Logged Dive #316

Secret Location: 53 6f 6d 65 77 68 65 72 65 20 6e 65 61 72 20 74 68 65 20 66 61 72 6d 20 74 68 61 74 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 72 61 69 73 65 73 20 70 69 70 65 73 2e, Redondo Beach, CA

Solo Diving/SoCal Buddy Diving

In With: 2900 psi
Out With: 700 psi
Max depth: 90 feet
Waves: Pretty flat
Visibility: 20 feet
Temperature: Getting Pretty Cold!
Total Bottom Time: About 20 minutes

Having secretly bribed a boat captain for these GPS coordinates, Instructor John and I took the mighty zodiac to check out a secret deep lobster hunting spot off of Redondo Beach.

It took us 15 minutes to get to the approximate spot and 20 minutes trolling around to find the exact spot; life was easier after Instructor John figured out he was accidentally in reverse for a while.

We dropped anchor in 85 feet of water; I briefed him on where it gets really deep, really fast.

But, I also said, “We are here at the exact coordinates according to your GPS, but we won’t really know if we’re here until we descend.”

We both submerged at the same time, but I had to take my time equalizing; by the time I made it to the ocean floor at 85 feet, John had already taken off to the East, I went West.

I looked at my computer and it was off.

I turned it back on and it wouldn’t turn on; maybe the batteries?

OK, back to “time approximation” and using the dive tables.

The ground looked familiar as far as the contour, but I never ran across some of the landmark pipes and concrete boxes; if we weren’t at the exact spot, we were close.

I saw one short lobster in 85 feet of water; other than that, it was a pretty bland and uneventful dive.

There was no current, the swells were flat and the visibility was good; I surfaced pretty close to the zodiac and boarded empty handed.

I spotted John in the distance making a long surface swim back.

Once he climbed on board, he said, “My computer is screwed up, it still thinks I’m at 15 feet.”

Two computers broken on the same dive?

Is this some sort of “Dive Computer Burmuda Triangle?”

Instructor John caught three lobsters in 110 feet of water – at least that’s what his screwed up computer told him; I would guess he didn’t get deeper than 90, maybe 100.

We pulled anchor and tried another secret spot off of Palos Verdes.

Logged Dive #315

Veteran’s Park, Redondo Beach, CA

Solo Diving/SoCal Buddy Diving

In With: 2900 psi
Out With: 1300 psi
Max depth: 68 feet
Waves: Pretty flat
Visibility: 15 feet
Water Temperature: About 58 degrees, colder at depth
Total Bottom Time: About 40 minutes

Having gotten burned by the judges at the last underwater pumpkin carving contest, I decided that I would try for the “worst pumpkin” prize.

Nobody needed a buddy, so I planned to just carve my pumpkin really quick, return to shore and go back out again for a leisurely dive.

It rained for a short period of time, getting my pumpkin and SCUBA gear wet – I was so pissed!

I entered the water with the help of a Pacific Wilderness Divemaster, who held my pumpkin as I entered – the swells were so flat.

I submerged in 15 feet of water and started carving; not even two minutes later, I had the winner!

I returned to shore to drop off my entry and reentered the water to do some photography.

Heading to the shelf, I ran across two divers working on a pumpkin…

A couple pictures later, and I was on my way to hopefully find TwinDuct and a few more carvers – unfortunately, it’s hard to find people underwater sometimes.

I found another dive team working on their creation.

I came across an orange traffic cone!

I was so excited!

I swam down the canyon and ran across “The Monument…”

The newest addition to the cinder blocks and miscellaneous trash is a toilet.

Realizing that I never refilled my Spare Air because of a slow leak (sort of like not wearing your seat belt on the freeway), I headed up to shallower water.

At the lip of the shelf, visibility got really bad…

Through the silt, emerged three divers’ silhouettes.

…Ah, Ha! Three more underwater pumpkin artists!

I made it back to shore without incident when I got discouraged that I couldn’t locate my friends.

We shared the ocean and park with the Pacific Wilderness Underwater pumpkin carving contest; I think we had more chicks at our event.

Who I took pictures of, I really don’t know – they could be from Divevets or Pacific Wilderness; everyone looks the same underwater.

Dan from Divevets put a hot dog that fell on the ground in the mouth of my pumpkin.

He said, “That will make it either the best or the worst… you’ll get something.”

The judges judge the pumpkins.

From left to right, a traditionally carved pumpkin, my pumpkin and TwinDuct’s ‘drowned pumpkin.’

My brother showed up to cheer me on and help us debrief.

It came time for the awards!

The winner for the worst pumpkin…. was Me!

Montana bestows my prize for worst pumpkin – a crab hat and the book “Fitness For Divers.”

Good2BFit won first place.

A couple coincidentally wins second and third place.

The fourth place winner.

Good2BFit takes fifth… wait!

A double entry?

I’ll have to remember that strategy next year!

The event included a gourmet meal cooked on an outdoor stove.

Another great debriefing with a lot of non-divers and family members.

Someone yelled, “Beer down! Beer Down! I smell bacon!”

A cop rolled up and hassled us…

Someone had a dog and the cop told her to get the dog out of the park.

Wow! Dog Police?

The festivities wrapped up by 2 PM; I left the grounds triumphantly with my worst prize prizes!