Secret Location: 41 20 74 77 65 6e 74 79 20 6d 69 6e 75 74 65 20 72 69 64 65 20 6f 66 66 20 74 68 65 20 53 70 61 6e 69 73 68 20 52 6f 75 6e 64 20 42 65 61 63 68 20 69 73 20 61 20 66 61 72 6d 20 77 68 65 72 65 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 70 69 70 65 73 20 61 72 65 20 67 72 6f 77 6e 2e

Lobster hunting off the “Island Diver” boat with the Divevets Group

Solo diving/night diving

In With: 2800 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 130 feet plus (By accident)
Waves: Sort of choppy
Visibility: 15 feet, good
Water Temperature: 61 degrees Fahrenheit
Total Bottom Time: About 20 minutes
Notable Event: When a little deeper than planned.

Most divers swam back from the North on the last dive, so the decision was made to move the boat “closer.”

Bob sat this dive out since he had limited.

I asked this time which direction I should go; the Captain and Bob pointed North.

I had an hour surface interval and was the second one, after Dan, overboard.

I followed the anchor line down and found Dan stalking an Electric Ray; I had other things to do.

I proceeded North.

It’s just like Vet’s Park in Redondo – sand, sand and more sand.

I came across a cement or steel box that was covered with Red Anemone; they were talking about these boxes on the boat.

Sure enough, one lobster was stuck on the ceiling of the box completely out of reach – I was at 95 feet.

I kept going.

The next thing I knew was that I was at 130 plus feet.

I never had seen my depth gauge register that deep!

Shit! Time to turn back.

At 85 feet I ran across a bunch of lobsters on a quest for food.

In a matter of minutes I had scrapped up five, but I was pushing my bottom time and air.

I immediately started to ascend to 40 feet.

I couldn’t see the bottom or any reference point, so all I knew was that I was getting pushed out to sea by a current.

I decided to blow off my safety stop and just surface.

I surfaced way out.

I swam maybe 50 yards on the surface and got back to the boat.

Not very many divers even saw a lobster this dive.

My $20 “water resistant” watch is still ticking.

Lobster hunting off the “Island Diver” boat with the Divevets Group

Secret Location: 41 20 74 77 65 6e 74 79 20 6d 69 6e 75 74 65 20 72 69 64 65 20 6f 66 66 20 74 68 65 20 53 70 61 6e 69 73 68 20 52 6f 75 6e 64 20 42 65 61 63 68 20 69 73 20 61 20 66 61 72 6d 20 77 68 65 72 65 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 70 69 70 65 73 20 61 72 65 20 67 72 6f 77 6e 2e

Solo diving/night diving

In With: 2700 psi
Out With: 1000 psi
Max depth: 90 feet
Waves: Small, shaky swells
Visibility: 15 feet plus
Water Temperature: 61 degrees Fahrenheit
Total Bottom Time: About 20 minutes

I went with the Divevets group: Reverend Al, Bob, “Ax,” and four other divers – all way cool.

The boat hauls the Captain, two Dive Masters and six divers.

Everyone dives except the Captain, who helps with the reboarding.

Divers jump over however they want to manage, at their leisure.

I believe I was second or third overboard.

I swam to the anchor line and submerged.

I had some trouble equalizing, but once down I went North.

Something really big was down there.

I thought it was another diver, but the reflection of its eyes glowed back at me with the reflection of my light.

My imagination told me it was a shark, but it ended up being a really big sea lion that followed me around the area.

I caught one lobster, but it was short.

I trolled around, but then realized that I had lost my bag.

Back to the boat I went, the Captain helped me out.

Bob followed with a bag of bugs.

I dug out my reserve bag for the next dive.

My “water resistant” non-diving watch is holding up.