Casino Point, Catalina, CA

Night time, Solo Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 1200 psi
Max depth: 50 feet
Waves: Insignificant
Visibility: 15 feet, maybe 20
Water Temperature: Warm
Total Bottom Time: 45 minutes

After a great dinner at Steve’s Steakhouse and a walk down the pier with my family, I did a night dive.

I carried all my crap from the hotel to Casino Point; my brother Paul, sister Kate and my father followed.

There was a class in the water already.

The eerie green glow of all their lights was predominant.

Once in the water I descended near the buoys.

It was really spooky – spookier than I thought it would be.

I’ve dove Casino Point a lot and at night it looks totally different.

Yes, fish do sleep – either that or a fish – a White Sea Bass – was dead at the bottom.

Bigger fish kept following me around.

Lobsters were all over the ground – none legal size, but it’s a game preserve anyway.

I made it down to 50 feet and decided there was just as much to see at 30 or 40 feet.

It was like touring a haunted kelp forest.

My light hit kelp, rocks, and fish, with a pitch black background.

I ran across the buoys again, but couldn’t find them on the way back.

I surfaced, got my bearings and submerged again.

I found the two buoys and swam to the staircase.

My “safety crew” greeted me with a beer.

We humped all my gear back to the Hotel and went out and partied with my brother and sister.

Isthmus Reef, Catalina, CA

Night time/Solo/Lobster Hunting

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 1200 psi
Max depth: 45 feet
Waves: 0
Visibility: 15-20 feet
Water Temperature: Cool
Total Bottom Time: 30 minutes

I was determined to get one more dive in, but I wasn’t expecting to find any lobsters – they aren’t around the area any more.

They’ve all been spooked.

I was so… I had my mind on other things and jumped overboard without my fins.

Oh well, only both Dive Masters saw me, but I quickly swam with my arms over to the current line and pulled my way back to the boat.

Anyway, this was a short and uneventful dive.

I used my small lights, leaving my big one on board.

I was back within 30 minutes lobsterless.

Now, for whatever reason, Nick only sent me the following picture from the entire night…

Here is me crying to someone, who obviously doesn’t care, about spending $90 to go lobster hunting and bringing home nothing.

I hate to say it, and I love the Bottom Scratcher, but this lobster trip was not run very well at all.

The trip was over sold (Nick had to sleep in the galley) and we sat in one spot all night long with 24 divers in the water, spooking all the lobsters back in to their holes.

If I wanted to sit on the same body of water all night long and not catch anything, I would have stayed home and soaked in the tub.

I still love this boat though!

I got drunk on the way back sitting with Captain Greg (who was NOT drinking).

Captain Greg was a little freaked out going back through the fog.

I sat up with him on the way back; he woke up some guy named Jim to help him navigate.