Long Point, CA
(aka The Old Marineland)

Solo Diving

In with: 2900 psi
Out with: 700 psi
Max depth: 40 feet
Waves: 1-2 feet
Visibility: 15+ feet
Water Temperature: Warm
Total Bottom Time: 45 minutes
Notable Event: I got caught on a fisherman’s line.

This is my Independence Day dive.

Due to the logistics of getting air for tomorrow, I decided to dive Redondo Beach.

Unfortunately, there was no parking.

I got to Long Point about 10:30 AM; there was another dive club leaving.

I probably got in to the water around 11:00 AM.

Easy in.

I was told by another diver that there’s a black sea bass the size of a person out there.

I swam to the reef just East of the cove and then to the second kelp bed.

I actually saw an octopus, another guitar fish and several large sheephead.

When I was coming out, I got snagged on a fisherman’s line.

I surfaced trying to free myself.

I ended up cutting the line.

I yelled over to him, “Sorry about that.”

He yelled back, “Don’t worry, just be safe.”

A lot of fishermen would have given me the finger.

It was so calm, I walked ashore.

Long Point, CA
(aka The Old Marineland)

Dove With Nick

The swell maps on Sandeaters.org made the visibility seem like it should be decent.

Daniel from Redondo Pier said it was 40 feet off of Redondo yesterday – at least the guy at the Dive Shop told him that.

We met at 9:50 AM.

Daniel was suppose to show up at 10 AM, but he flaked.

Nick said the security guard had just opened the gate.

I came to find out that all of my regulators leaked air.

For the next half hour we tried to make one good rig out of my two. Actually the second rig was Ed’s.

I ended up taking the bladder out of the auxiliary second stage to keep it from leaking.

We got in the water around 10:45; easy entry except for dodging the fishing line from the Mexican fishermen that were off the cove.

We swam to the rocky point off of Pigeon Shit cave and submerged.

Visibility wasn’t as good as I thought it should be – 15 feet maybe 20.

Nick had his camera, I was just a sightseer.

We went North, around the point.

It’s a slightly different environment than the one Nick’s used to there.

Reefs, sea weed, sea urchins, etc.

The exit was no problem.

This was a good, uneventful dive.

Ed fixed my rigs afterwards.

In with: 2700 psi
Out with: 500 psi
Max depth: 35 feet
Waves: 1-2 feet
Visibility: 20 feet
Water Temperature: Cool and Warm
Total Bottom Time: 50 minutes

We met “Victor” – a Long Shoreman crane operator.

He gave me $10 for loaning him a coat hanger to unlock his car.