Easter Day Diving Off The Bottom Scratcher Boat
The Rock Quarry, Catalina, CA

Solo Diving

In With: 2700 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 60 feet
Waves: 0
Visibility: 30 feet
Water Temperature: Cool
Total Bottom Time: 50 minutes

This location is actually an old rock quarry that had been used to build some of the break waters in the Los Angeles area.

I was the second one off the boat.

I trolled around; saw lobster, garibaldi, sheephead, etc.

A couple of seals passed by me.

I don’t remember running across any other divers; sort of strange because of trips like this, I usually do.

This place has big boulders with lots of kelp.

Nice dive, lots to see in the rocks.

I heard something leaking, so I took my BC off and found that the low-pressure hose was leaking.

I’m glad it wasn’t a high-pressure hose and I’m glad I wasn’t at 100 feet!

Students train off the Bottom Scratcher.

I stayed mostly with Captain Greg on the way back.

I think I was only one of three divers on the boat who wasn’t either an instructor or student.

Easter Day Diving Off The Bottom Scratcher Boat
Lion’s Head, Catalina, CA

Solo Diving

In With: 2700 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 100 feet and some change
Waves: 0
Visibility: 35 feet
Water Temperature: Cold at 100 feet
Total Bottom Time: 45 minutes

After an hour surface interval, I did my second dive, bringing my camera.

I went back to look for a giant sheep crab that I had seen.

I didn’t find it, but I had gotten so deep, that I decided to hit 100 feet.

I posed a few times with my gauges.

My camera had problems working; the flash didn’t work sometimes and I couldn’t hear the camera advance.

But after a few tries, I took a self portrait of me at 100 feet.

I’m soooo macho!

I was sort of pissed; I paid $40 for the camera and housing and after two years the thing is starting to go on me!

I fumbled around with my camera for a few minutes and then headed up to shallower depth.

I saw a bat ray or a shovel nosed guitarfish that in my narced state, thought was a diver in trouble.

It just looked surreal, like a scene from a weird movie – a diver struggling in kelp turns into a fish!

It was distant and I really do need glasses, but it looked like a diver screaming for help underwater – really weird!

Staying at 40 to 50 feet for the rest of the dive, I squeezed the rest of my air to a 45-minute total dive.

Two divers from Kansas ended up getting caught in the current; they were thrown a current line from the boat and hauled in with the help of several divers on board.

Bubba the chase boat wasn’t feeling well today.