Casino Point, Catalina, CA

Dove With Nick

In With: 3100 psi
Out With: 800 psi
Max depth: 60 feet or so
Waves: 1 to 2 feet, swooping
Visibility: Great! 50 feet or more!
Water Temperature: About 65 degrees Fahrenheit
Total Bottom Time: 46 minutes
Photos By: Nick

I fixed my auxiliary second stage by resetting the diaphragm.

For our second dive, we went to the left of the stairs to look for the barge.

We spotted a Sheephead.

Nick followed as I looked for the barge; I thought it was just over some kelp, but it wasn’t.

I looked back, Nick had found it and was swimming toward it.

It was a little over to the left.

We did a quick tour of the barge, which is in 50 feet of water near the edge of the park on the East side.

We then made our way to the Jacque Cousteau memorial and came across a lobster head.

Obviously, I thought, the victim of a poacher.

Someone told me later it could have been the shell after it molted – but, antennas and all?

Per Nick, we did our “safety stop” for five minutes at 20 feet.

We dove all the way to the stairs, then out.

I was almost trampled by someone in a wetsuit with no fins who rode a wave in to the stairs.

Air is leaking from the stem of my yellow tank.

Another day ends for us at Casino Point.

Casino Point, Catalina, CA

Dove With Nick

In With: 2600 psi
Out With: 800 psi
Max depth: 90 feet
Waves: 1 to 2 feet, swooshing
Visibility: Great! 50 feet or more!
Water Temperature: About 65 degrees Fahrenheit
Total Bottom Time: 35 minutes
Photos By: Nick

Nick is back for Memorial Day from his contract work in Cleveland.

Wanting to go diving with decent visibility, he sprang for the boat ride and parking.

Thanks Nick!

We took the 6 AM boat over.

On the first dive, we went to the right off the stairs.

I tested my auxiliary regulator and sucked in water.

I pointed to the mouthpiece and gave Nick the “out of air” signal and pointed to my spare air.

Nick surprisingly wanted to go deep.

I suggested the Sujac, a wreck that starts at 70 feet.

Low and behold, we actually found the wreck; the mast is at 70 feet.

I sat on the mast to pose for a picture – I’m not really sure why.

I was getting a little narced, feeling sort of buzzed as we went down to 90 feet where the rest of the boat is.

We swam through the holes in the side of the Sujac.

We messed around the wreck for a few minutes and started heading up the reef…

… slowly making our way back to the stairs while enjoying the sights.

We sort of argued during our surface interval about whether a slow ascent over the sloping reef is a safety stop; I say it is, Nick thinks it is not.