We were suppose to go to Catalina on the Bottom Scratcher.

I picked up my buddy Nick at 5 AM.

The first thing he said was, “You know we aren’t going diving today.”

It had been raining on and off.

We boarded the boat and left the dock right on time, to the minute.

Boats were getting tossed around inside the harbor.

Waves crashed over the rocks on the breakwater.

Okay, as Bobby the deck hand says, “You get a free Harbor cruise and free breakfast; most people pay $25 for that.”

Five beers, a stop at the diesel station and a bagpipe concert later, we were back.

Same crew, same people as last time.

We ended up stopping for a draw bridge on the way back to boost beer sales.

Malaga Cove, Palos Verdes Estates, CA
(aka The Nursery)

Solo, Night Time, Lobster Diving

In With: 2700 psi
Out With: 1200 psi
Max depth: 15 feet
Waves: 1-4 feet
Visibility: six feet
Water Temperature: Cold, but warmer than the air temperature
Total Bottom Time: 45 minutes
Lobsters Caught: 0

Neither Nick or John H could make it; so, being so macho, I went anyway.

Nobody was around Malaga Cove.

It was dark, the parking lot was pretty much deserted.

It was low tide so I went in on the sandy side of the coast.

It seemed darker than I remember it being.

I had been there earlier to check out the conditions – it was flat as a pancake, but the waves were picking up.

I had a slight problem putting my fins on.

I swam out where Rossler pool is, well, I don’t know what it’s called now.

I submerged to 15 feet.

It was a little spooky – nighttime solo diving; kelp looked like lobsters, sharks and the boogie man.

I caught three lobsters, all too small.

There’s something to say about Darwinism.

The really big lobsters that I saw fled as soon as they sensed the light.

Some really small lobsters – who I felt like screwing with, actually charged my light.

I hereby declare Malaga Cove, “fished out” of lobsters.

I had taken my main light’s strap off my hand to measure a lobster.

I forgot about this and had to dive for it when I let go of it coming onshore.

Out with little problem, other than the above.

It is very shallow for a long way in the sand.