Long Point, CA
(aka The Old Marineland)

Dove with Nick and some “Sandeaters.”
Photos By Nick

Notable Event: Maytagged On The Rocks

I met Nick at 8 AM. I was talking to “Melvin” from the Sandeaters Diving club previously.

Nick and I went out (or tried to) around 8:30 AM.

Nick left the rocks first and swam out.

The waves were mild, about two or three feet.

I went down to the rocks and put one of my fins on.

About to put the other one on, I looked up and saw this huge 12 foot swell approaching.

Nick was on top of the wave pointing his camera down at me.

I put the second fin looped around my hand, held my spear and grabbed on to the rock that I was sitting on.

I was scared shitless.

Just like the hand of God, the wave just picked me up and threw me.

I had no idea where the rocks were.

I put my arms over my head and smashed into a rock.

Apparently, Nick told me later, there was a second wave.

I was okay, but my elbow was a little sore.

I gathered the spear and quickly put my other fin on and coasted out.

Several other divers looked on in amazement.

I was shaken.

It was a long swim to the second kelp bed.

We were fighting a current pushing us the other way.

I took inventory of my gear and checked my equipment before we submerged.

My compass was lost in my accident.

We got tired of swimming on the surface, so Nick took a compass bearing and we submerged to about 30 feet and headed East to the kelp bed.

I heard the waves crashing against the rocks — a more terrifying sound than anything.

We approached the kelp bed.

The kelp was practically laying flat in the strong current.

The floor started moving; silt came up.

We surfaced to see what the hell it was.

The waves were two to three feet on shore; it was just a strong current.

We submerged again.

I had no idea where we were going since I had no compass.

Nick motioned that he wanted to follow me.

I just hung around the kelp bed.

A few times, we ran in to other divers.

I almost followed the wrong person.

I did the typical hunting thing, Nick photographed.

Towards the end, just like White Point, I found some big sheephead hiding in a small cave.

I shot and hit one fish, but the current was extremely strong.

I didn’t hit the fish square, so it wiggled free.

I motioned to Nick to head in.

I followed but had to correct him once in the cove.

We were heading West and had to go North-West after a while.

We both made it to shore without incident.

Once up in the parking lot, I discovered that my left elbow was split wide open.

Melvin from the Sandeaters said, “Do whatever works for you, but most of us walk out and put our fins on in the water – you really got tossed.”

No shit!

I’m going to follow his advice!

We talked with Melvin at length about diving and how not to get old.

His advice – exercise and sex three times a day.

Wow, I need a girlfriend!

In with: 2800 psi
Out with: 600 psi
Maximum depth: 35 feet
Waves: 2-3 feet, except for one big ass wave
Visibility: 15 feet/ soupy water
Water temperature: 60 degrees F ??

White Point, San Pedro, CA
Dove with Nick (Photos By Nick)

I got off work early and met Nick at White Point shortly before 1 PM.

We were both late because of a stalled truck on the bridge.

The water looked rough but manageable.

The lifeguard drove by and asked how long we were going to be out.

Surfers were over on the other side of the beach.

We entered the water from the same cove as our last dive here.

Nick had his camera, I had my spear.

It was high tide an hour before.

This area is definitely an advanced dive.

Long Point is easy.

At Long Point, the rocks are round and smooth; at White Point, they’re sharp and jagged.

The waves and currents are rougher at White Point than Long Point.

Also, at White Point, you have to be careful coming back in.

Otherwise, you may get pushed into a shallow reef.

Once out of the cove and into the surf, we encountered eight foot surges.

I tried to, or at least suggested, that we call the dive off.

Nick wanted to keep going.

Nick is becoming as macho as me.

The surges look more ominous than they really are.

They come in, hit a reef and the wave curls.

We went down just short of the first kelp bed.

Visibility was 15 feet and soupy.

It was hard to stay in one place because of the surges.

I cracked open some sea urchins, but saw no big fish.

Nick was diving with his shark knife for the first time.

We didn’t go far and tended to hang out in one area.

We came up on a reef with many “mini-caves.”

I cracked a few sea urchins and waited.

I followed a big sheephead into one of the reefs.

There were three huge sheephead hiding in the small cave.

I saw the silhouette and shot just as a Garibaldi swam by.

I hit something, but nothing was on my spear – Good!

Nick signaled that he was low on air.

We both ascended and carefully went in.

Some cops were hassling people on the other side of the beach.

In with: 3100 psi
Out with: 1100 psi
Max depth: 25 feet
Waves: 8 foot surges
Visibility: 15 feet/soupy
Water temperature: I guess 60 degrees F

During the dive, Nick picked up a star fish. I put the thing on my head for a picture, but felt the thing sticking and squeezing my head. Taking it off, I accidentally knocked my mouthpiece out. Ooops!

We were under water about 35 minutes. We only surfaced when coming out.