So, I’m getting ready for lobster season, and stop by Big 5 to get this season’s lobster report card.

If you remember, prior to last season, the report cards lasted the entire calendar year.

Last season, if you bought a lobster report card at the beginning of the season, the card would last the entire season.

If you already had a report card from that year from the previous season, that card would be valid until the end of the calendar year.

If you wanted to continue that season after the first of January, you had to purchase another report card that would expire at the end of the season.

Confusing, huh?

Well, I was one of the people that had a lobster report card that I bought in early 2013 and then had to buy one again in January – that one lasted until the end of that season.

I filed my lobster report for the year 2013 by January 30, 2014.

So, I’m in Big 5 this afternoon and ordered a lobster report card.

They asked me for one of my drivers licenses; I gave him the one I use for my fishing license.

The total came to $21.60.

“Holy, crap, the lobster report cards have really gone up!” I said.

The machine printed a small green piece of paper.

“I guess so, I wonder why the machine didn’t print the whole card,” The cashier said.

Mystified, she called the manager.

The manager came over and handed me the paper.

“You didn’t file your report for last season, so you just paid the fine,” he said.

He continued, “Now that you got that out of the way, would you still like your lobster report card?”

Isn’t technology great?

I hope they never start using that kind of technology when they send out Jury Summonses – which I have never gotten.

In other news…

My flooded camera is – deceased.

I volunteered last weekend to dive in the Heal The Bay clean up.

The diving at the Santa Monica pier was cancelled due to big swells.

I had volunteered for the Redondo Beach clean up, on the side near the Chart House.

We canceled the dive on our end due to conditions, but the clean up under the pier went forward.

I don’t have any news on what kind of cool stuff they found – I took off when our diving was cancelled.

I’m on a boat tonight for the opening morning of Lobster Season.

We’re planning on doing three dives off Catalina and the swell models are promising to make the trip quite the puke-bucket adventure.

I like quality posts over quantity, so it may take me until Sunday to complete all the posts from Opening morning.

So, fellow lobster hunters, be careful, be safe and good luck!

For the last several weeks, huge waves have been battering the coast from two hurricanes in Mexico.

I had checked on conditions two weeks ago, and the dive at Terranea Resort was quickly cancelled.

The only diving around was at Veterans Park – so, I went home.

Today is another day, and the swell maps gave promise to some good diving.

Nice Bob and Mike had checked out the conditions and reported, “The Point is do-able as long as you time it right.”

As long as I time it right?

Dennis G. asked if I would join him for a dive at the cove.

I accepted.

Huge waves rearranged the rocky beach, pushing many rocks further up, and taking out the staircase.

I also heard that the path to the Point was washed out.

There is now a great sandy beach for entry and exit.

We made an easy entrance and swam out.

The new face of the Cove.

We swam to the rocky finger off of Pigeon Shit Cave and submerged.

Logged SCUBA Dive #473

Dove with Dennis G.

The Cove off of Terranea Resort

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 750 psi
Max depth: 42 feet
Waves: Pretty flat
Visibility: 10 to 15 feet
Water Temperature: 64 degrees
Air Temperature: 85 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 44 minutes

Visibility sort of sucked – like five feet initially, until we got to 120 reef where it opened up to 10 to 15 feet.

I looked at my camera and noticed a few drops of water inside may case.

Hmm, it is a little warm for condensation… fuck, my camera housing was flooding!

The camera was already wet, so turning back would have been useless.

We surfaced, I opened my camera case, emptied the water and resealed it; that didn’t help any.

We circled around 120 reef; Dennis broke open several sea urchins to feed the fish.

It’s nice to see the fish coming back – it was getting real barren a couple of years ago.

After 35 minutes, we started heading back.

The water was pretty warm except for a strange cold blast that hit us as we were coming in; it only lasted a few moments.

There was a group of people at the Cove cheering a swimmer that was approaching the beach.

“You can do it! Go! Go! You can do it!,” they were cheering.

A large boat followed; there was a kayaker beside the swimmer.

We came to find out that the guy had swam all the way from Catalina and had been swimming for the last 11 hours.

Well, if he started from Catalina and made it this far, I think he’s going to make it.

He crawled up on the beach and made it to the dry rocks.

And to top that off, he was 47 years old and fat – I have hope for myself now.

Thank you Chipper for the following photograph:

Today’s diving group – Randy is kneeling, from the left is Chipper, yours truly, Mike, Eric and Dennis G.

I dried my camera on the dashboard of my truck during debriefing.

A couple of people almost got into a fight over parking – I still prefer watching M.M.A. though.

At home, I washed my camera in 90% alcohol to wash the salt residue out before putting it in instant rice to leach all the moister out.

The battery and memory card is still good; if my camera works again, it will be a miracle.

This is the 3D camera that I have used to document my diving for the last three years – I’m sad to see the probable end to it.