Secret Location:
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Solo Diving, So Call Buddy Diving, night diving off of John’s Zodiac

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 40 feet
Waves: 1-2 foot swells
Visibility: 10 feet
Water Temperature: Warm, felt like it was in the 60’s.
Total Bottom Time: About 40 minutes
Notable Event: Lost sight of the zodiac, got lost

John, his friend Jim, his Nephew Michael Paul and I met at King Harbor at 10 PM.

The mighty zodiac!

We geared up, loaded John’s new Zodiac and sped off to our secret location.

The ride was bumpy and we got tossed in some swells that we couldn’t see in the darkness.

We made it to our location with 30 minutes to the start of the season.

John checks his gear, I’m thinking about lobster.

Jim prays for lobster, Michael Paul thinks strategy.

We BS’ed a while and jumped in the water at 10 minutes to midnight.

Apparently, lobsters are shallow in the beginning of the season, go deep during the storms and go back shallow towards the end.

I went South looking for lobsters and caught a few shorts, throwing them back.

After trolling for 20 minutes, I surfaced with an empty bag to get a bearing in where the boat was.

I couldn’t see it!

There were a number of boats anchored off shore that were hunting lobsters as well, but the zodiac sits so low, with just my head above water and two foot swells, I couldn’t see it!

I also didn’t know which direction the boat was it.

I thought I had one more towards the North, but the scenery made me think I was way South.

A boat slowly came over to where I was, he saw my light.

The captain said, “Are you anyone I know?”

“I certainly hope so!” I yelled.

I continued, “By the way, have you seen an orange Zodiac around here?”

“Orange?”

“Yeah, it rides really low in the water.”

He looked around for a while and pointed North and just West. “It looks like that might be a zodiac about 200 yards in that direction,” he said.

I took my mask off and stared in the direction.

As the swells rippled, I could make the lights out in the distance.

The captain offered to bring me to the boat.

I had air and no lobster, so I politely declined, but thanked him for the directions.

I submerged and followed the bottom in the direction of what I really hoped was the zodiac.

I surfaced a few times, just to make sure I was heading in the right direction.

I still was unsure if that was our boat.

Submerging again, I came across a pretty good lobster that I pinned and bagged.

Score number one!

Six more to go!

I made it back eventually to the boat, and yes, thankfully the small lights that I saw 200 yards away was indeed the zodiac.

I must have done a 40 minute dive with 25 minutes on the surface looking for the boat.

Everyone else was on board.

We took our surface interval.

I started to get sea sick; Jim started puking and Michael Paul wasn’t feeling too well either – he kept breathing deeply and staring at the horizon line.

Solo Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 1000 psi
Max depth: 85 feet
Waves: Hefty three to five foot swells in the surf zone
Visibility: 10 feet plus
Water Temperature: Cold over the shelf (54 degrees)
Total Bottom Time: 35 minutes
Notable Event: Diver slammed in the surf zone; lifeguards and paramedics respond

I finally have decided to take Wednesday night and dive Veteran’s park.

Wednesday is the Divevets’ traditional night dive.

On their message board they said that the first dive would be at 5:30 PM.

I was geared up and ready to go at 5:30, when the divers just started to show up.

I was sweating in my wetsuit and decided not to wait for anyone else and just go solo.

I dawned my BCD, and the middle strap that I had repaired from my last SCUBA dive broke again; I ended up tying the BCD closed.

The swells in the surf zone were sort of tricky.

I walked into the surf zone and put my fins on in chest high water with no difficulty.

Since I tied the two vest pieces together, the jacket was on crooked, so my spare air was falling out of the holder.

I secured my Spare Air with a D-ring that was hanging lose off my BCD and continued swimming out.

I submerged to 20 feet and swam West to the edge of the canyon and down.

I may have gotten off course or something; I leveled out at 70 feet and it took a while to get deeper as I swam.

Maybe my depth gauge was stuck?

I swam South a bit and then back, reaching a maximum depth of 85 feet.

I found a line that went somewhere… I decided to follow it, but it just appeared to follow along the canyon at 70 feet.

I swam up a bit to 65 feet and ran in to the famous “Vets’ Park Pinnacle.”

The Pinnacle is nothing more than a collection of cinder blocks, empty air tanks and other trash; it’s very appropriate for such a place.

Burning down to 1700 psi, I started my way back up the shelf and ran across an orange traffic cone with lines running from it; a laminated label stated, “Please do not remove…”

I heard a buzzing noise, looked up and saw someone pass by on a scooter; we exchanged waves.

I slowly swam East, making sure I was under for 35 minutes.

I ascended and emerged right on target; Shanon and her group were entering for their dive.

I briefed them on the conditions.

The swells were picking up, but I managed to make a picture perfect exit, walking ashore.

Some Japanese tourists videotaped my exit.

I rinsed my gear off and walked to the Duster; the regular Divevets group were there gearing up for the night run.

I was debating whether or not I should leave, but then I remembered the traffic back to Long Beach; I decided to stay, slam beer and take pictures of the sunset.

Divers started entering the water as the sun was starting to set.

Shanon’s group was exiting the water.

Shanon started running over to another diver who was on all fours trying to crawl out of the surf zone.

I jogged down the stairs to the sand where Shanon and someone else were assisting this diver who obviously was in some kind of trouble.

Dan quickly came over to assist.

The diver appeared exhausted, but was breathing and conscience.

Lifeguards ran over to help…

I stayed out of their way.

Soon, the paramedics, more lifeguards and the Fire Department showed up on the scene.

They gave the diver Oxygen and were standing around asking her questions.

She eventually stood up, sat in the back of the Lifeguard truck and was driven off somewhere.

I asked Shanon what had happened.

She said this diver was new to diving, got thrown, tossed and slammed in the surf zone (aka “Maytagged”), even when she was trying to crawl out.

Beach diving in these kinds of swells can be very exhausting, and when you’re in the surf zone, the only one that can help you is you.

Thankfully the diver is alright; she was in great hands with this bunch.

I drank a few more beers in the parking lot while trying my best to socialize with the other divers, Russell from the group introduced himself.

The Divevets write up of the night can be found here:

http://www.divevets.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=44&topic=1128.0