Long Point, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
(aka The Old Marineland)

Solo Diving

In With: 2800 psi
Out With: 400 psi
Max depth: 40 feet
Waves: 1-2 feet
Visibility: 20 feet but silty
Water Temperature: Sort of cold
Total Bottom Time: 50 minutes

I got into the water around 9:30 AM.

No divers were around until two showed up and introduced themselves as “Ollie and Mark.”

They had to leave shortly afterwards for air.

I went off the cove and followed the last dive’s instructions on how to get to the trap.

The instructions are perfect!

I swam out and aligned myself with the rock and indentation.

I submerged to 30 feet and went the opposite of 140 degrees; I ran right in to it!

The sea urchins and peanut butter were picked clean… and no lobsters!

Visibility started to get really silty.

It was high tide, starting to get lower.

I searched around for more lobster, or even just a lobster!

I ended up going towards the shore almost running a ground on the other side of pigeon shit cave.

I looked where I was – in 15 feet of water.

I made it ashore with no problem.

A father from Alaska was on the trail with his two sons who were there fishing.

I gave his kids some fishing weights that I had found on the bottom; the father is interested in snorkeling.

I think I’ve had enough of the lobster hunting thing for a few days.

Long Point, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
(aka The Old Marineland)

My second annual Thanksgiving Day Solo Dive!

In With: 2800 psi
Out With: 100 psi
Max depth: 40 feet
Waves: 1 foot, rolling swells
Visibility: 20 feet, excellent, you could snorkel around the kelp
Water Temperature: Felt sort of cold
Total Bottom Time: 50 minutes

I was rather drunk last night.

I woke up around 6 AM, but hadn’t figured out whether Nick wanted to dive this morning, so I called him at 6:45 to confirm a “No.”

Oh well, I took my time getting there and was in the water by 10:20 AM.

It was around high tide.

I tried the one-fin on approach, but figured out really quickly that walking through the surf zone and putting my fins on in the water is much better.

I went to the East side of the cove and swam in the shallow kelp looking for lobsters.

Not seeing any lobster at 15-20 feet, I proceeded South.

I found THE lobster trap.

The last dive I reported that it was rusted out, but we had stumbled upon a different trap.

How to get to THE trap:

When you’ve reached the tip of the rocky point off of Pigeon Shit cave (the rock that’s sitting on the point outside of pigeon shit cave) that touches the right side of the indentation to the right of the cave.

The trap is in 40 feet of water.

I noticed that someone had baited the trap with broken sea urchins and what looked like a few scoops of peanut butter.

The trap was tied shut with fishing line.

I laughed because Sheephead were making a feast of the bait in the trap.

Anyway, I left heading 140 degrees on my compass; I came up just South East of he point off of pigeon shit cave.

I swam in, mostly on the surface at that time.

I sucked my tank almost dry, but walked out.

Dennis G and his buddy Al were there.

I also met “Greg” who does boat scrapping for a living.

We talked for about an hour; Dennis and Al went back for a second dive.

I’ll be back to check on the lobster trap and hopefully report whoever has baited the thing.