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.

Long Point, CA
(aka The Old Marineland)

Solo Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 400 psi
Max depth: 54 feet
Waves: 1-3 feet
Visibility: 10-15 feet
Water Temperature: Cold in some places
Total Bottom Time: About 45 minutes
Notable Event: Lost a fin going out.

Due to a hangover, I didn’t dive last week.

I’m taking an Advanced Diving Course from Instructor John.

Anyway, I got down to Log Point around 7:30 AM.

I met two divers, one named Mike(?); they were asking about the local dive spot and where they should go out.

I told them it was high tide and I was going out on the point; they said that they would follow.

They were two “GQ” looking guys.

The guy Mike decided to push their weight belts down using a baby carriage.

It was a funny site and I wish I had a camera.

I went off the point after putting my fins on.

I started to kick and I felt something strange; I looked down and noticed that my right fin had come off!

Shit!

I have learned looking for lost equipment is usually a waste of time, but I saw it a few feet away in 12 feet of water.

I tried free diving for it but I kept floating back up, so I tried using my regulator, but kicking down with one fin is nearly impossible.

So, I followed it around as the waves kept crashing against the rocks.

One wave lifted the fin up and I managed to grab it!

Phew!

I swam out after looking like a flailing dork and rested.

I watched the “GQ guys” go in.

I swam out to the South-East and went down.

There’s a lot more fish here than off the cove, or so it seems.

I went down to 54 feet where the reef seems to end; it was cold.

There didn’t seem to be much of a current.

The environment is very similar to that off the cove’s rocky point; kelp, sheephead, sea bass, uni, etc.

At 1500 psi I started North to beach at the cove.

It was deeper than I remembered, so I surfaced and found myself way off course!

I had been down to 30 feet.

I submerged, followed my corrected course and surfaced at 15 feet.

I almost got hit my someone casting a fishing hook from the rocks, which I think was done on purpose.

Oh well, fuck him; I be back for him and kick his ass.

With not much air left, I had a longer surface swim than I would have liked.

I exited with no problems, walking ashore and tripping only once.