Sorry for the delay in this post, but my 486 that I use at home is on it’s last leg of life; it’s so old I can’t even catch a virus – security by obscurity.

Conditions have been improving a lot, so after I returned Dennis G’s knife that I found a couple weeks ago, in return for a warm 18 pack of Budweiser, I geared up and followed the group for a dive off the cove.

Conditions seemed perfect for a dive off the Point, but for whatever reason we headed out of the Cove and to the right.

Logged Dive #348 – Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Dove With SCJoe

In With: 3100 psi
Out With: 400 psi
Max depth: 54 feet, although most of the dive was kept at 35 feet
Waves: Flat
Visibility: 15 to 20 feet, pretty bitchin’!
Water Temperature: About 64 degrees
Total Bottom Time: About 55 minutes

The entrance was the easiest I can remember – no waves to speak of at all.

Visibility was the best that I’ve seen in a long time!

Rather than take even more pictures of the same reefs, I decided to try my hand at underwater video; it will take a while I’m sure for me to post my epic.

I followed the other divers through the kelp.

Vis was maybe more than 20 feet in some spots.

We must have swam half way to the Point before turning around.

We surfaced about 60 yards from the exit point; during the surface swim back, SCJoe noticed that he had sacrificed his light to the sea gods.

There were some free divers around the Cove with Hawaiian Slings – one of them had shot a fish about the size of a goldfish.

The exit was extremely easy – probably like exiting a lake.

I must have peed in my wet suit at least three times on this dive; I rinsed off really well before heading up to the car.

Debriefing was quickly under way.

SCJoe brought some Ouzu from Greece to debrief with; it’s a black licorice liquor.

We could see the scorched earth from one of the recent fires up here in Palos Verdes.

Another relaxing Sunday of diving and debriefing.

I have gotten some emails asking if I dive anywhere else other than Terranea Resort and Veteran’s Park – yes, I have plans to dive elsewhere and do other activities, but the time has not quite come yet.

Apparently, Terranea Resort opened at the worst possible time for the Hotel and Resort industry as an article in the Daily Breeze states, the lenders are taking steps on foreclosing on the property.

I hope things work out for the resort as management has been nothing but hospitable towards us divers.

Sort of a thin crowd today; a lot of the divers had hangovers from Saturday night, so we all decided to go to 120 reef and not risk fighting a current from the Point.

Logged SCUBA Dive #347

Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Solo Diving/SoCal Buddy Diving

In With: 2900 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 42 feet
Waves: Ocean was flat, but challenging waves on the shoreline
Visibility: 5-7 feet
Water Temperature: In the 60s
Total Bottom Time: 45 minutes

It was approaching high tide and the swells that rolled into the rocks were deep – ankle high, then waist high; I made it out with little problem.

Everyone seemed to have their buddy situation taken care of; I decided to go it alone.

The ocean off of Terranea is getting more crowded…

From left to right – a paddle boarder (or god-like figure walking on water?), two divers and a fishing boat.

I submerged and went 120 degrees on my compass.

I approached a dark blob in the water; as I got closer it was the beginning of the reef.

Vis was five to seven feet – good maybe for some macro photography.

A Sunstar.

Other pictures of 120 reef:

I ran across Not New Chris and his buddy.

A diver scouts for lobsters before the season begins – I didn’t see any this dive.

Starfish cling to a reef.

At 1,000 psi I started heading in; I could hear the swells crashing against the rocks and moving all the pebbles around at the shoreline.

High tide was coming in fairly quickly; I stood up in waist high water when a few large swells pushed me up against a rock, then swept me back out.

I struggled for a few minutes, being patient to make a final exit when I got a leg cramp; thanks to my machismo, I ignored the pain.

I finally rode a swell in and was able to crawl behind a large rock, take my fins off and walk ashore – this was not a very graceful exit.

Let the debriefing begin!

Today’s menu was beer, bratwursts and hotdogs, in addition to the usual strange looks from first time guests, not used to our bumper parties.

Biplanes patrolled the shoreline looking for illegal aliens and terrorists.

Traditional debriefing continued until noon.