psi
Max depth: 15 feet
Waves: 0
Visibility: 0-2 feet, really shitty
Water Temperature: 60 degrees Fahrenheit, I think
Total Bottom Time: 12 minutes

I don’t know if I should consider this a dive, but under the circumstances (students, visibility) I obviously will.

The Police boat pulled back in to the dock and we dove off the pier – I did a giant stride off the end.

The woman followed, but lost her weight belt; I retrieved it.

Three students were in the water plus John, Jim and myself. John paired us up for a tour.

My “buddy” was the young officer that I brought in yesterday due to low air.

He asked if he could hold my arm as vis really sucked – about zero to two feet.

I said, “sure.”

We submerged and bumped around under the pier for several minutes.

I gave him the “OK” signal; he responded with the “having trouble clearing” signal; we surfaced.

I pointed to a ladder off the pier and suggested that we swim there and try submerging again, as slow as possible.

We swam over and he said, “I’m done.”

“OK, great!” I thought.

We swam over to the ladder that was not completely rusted and climbed up.

These two dives were the nastiest, most disgusting dives I’ve ever been on.

I tasted diesel fuel in my mouth for hours – I hope it was only diesel fuel!

Jim and his buddy dive off the smelly, stinky, crappy (literally) harbor.

The LA Harbor Police Dock.

I thought to myself, Police cars are more comfortable than Police boats.