I missed out on lobster liberating last week – it is a long story involving a broken email account, beer and a psychotic woman.

Anyway, Jim, Instructor John and I were off in the zodiac around 8 PM to a spot off of Palos Verdes.

The spot is usually pounded by surf; but tonight the area was fairly calm, so the decision was made to try this area.

Logged SCUBA Dive #373

SECRET LOCATION: 41 74 20 74 68 65 20 74 69 70 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 47 61 74 65 73 20 6f 66 20 4d 61 72 2c 20 69 6e 20 76 69 65 77 20 6f 66 20 74

68 65 20 68 6f 75 73 65 20 6f 66 20 6c 69 67 68 74 2e 0d 0a 0d 0a, Palos Verdes, CA

Solo Diving, SoCal Buddy Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 35 feet
Waves: Slight swells on the surface, surge underwater
Visibility: 4-8 feet
Water Temperature: 64 degrees
Total Bottom Time: About 40 minutes

The water was comfortably warm, coming in at 62 degrees.

I followed Jim’s advise and peed in my wetsuit before submerging.

I spotted and pinned my first lobster within five minutes; I had to remeasure it several times, but I was certain it was legal.

Jim was beside me before going on his own and I saw him pass up one – yeah, it was so short, he didn’t even bother to pin it to make sure.

I saw a lot of lobsters, at one point I even came across a lobster hole, stuffed with bugs.

The only problem was that all these lobsters were short – to the point where the “monster” bugs were a quarter inch under legal.

There was a horrid surge in the shallows, with visibility that was in the four feet range.

I pinned five more bugs, all shorts – they were released unharmed.

I surfaced twice to spot the boat and plan my return.

Unfortunately, when I did surface with 500 psi, I was about 40 yards away from the boat – and when you’re that far away, looking at a 14 foot zodiac, it looks as though you have to swim miles.

The surface kelp was thick and I basically had to bitch-crawl over to return to the boat.

I remeasured my bug – it did not shrink when it was exposed to the air, so into my liberation bag it went.

Instructor John came back with two, I had my one and Jim got skunked.

It is suppose to rain Monday, so between now and then remains to be seen.

Everyone has agreed that this season sucks for us, despite talk of people limiting in Orange County and the Redondo Beach break water.

I asked Jim what his secret was in getting three bugs.

He asked, “Did you pee in your wetsuit?”

“No,” I responded.

“That might be your problem,” Jim said.

The moon rose up from behind Palos Verdes.

Logged SCUBA Dive #372

Secret Location: 4a 75 73 74 20 6f 66 66 20 6f 66 20 74 68 72 65 65 20 63 68 69 6d 6e 65 79 73 2c 20 6e 65 61 72 20 74 68 65 20 67 61 74 65 73 20 6f 66 20 4d 61 72 2e
Palos Verdes, CA

Solo Diving/SoCal Buddy Diving

In With: 2000 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 30 feet
Waves: Pretty flat on the surface, surgy below
Visibility: 10-15 feet
Temperature: 62 degrees or so
Total Bottom Time: About 35 minutes
Lobsters caught: 2

I rolled off the boat and my regulator started free flowing – I lost 500 psi before I could stop the leak.

Following Jim’s advice, I peed in my wetsuit.

I submerged in 35 feet of water and started towards shore.

There’s sort of a trench that goes to the East; I followed along, looking under the moving kelp.

I pinned another lobster, but released it after measuring it.

After 10 minutes under water at a depth of 25 feet, I finally pinned a keeper!

The anxiety of getting skunked was now gone.

I turned back and started following the trench for a few minutes before pinning a second bug.

Maybe Jim was right about the peeing in your wetsuit thing?

We all made it back to the boat – Jim had two, Crazy Ivan had none, Instructor John had none and I had two.

So, total for tonight – Jim, 5 – Crazy Ivan, 1 – Instructor John, 1 – Me, 2.

If we were Socialists, were would have spread the lobster wealth around and each brought home 2.25 lobsters; but we’re not, so we each took home what we caught.

We drank some Budweiser, the King of Beers, on the way back and discussed the morning dives and this season in general, while watching lightening stikes to the North and South of us.

This was a strange Opening Night – not many people were out, compared to the last few years; maybe the thunderstorm warnings kept people dry?

Also, I have never been on water that was so calm on top, but surgy at the bottom.

Dive N Surf, for the first time in 30 plus years, wasn’t open for the Lobster Mobster contest and the DFG was nowhere in sight.

Farmer’s Almanac, and other long term weather predictions, forecast a cold and wet Winter.

We need to get our lobster dives in before the storms keep us out of the water – in previous years it’s been December and January.

This season is also going to be tough, I think.

Three years ago, sometimes it was hard not to limit, now I’m so happy when I don’t get skunked.

We’ll see what happens.

My first two bugs for this season.

Jim pets his six pound bug.

Crazy Ivan demonstrates where the concept of velcro came from.

Jim, with his collection of bugs from tonight.