Logged SCUBA Dive #321

Secret Location: 54 68 65 20 6f 6c 64 2c 20 6f 72 69 67 69 6e 61 6c 20 66 61 72 6d 20 74 68 61 74 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 67 72 6f 77 73 20 70 69 70 65 73 2e, Redondo Beach

Solo Diving/SoCal Buddy Diving

In With: 2900 psi
Out With: 400 psi
Max depth: 80 feet
Waves: Mild chop with a steady current going North
Visibility: 15+ feet!
Temperature: 56 degrees at depth
Total Bottom Time: About 22 minutes

Seven divers boarded the Island Diver hoping for the best in this year’s lobster season; the eighth spot was not sold.

The Captain discussed with Bob the crappy lobster locations and the really crappy lobster locations.

It was decided that we should go deep.

After a twenty minute ride from King Harbor, we arrived at our secret spot; I was the first one over and the second to reach the ocean floor at 80 feet.

I went South West and ran across an interesting man-made reef structure, I saw one small lobster hiding in it.

I combed the sand and gravel and caught a few shorts.

I think I might have been a little narced as it was a little hard to navigate; I had “brain farts” whenever I looked at my compass and tried to remember which direction the boat was in.

Heading back, I came across my usual “500 pound bug” – so called because I always see a lobster when I’m low on air.

Get it? 500 psi of air?

I pinned it and headed to the surface slowly.

During my safety stop, I measured it and it was short; I released it unharmed.

After a short swim back to the boat, I awaited the results from the other divers…

Bob brought up a nice sized bug that’s two inches over legal.

Dan was extremely lucky on this dive by catching five.

Mirek caught two, the rest got skunked!

Seven divers caught a total of eight lobsters.

Dan said, “All the lobsters are South of here, let’s move the boat closer.”

Move the boat closer?

That’s a sure sign that the next dive will be even worse!

Logged SCUBA Dive #319

Secret Location: 4f 66 66 20 61 6e 64 20 61 72 6f 75 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 77 72 65 63 6b 20 63 61 6c 6c 65 64 20 74 68 65 20 41 76 61 6c 6f 6e, Palos Verdes, CA

Solo Diving/SoCal Buddy Diving

In With: 2900 psi
Out With: 600 psi
Max depth: 70 feet
Waves: Pretty flat
Visibility: 15-20 feet
Temperature: Maybe 60 degrees or so
Total Bottom Time: About 25 minutes minutes

After a 30 minute ride to our next spot, I submerged, determined to get six more lobsters.

This secret spot is actually a disintegrated ship wreck – there’s a lot of structure for bugs to hide in.

I trolled the bottom near the anchor line while I debated whether to go shallower or deeper; since I planned for a 70 foot dive, I decided to go shallower.

I saw two antennas sticking out of some kelp… I grabbed for the kelp and my hand hit it along with the rotting steel plate that was hiding under it; the bug got away.

After trolling for a little bit more, I grabbed for a lobster hiding in a hole but only got the base of one of his antennas; they usually just break off, but this one didn’t.

After looking further into the hole, the lobster had no place to go; he was backed all the way in.

With my other hand, I reached in, grabbed it’s ass, pulled it out and bagged it.

I pinned and bagged another legal one before heading back to the boat.

I surfaced and spotted a boat 100 yards away.

I thought, “Shit, I submerged on the wreck at 70 feet and ascended from the wreck at 70 feet, how did the boat get all the was over there?”

I turned my head to scout my back side and saw the Island Diver 15 yards away.

My two bugs from this dive.

Dan and Rick spent the dive retrieving an anchor, Mike C came up with two bugs.

Mirek was the last one back with six bugs.

The traditional debriefing started on the boat – beer and kettle corn.

I pose with my stash of three bugs for the night.

The boat total for eight divers was 13 – this is a tough season.

Debriefing continued in the parking lot until midnight.