End Of The Year SCUBA Dive At Long Point
Logged SCUBA Dive #326
Old Marineland (aka Long Point, Terranea Resort)
Dove With Dennis G., Reverend Al and Ted
In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 600 psi
Max depth: 60 feet
Waves: Pretty much, flat as a lake
Visibility: 20 to 25 feet – Pretty damn good!
Temperature: 54 degrees
Total Bottom Time: About 50 minutes
Notable Event: A Fellow Diver Had his Equipment Cart Taken
With a storm earlier in the week, I arrived at Old Marineland surprised to see a repeat of the excellent conditions from last Sunday.
We geared up fairly quickly, and after Dive Bum Don gave me a replacement O-ring for my first stage, we headed off to enter The Point.
Midway through the switch-back trail, we cut through the opened fence that lead to The Point; a couple of divers were gearing up out of push carts near the new Terranea Hotel.
As flat as a lake and a slight high tide made entrance almost too easy.
We swam out to drop on the statue at the Pinnacle.
We descended; the vis was spectacular!
We submerged right on target, although someone or something had stirred up the bottom.
A Sunstar enjoys the cold water.
Vis may have been slightly better than last week.
Dennis and I broke away from the others, who had bigger tanks, and started to head for our planned exits at the Cove.
We searched the rocks and reefs for any stupid, but legal lobsters that we could grab for.
Again, the small ones were in reach, but the big ones were way back in the holes.
Even some of my wide angle photos came out!
We weaved through the kelp forest before reaching a slight stretch of sand.
We surfaced after 50 minutes and made a slight surface swim to an uneventful exit at The Cove.
I was pleasantly surprised to see my brother waiting to hand me a beer as soon as I crawled onto the dry rocks.
Dive Bum Don was nice enough to cook us some kind of meatless breakfast dish out of “Soyrizzo,” which, according to Don, “Is like Chorizzo but without the lips and ass of an animal.”
Breakfast was good!
My brother Paul tended the Bratwursts on my outdoor stove.
A pair of divers soon emerged from the trail.
One of them asked, “Did you see someone pushing a red cart?”
Nobody had, but apparently when they finished their dive their cart had disappeared; it was parked right outside the new Terranea Hotel.
Maybe Security took it?
Maybe a super drunk fisherman?
Instructor Ed stopped by to revisit the cast of characters here.
After about 15 minutes, one of the divers that was missing the cart came back to the lot and said he went to the main gates of Terranea, but that security wasn’t available because they were “chasing cats in their sewers.”
Now the loss of the cart became even more apparent – the cart had strapped to it a bag containing car keys and a cell phone.
Triple-A was called to break into the car, but the extra key for the diver’s truck was in San Diego.
Just as a shot in the dark, Reverend Al, my brother Paul and I decided to walk back down the trail and see if we could find it.
If we had to, we were all prepared to kick some ass to get the guy’s stuff back, just like OJ Simpson did in Las Vegas.
Midway down the trail, I flagged over an approaching Security Guard; the fence was between us.
“Excuse me, did you see a red cart?” I asked.
“Hey, there’s a red cart sticking out of his trunk,” Reverend Al pointed out.
The Security Guard asked, “Do you own this cart?”
“No, but we know who does,” I said.
“The owner of this cart is in serious trouble; every day you guys cut the fence and trespass on this property,” the guard said.
“The fence was open, we just walked through it,” Reverend Al said.
“You guys are lying to me; the person who owns this cart needs to come and see me… and make sure he brings his ID because I’m going to at least give him a ticket,” the Security Guard said.
We walked back up to the parking lot where the owner of the cart was relieved to know who had it.
The cart owner drove to the Terranea main gate where the asshole Security Guard basically said, “You can be charged with felony trespassing… you either admit to sneaking in or I’m going to call the Police right now and have you arrested.”
Under direst, he admitted to it and got his cart and all his belongings back.
I guess things are that boring for some of the Terranea guards?
Also, sometime during my dive or all the excitement, it appears someone used the Duster as a porno prop – Terranea Security is investigating the incident.
