I was determined to get in the water today – I think everybody else was, too.

I arrived at Terrenea Resort right at 8 AM to find the regulars already geared, or gearing up.

And then I saw Chipper…”Don’t worry, conditions look like they already suck, it doesn’t have anything to do with me and you both being here,” he said.

Thinking it may be crowded, a bunch of them had gotten here at 7:30 AM.

They scoped out conditions, ruled out the Point, and decided to enter the milky waters off the Cove.

Reverend Al then pulled up; I knew that they would wait for Al, but I didn’t care if I went solo.

I spent the next 15 minutes gearing up as fast as I could; I felt like I was in a speed-gearing contest.

I never had wrapped my zipper-less dive boots with duct tape so fast.

We walked down to the Cove to find a shoreline that resembled a washing machine – normally, I would have called it, but I needed a dive and we have a somewhat sandy beach now.

Everyone entered without problems.

I surface swam, following the others.

Holy crap, are we swimming to Catalina?

We decided to follow Reverend Al.

We descended…

Logged SCUBA Dive #489

Dove with Chipper

120 Reef, Terranea Resort, Palos Verdes, CA

In With: 2800 psi
Out With: 1400 psi
Max depth: 36 feet
Waves: Choppy with annoying shore waves
Visibility: 5-8 feet
Water Temperature: 60 degrees
Air Temperature: 74 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 30 minutes

Visibility sort of sucked.

Somehow, I ended up following Chipper, and we lost the rest.

Regardless of the visibility, I was glad to get wet again.

Chipper’s air-integrated diving computer took a crap on him; he had no idea how much air he had.

Instead of doing the macho thing and continue the dive until it got hard to breathe and then just surface, he started heading back.

I followed.

A new and strange form of sea life?

A fishing lure!

I depended on Chipper’s navigation and hoped we would surface close to the exit point.

We surfaced right on target!

Thanks Chipper!

Donna The Hot Biker Chick and the guy she likes more than me, Kevin, met us on the shore.

Donna said, “I wanted to go diving, but I showed up at 8:20 and you guys were already going into the water.”

Let the debriefing begin!

Group shot from left to right – Me, Nice Bob, Jeff, Randy (kneeling), Reverend Al, Chipper and Mike.

As Summer approaches, there was talk about bringing the ghetto grill back into debriefing service.

Management even marked off a spot where we could set up a barbecue and chairs.

All the secret parking spots in the free lot are now painted red; coincidentally, I’m sure, they also raised the parking rate at the hotel from $5 to $10.

Chipper took the battery out of his computer and put it back in – it worked!

His computer must be running Windows 95?

Debriefing lasted until noon for the diehards.

Even though conditions sort of sucked, I was glad to have dove again.

February 21, 2015

Having successfully tested Joe’s retro equipment, and setting the depth record for the regulator at 74 feet, it was now his turn for the dive.

I needed to get back into my truck to get my own gear.

I wish I had my keys in easier access, because I now had to peel my newly acquired wetsuit off to get my keys and squeeze back into the thing – the entire process was more strenuous than the last dive.

Joe was going to do an ultra-macho retro dive – no pressure gauge, no BC jacket and the double hose that I just tested that has no auxiliary second stage – this is how Mike Nelson from Sea Hunt did all his dives.

I was actually a little nervous, because I would have to deal with any issues that he had, but I had full confidence that he knew what he was doing.

As we were walking down, Joe said, “You are only going to hold the depth record for about an hour.”

The dive plan was to go down the shelf, hit depth and then angle over to the “Crab Shack” before heading back in.

The “Crab Shack” is a bunch of stacked cinder blocks in about 65 feet.

We made an easy entry and swam out just a little ways before we descended.

Logged SCUBA Dive #488

Dove with Joe R.

Veterans Park, Redondo Beach, CA

In With: 2800 psi
Out With: 1400 psi, I think
Max depth: 85 feet
Waves: Flat
Visibility: 15 feet plus
Water Temperature: 59 degrees
Air Temperature: 64 degrees
Total Bottom Time: About 25 minutes

I followed Joe.

I was so glad I was in my own equipment.

Some divers complain that my gear is “old” and maybe it is, but it is not obsolete.

Joe was a little under weighted and had a hard time staying down, but he made it to the shelf and down to 85 feet.

Yeah, he was now the record holder for depth with that ancient regulator.

Fuck!

If we were having a contest, I may have pushed it a little deeper!

I had asked Joe if Lloyd Bridges of Sea Hunt may have breathed through that regulator.

He said, “It is quite possible, he filmed it in the area and it is contemporary with the period.”

We did the dive plan successfully.

Unfortunately, no more underwater pictures came out.

Joe must have iron lungs; he went deeper and lasted longer on that regulator that I had described in my previous post as “It was like taking a drag off a hookah with a clogged bowl.”

We made an easy exit after surfacing at 15 feet.

The regulator looks very simple…

Upon Joe opening it, I realized how simple is really is… a big diaphragm with a little trigger mechanism the size of a match book that opened up an air valve the size of a pen top.

This shirt says it all!

Debriefing with the King Of beers ensued.

I may be doing a repeat of my trip to Albania presentation for Dive N Surf.

I also learned, contrary to what I have been told about “modern equipment,” that when you turn your air on, always point your gauges to the ground.

Someone was almost blinded when the pressure gauge exploded and threw glass everywhere.

I have also been told that I need to post more.

Thank you Joe for the great diving experience!