Veteran’s Park, Redondo Beach, CA

Dove With Instructor John as part of an Advanced SCUBA diving class

In With: 2700 psi
Out With: 800 psi
Max depth: 103 feet
Waves: 1-4 feet
Visibility: 15 feet
Water Temperature: Cold at 100 feet
Total Bottom Time: About 30 minutes

I met John at 7 AM; we made a plan and entered the water at 7:45 AM.

The dive watch that I bought yesterday leaked the minute I entered the water.

“Freestyle” watches suck; this was my first dive with the watch.

We submerged to 25 feet and did a checkout:

Buddy breathing
Emergency swimming ascent
mask clearing
weight belt off/weight belt on
regulator ditch and recovery

John then had me take my mask off, hold his hand and swim with him for what seemed to be about 20 yards.

It didn’t bother my eyes, but the water and compressed air going up my nose was annoying.

We then went over the shelf and out to 96 feet.

John stopped me – his gauge read 103 feet.

For this record, I’ll go with John’s gauges.

It’s pretty much barren at 100 feet.

John had me release all the air out of my BCD jacket and try and ascent.

I had no problem and John later said that I was properly weighted.

I re-inflated my BCD and we started in – me leading the way.

The bottom is uneven when it starts going up to higher ground, but I just headed East; John followed.

We came up the shelf and ran into a trash marker – a bucket of cement.

I knew I was right on target.

John was impressed that I hit it right on the mark; it was some luck, too.

We surfaced at 10 feet and I walked ashore.

It was a little rough.

I had trouble taking my fins off since I put them on so tight; I fell walking out.

John advised, “The dive went really well, just blow bubbles when you have the second stage out of your mouth and ‘tighten up’ to reduce drag.”

Long Point, CA
(aka The Old Marineland)

Solo Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 400 psi
Max depth: 54 feet
Waves: 1-3 feet
Visibility: 10-15 feet
Water Temperature: Cold in some places
Total Bottom Time: About 45 minutes
Notable Event: Lost a fin going out.

Due to a hangover, I didn’t dive last week.

I’m taking an Advanced Diving Course from Instructor John.

Anyway, I got down to Log Point around 7:30 AM.

I met two divers, one named Mike(?); they were asking about the local dive spot and where they should go out.

I told them it was high tide and I was going out on the point; they said that they would follow.

They were two “GQ” looking guys.

The guy Mike decided to push their weight belts down using a baby carriage.

It was a funny site and I wish I had a camera.

I went off the point after putting my fins on.

I started to kick and I felt something strange; I looked down and noticed that my right fin had come off!

Shit!

I have learned looking for lost equipment is usually a waste of time, but I saw it a few feet away in 12 feet of water.

I tried free diving for it but I kept floating back up, so I tried using my regulator, but kicking down with one fin is nearly impossible.

So, I followed it around as the waves kept crashing against the rocks.

One wave lifted the fin up and I managed to grab it!

Phew!

I swam out after looking like a flailing dork and rested.

I watched the “GQ guys” go in.

I swam out to the South-East and went down.

There’s a lot more fish here than off the cove, or so it seems.

I went down to 54 feet where the reef seems to end; it was cold.

There didn’t seem to be much of a current.

The environment is very similar to that off the cove’s rocky point; kelp, sheephead, sea bass, uni, etc.

At 1500 psi I started North to beach at the cove.

It was deeper than I remembered, so I surfaced and found myself way off course!

I had been down to 30 feet.

I submerged, followed my corrected course and surfaced at 15 feet.

I almost got hit my someone casting a fishing hook from the rocks, which I think was done on purpose.

Oh well, fuck him; I be back for him and kick his ass.

With not much air left, I had a longer surface swim than I would have liked.

I exited with no problems, walking ashore and tripping only once.