September 28, 2013

Here is is, once again – the beginning of the California Lobster Season!

“Opening Night” actually begins at midnight, so it’s really “Opening Morning” – I was on a privately chartered 10 pack diving boat, currently named Asante (Previously named The Sea Bass).

The boat is still out of San Pedro.

We left at 9 PM, for the two hour ride over to a secret spot off of Catalina Island.

Donna The Hot Biker Chick was so happy to see I was on this boat.

World famous diver Bill Holzer joined us.

The lights of the harbor got smaller, as the ride got bumpier.

Some people held on for dear life.

At about 11:30 PM, the boat stopped; we were at our secret spot.

The Captain gave the dive briefing, “We are anchored in 40 feet of water, over sand… the lobsters should be in 40 to 70 feet of water either in the sand, or around the kelp…”

We’re over sand?

“Where’s the rocks and reefs?” someone asked.

“They’re way over there…somewhere,” The Captain said.

We’re over sand and kelp?

Crap.

I jumped in, swam to the anchor line and submerged.

Logged SCUBA Dive #449

Solo Diving/SoCAl Buddy Diving

Secret Location: 41 73 6b 20 66 6f 72 20 54 6f 72 67 75 74 20 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 73 70 72 69 6e 67 20 73 74 6f 72 65 2e
Catalina Island, CA, USA

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 74 feet
Waves: Flat
Visibility: 20 feet
Water Temperature: 62 degrees
Air Temperature: 71 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 35 minutes or so

I had a hard time keeping my fins on – my last few dives were in dry suits, with bigger shoes – my spring straps were way lose, and it felt like I was going to kick them off.

I kept going, carefully… I kept thinking, this dive goes against everything that I’ve been taught for opening night; deeper than 40 feet and over sand and kelp just seemed so wrong.

At 50 feet, I spotted one!

I didn’t want to get skunked, and I thought I was lucky to even see a bug.

I went for the pin, and that fucking bug shot from underneath me, so quick, I just grabbed a hand full of sand.

At 60 feet, I spotted one, no two… wait, three bugs!

Two were legal, the third I wasn’t sure about.

I went for the pin on the largest one; it was like grabbing a Fosters Beer can!

I put the bug in the bag, looked over, and the other two were still there.

BAM!

Second lobster scored!

Within 15 minutes I collected five bugs between 60 and 70 feet – all were munching on squid egg sacks, and they sometimes didn’t give a shit about my light.

I should limited on this dive, but I missed a few good pins either due to my own stupidity, or how the lobster was positioned.

I made it back to the anchor line by following the divers who were coming down the line.

I was the first diver back.

Eric F. and Bill H. made it back shortly after; both had limited…

Man, I was afraid that I would be the only one who didn’t limit on the first dive.

How embarrassing!

As the remaining divers made it back, some were not as lucky.

A couple got skunked, others had two or three bugs.

There was one guy on the boat with a mixed gas rebreather who didn’t get anything on the first dive – I’m guessing he was too busy fucking around with his rebreather to catch any bugs.

Watermelon to wash the salt water taste away.

So, should we stay, or find a “better” place?

September 15, 2013*

Thanks to one of the Captains of a diving boat, I have a ride back to Warsaw tonight.

I have contacted my friends in Warsaw to arrange accommodations.

So, now it’s time for the deep dive of Poland – locally known as the Trałowiec, but officially known as the Munin.

So the story goes, it was a German ship that was sunk sometime in World War II.

I have not been able to find documentation on the internet in English – well not yet.

I’m tired, and writing this on my last night in Poland, so I will readdress this issue later.

Kamil chartered another boat.

I needed a buddy, and he was more than happy to be mine for about $30 USD.

There were about eight divers on the boat, six recreational, two technical divers.

We jumped off the boat, and I followed Kamil to the line that lead to the wreck.

We descended.

Logged SCUBA Dive #448

Dove with Kamil

Trałowiec (Munin) Wreck
Hel, Poland

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 120 feet
Waves: Mild chop
Visibility: 15-20 feet
Water Temperature: 38 degrees
Air Temperature: 66 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 32 minutes or so

We got to about 70 feet, and all of a sudden, I felt this extreme fucking cold pierce through my body.

Holy fuck!

Oh yeah, I need air in my dry suit.

I just kept sinking… and sinking.

I was over weighted for this dive; I kept pumping air into my BCD, and finally at 120 feet, I hit the bottom like a rock.

I was fucking cold, even in a dry suit.

Worst of all, my hands were numb; I was wearing 5 mm neoprene gloves, and I couldn’t feel my hands.

Was I narced?

I really don’t know, I followed Kamil like a sheep, but I must have been.

And, I admit, I was a little scared.

This was a night dive, during the day – it was that dark.

This was the coldest and one of the spookiest dives I had ever been on.

A doorway leads to the inside of the hull.

Just follow kamil… Just follow Kamil, all will be fine.

My hands were frozen, I was fucking cold, but I realized that our bottom time was only 12 minutes.

I am macho enough to endure such conditions.

The wheel house.

The Captain’s Wheel.

A window on the front.

Kamil lead me back to the buoy line.

Yeah! We’re going up to warmer water!

We must have spent more than 10 minutes going back up.

I couldn’t feel my hands for several minutes.

I had to take a piss too, but it was so cold, I couldn’t find… forget it.

I’m shoving off in several hours.

I will write a recap when I get home.

Thank you Poland for such a great time – next time I will be here, I’m not going to dive.

I feel cheated I didn’t stay longer and see some of the history.

*This post has been delayed due to Polish beer, Vodka and lack of internet access.