Veteran’s Park, Redondo Beach, CA

Solo Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 900 psi
Max depth: 80 feet
Waves: One foot, no big deal
Visibility: 15 feet, over the shelf 0-5 feet
Water Temperature: Cold
Total Bottom Time: 40 minutes

I wanted a nice and relaxing deep dive.

Students were all over the place, as usual.

The water was 15 feet and crystal clear, until I got over the shelf.

There’s a bunch of bricks at 70 feet arranged in a circle with an empty SCUBA tank in the middle.

Someone had strung a line from here, so I followed it.

Vis really started to suck, so I turned back at 80 feet.

Crabs, sand dollars were all around, but still, OK, it is still a pretty barren environment, but at least the vis was good above the shelf.

It was so calm, I swam all the way to shore and had to turn back in three feet of water to take my fins off!

When I got back to the parking lot, there was an event by the local Divevets group.

It was a toy drive and “decorate the underwater Christmas tree” dive.

Dennis and Al were present, so were Sean and Julia from Pacific Wilderness.

Veteran’s Park, Redondo Beach, CA

Dove With Nick and Ed

In With: 3500 psi
Out With: 1200 psi
Max depth: 70 feet
Waves: flat, one foot maybe
Visibility: 20-30 feet
Water Temperature: Cold
Total Bottom Time: 42 minutes

Nick is back from Cleveland for the weekend, Ed is getting back in to diving after two years off.

I’m sort of out of shape, so a nice “refresher” dive at Redondo Beach is at hand.

Nick seemed a little concerned about this dive – he’s still traumatized by our first night dive here.

Ed told us, “Don’t follow me.”

I got a great fill from American Diving – 3,500 psi (my tank is rated for 3,000 psi) – and the water was very calm, but cold.

All three of us stuck together until Ed zoomed down the canyon and back up.

True to our dive plan, Nick and I kept going without Ed.

It was 55 degrees Fahrenheit at 70 feet.

It was a bit silty over the shelf.

Nick messed with the sea life as usual.

Crabs, octopi and the usual variety of spare sea life were present.

We made it ashore with no problems.

Nick wants to go again, but with his camera.

Nick and Ed.

Ed and me; Ed is finally SCUBA diving again after a two year break.

We had our debriefing session at Quality Seafood in Redondo Beach.

Ed, Pete Dragich – who founded Quality Seafood – and Nick sit for a post dive seafood meal.

Pete Dragich, Nick and Me finish up our gourmet meal.

Beer washes the ocean water out of our mouths!