Annual Beach Clean Up
Veteran’s Park
Redondo Beach, CA

Solo Diving

In With: 2500 psi
Out With: 400 psi
Max depth: 70 feet
Waves: 1-3 foot swells
Visibility: 15 feet
Water Temperature: Mid 50’s F
Total Bottom Time: About 45 minutes

This is the annual Beach clean up, where a bunch of community service oriented goodie-goodies do their token bit to clean up beach trash for one morning a year.

I couldn’t resist the chance to dive under the pier, so I went.

Meeting Roland and Dan in the large parking area by Vet’s Park, I was told, “You don’t get a T-Shirt this year for signing in, so we’re just going to enter here and swim to the pier.”

That sounded like a good idea.

I geared up and was walking through the parking lot when my auxiliary second stage started free flowing.

I banged on it, but finally got it to stop when I washed the rig out with fresh water down by the showers.

About 400 psi had leaked out.

Only one diver bagged on me about my malfunctioning equipment.

I entered the water around 8:30 AM with no problems and started to swim towards the pier before going under for the trip.

I surfaced 40 yards South of the pier and noticed that my underwater watch was no longer working and that people were fishing off the pier.

Instead of waiting, I figured there was probably an abundance of trash around the pier and over the shelf.

I submerged and searched at 30 feet for garbage, but couldn’t find any.

I went South and down the shelf to about 60 to 70 feet and found the mother load – plastic bags, bottles, shoes, a pair of sunglasses, a plastic purse, a packet of Catsup, socks, a piece of canvas.

I was careful to make sure I didn’t pick up anything’s home.

Some of the trash I left behind because things were living in them – so I no longer considered the items trash.

I was having so much fun, actually diving Redondo with a purpose, that I started getting concerned about my air.

I headed up the shelf with 1000 psi and started towards shore slowly.

I surfaced with 400 psi in 10 feet of water and noticed that I was missing my snorkel.

Crap! Another piece of lost equipment!

The beach was covered with volunteers picking up even the minutest pieces of trash.

I walked ashore without incident and no fanfare.

While washing off at the showers, I looked down at my bag and saw a couple of small octopi trying to escape through my mess bag.

I was pissed at myself, because I thought that I had checked the trash pretty thoroughly.

I walked back to the shore and threw three baby octopi back in to the water.

I degeared and looked through the trash that I had picked up.

No wallets, no money, no treasure maps.

Dan and Roland soon followed.

I picked some fishing hooks out of Roland’s wetsuit and stabbed myself in the process.

Roland mentioned to me that Dan, “found two snorkels.”

I asked, “Was one blue?”

“Yes,” he responded.

Sure enough, Dan saved and returned my snorkel!

I took our bags of trash to “the trash pile” by the pier.

The ROK Marines performed maneuvers off Redondo today.

Mirek scored a fishing hoop net, Drysuit Greg a chair; other items included a walking cane and other oddities.

As I was emptying Dan’s bag, two octopi crawled out looking for water.

Shanon threw them back in the ocean.

At least I wasn’t the only one who was accidentally harvesting octopus.

The Divevets had a great barbecue afterwards.

A new member named Marty introduced himself to us.

Even though I tend to dive alone, I’m glad I don’t have to drink alone during the debriefing.

I later found out from Marty that due to the clean up effort, parking was free until noon.

I had been pumping quarters in the parking meter all morning long!

Solo Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 1000 psi
Max depth: 85 feet
Waves: Hefty three to five foot swells in the surf zone
Visibility: 10 feet plus
Water Temperature: Cold over the shelf (54 degrees)
Total Bottom Time: 35 minutes
Notable Event: Diver slammed in the surf zone; lifeguards and paramedics respond

I finally have decided to take Wednesday night and dive Veteran’s park.

Wednesday is the Divevets’ traditional night dive.

On their message board they said that the first dive would be at 5:30 PM.

I was geared up and ready to go at 5:30, when the divers just started to show up.

I was sweating in my wetsuit and decided not to wait for anyone else and just go solo.

I dawned my BCD, and the middle strap that I had repaired from my last SCUBA dive broke again; I ended up tying the BCD closed.

The swells in the surf zone were sort of tricky.

I walked into the surf zone and put my fins on in chest high water with no difficulty.

Since I tied the two vest pieces together, the jacket was on crooked, so my spare air was falling out of the holder.

I secured my Spare Air with a D-ring that was hanging lose off my BCD and continued swimming out.

I submerged to 20 feet and swam West to the edge of the canyon and down.

I may have gotten off course or something; I leveled out at 70 feet and it took a while to get deeper as I swam.

Maybe my depth gauge was stuck?

I swam South a bit and then back, reaching a maximum depth of 85 feet.

I found a line that went somewhere… I decided to follow it, but it just appeared to follow along the canyon at 70 feet.

I swam up a bit to 65 feet and ran in to the famous “Vets’ Park Pinnacle.”

The Pinnacle is nothing more than a collection of cinder blocks, empty air tanks and other trash; it’s very appropriate for such a place.

Burning down to 1700 psi, I started my way back up the shelf and ran across an orange traffic cone with lines running from it; a laminated label stated, “Please do not remove…”

I heard a buzzing noise, looked up and saw someone pass by on a scooter; we exchanged waves.

I slowly swam East, making sure I was under for 35 minutes.

I ascended and emerged right on target; Shanon and her group were entering for their dive.

I briefed them on the conditions.

The swells were picking up, but I managed to make a picture perfect exit, walking ashore.

Some Japanese tourists videotaped my exit.

I rinsed my gear off and walked to the Duster; the regular Divevets group were there gearing up for the night run.

I was debating whether or not I should leave, but then I remembered the traffic back to Long Beach; I decided to stay, slam beer and take pictures of the sunset.

Divers started entering the water as the sun was starting to set.

Shanon’s group was exiting the water.

Shanon started running over to another diver who was on all fours trying to crawl out of the surf zone.

I jogged down the stairs to the sand where Shanon and someone else were assisting this diver who obviously was in some kind of trouble.

Dan quickly came over to assist.

The diver appeared exhausted, but was breathing and conscience.

Lifeguards ran over to help…

I stayed out of their way.

Soon, the paramedics, more lifeguards and the Fire Department showed up on the scene.

They gave the diver Oxygen and were standing around asking her questions.

She eventually stood up, sat in the back of the Lifeguard truck and was driven off somewhere.

I asked Shanon what had happened.

She said this diver was new to diving, got thrown, tossed and slammed in the surf zone (aka “Maytagged”), even when she was trying to crawl out.

Beach diving in these kinds of swells can be very exhausting, and when you’re in the surf zone, the only one that can help you is you.

Thankfully the diver is alright; she was in great hands with this bunch.

I drank a few more beers in the parking lot while trying my best to socialize with the other divers, Russell from the group introduced himself.

The Divevets write up of the night can be found here:

http://www.divevets.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=44&topic=1128.0