Logged SCUBA Dive #331

Secret Location: 54 68 65 20 66 61 72 6d 20 74 68 61 74 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 67 72 6f 77 73 20 70 69 70 65 73 2e, Redondo Beach

Dove with Instructor John the first 10 minutes, then Solo Diving/SoCal Buddy Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 80 feet
Waves: Flat as a pancake
Visibility: 15 feet+
Temperature: 55 degrees
Total Bottom Time: About 22 minutes

Trying to find where the legal lobsters are, Instructor John and I set out in the mighty zodiac to hopefully limit before the forcasted storms come in.

A boat that was hoop netting had four traps in the water; they were polite and pointed out their traps.

John and I submerged right on target – the GPS coordinates dropped us right on the artifical reef made up of pipes and bars.

Short lobsters littered the ground; John pinned one legal bug.

I grabbed for a legal looking bug, but it was too far in a pipe.

John and I lost each other, but the plan was “To try and stay together.”

Lincod were all over the place, in addition to a few sand sharks.

I checked the gravel and then made it back to the pipes – not one legal lobster!

Are the hoop netters getting them all this season?

I surfaced and did a fairly short swim back to the boat, against the current that was moving South West.

Reentering the zodiac, I dropped my reserve light, sacrificing it to the sea gods.

Skunked again!

We’ll see what it’s like after the upcoming storms pass.

REMINDER – If you haven’t sent in your 2008 lobster report cards to the DFG, DO IT NOW!

Logged SCUBA Dive #330

Secret Location: 4e 6f 72 74 68 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 67 61 74 65 73 20 6f 66 20 4d 61 72 2e, Palos Verdes

Solo Diving/SoCal Buddy Diving

In With: 2600 psi
Out With: 300 psi
Max depth: 50 feet
Waves: Minor swells, but pretty darn flat
Visibility: 15 feet+
Temperature: 57 degrees
Total Bottom Time: About 35 minutes

Basically, this dive went the same as the last dive.

I trolled around 40 feet most of the dive and pinned a couple of short lobsters.

I wasn’t having very good luck at all; I saw one definitely legal bug, but it was too far in a reef to grab.

Running low on air, I surfaced and had to bitch-crawl over massive clumps of kelp.

John and Ron were already aboard the boat; John caught two more, Ron caught another one.

So, out of three divers with two dives each, we caught a total of five bugs; all the bugs were caught in 40 to 50 feet of water.

I tried to convince Ron and John that we should divide the bugs up evenly, so we could get used to Socialism.

Ron said, “Well, three doesn’t go into five evenly so you’re out of luck.

“But, look at the bright side, the world is safer now that five lobsters are no longer a threat to society.”

After a couple of minutes trying to start the engine, we were on our way back to the harbor.

It was frustrating and disappointing night, but luckily I still have seven lobsters on ice in my freezer.

We are planning to check out our deep spots Tuesday night.