Here’s my long awaited dive on the Bottom Scratcher…again – another charter by Pacific Wilderness.

I arrived at the dock at 5 AM hoping to score a bunk, but the boat was out on a night dive.

However, I did get there early enough to get a bunk when the boat pulled in shortly after.

The Captain was the owner, aka Captain Greg, Debbie the cook and Bobby the deck hand.

It was the same crew as before except for the Dive Master.

I asked for and got “number 13” again.

I met my diving buddy Nick.

We departed on time to the second.

Once passed the break water, the boat tossed in large swells; some got sick.

I drank coffee with others in the back while Nick slept.

About 25 minutes out of the break water, the boat turned around.

Apparently, the coast guard radioed every boat in the channel and said, “where you are in two hours is where you’re going to be for the next 24.”

Immediately, we started drinking beer.

We also enjoyed a free bagpipe concert!

The breakdown on the boat – all guys except for one older woman.

Someone on the boat told me that even if it was full of women, all the females in the Pacific Wilderness Dive club are beer drinking lesbians

I’ve heard that Sport’s Chalet has a lot of women, but they’re mostly in classes.

I hear that Sports Chalet sucks because they tend to baby-sit divers; I don’t know from personal experience.

Malaga Cove, Palos Verdes Estates, CA

Night diving, lobster hunting with Nick

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 1000 psi
Max depth: 15 feet
Waves: 1-2 feet
Visibility: 5 feet
Water Temperature: Cool
Total Bottom Time: 50 minutes
LOW, LOW TIDE!

It’s been very rough the last week.

I went down to Malaga Cove after work to check on the conditions.

Tom from American Diving was leaving with two other divers and a lobster.

Tom advised, “It’s good, but no tide… go diving.”

I called Nick; we agreed to meet around 7 PM.

We were the only divers there.

In the water – off the sand – at about 7:20 PM.

Since it was ultra low tide, the sand was a must.

We went South-West searching for lobsters on water that didn’t get deeper than 15 feet.

We caught several shorts, but released them.

One big, legal one got away; I think it was the only legal one I saw.

Fifteen shorts sighted for one legal I think was the ratio.

My mask leaked until I fixed the purge valve.

We exited with no problem.

We met some other divers going in – one was a woman!