The time change screwed me up, and I didn’t have any air.

I thought about waking up early and going free diving, but when the alarm sounded at 6 AM, I looked at it and thought to myself, “Uh, it’s really 5 AM – I’m going back to sleep.”

As I found out Friday night, there was going to be a barbecue and beer party at Long Point.

I could not turn down free food, so I made it down to the Old Marineland access point around 11 AM.

The local divers had already set up a tent and were offering barbecued hot dogs and burgers to all.

Apparently, most divers had stayed out of the water due to waves and surge from earlier in the morning.

Out of about 14 people in attendance, only three divers dove – and only two dove here.

Dennis G. dove Honeymoon Cove earlier – a beach dive that’s a lot more macho than here.

I had to take a leak, so I walked to the cliffs.

I took care of business and then peered down to look at what seemed to be pretty good conditions at the time:

Long Point seems to be changing quite a bit.

Maybe I’ll start calling this place the “Terranea Resort?”

Looking down on Pigeon Shit Cave.

A helicopter patrolled the coast looking for terrorists and illegal aliens.

We talked about diving stories and how the cops hassled us as teenagers.

Free burgers and beer, plus good company – it was well worth the thirty minute drive here!

Secret Location: 4f 66 66 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 72 6f 75 6e 64 20 53 70 61 6e 69 73 68 20 62 65 61 63 68 20 6c 69 65 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

Southern California Buddy Diving With The Divevets off the Island Diver

In With: 2900 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 100 feet
Waves: Minor chop, Current going Eastward
Visibility: 15 feet +
Water Temperature: 56 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 20 minutes
Notable Event: I limited for the first time!

We made it a point not to “move the boat closer.”

That’s usually a curse that the second dive will yield nothing.

We were all sitting around and the new-to-diving deckhand asked us, “Why isn’t anyone going back in the water?”

“We have about an hour to out-gas,” someone responded.

Too bad there’s a no beer rule between dives.

I was the first one in on the second dive and headed South West again but didn’t see any bugs for the first ten minutes.

I then came across a set of pipes and cement boxes at 95 feet that was crammed with lobsters the size of small dogs.

I grabbed one and bagged it.

I grabbed for another one and missed – it shot out the other side of the pipe.

I swam to the other side, high beamed my light just in front of it and grabbed it.

I could have stuffed my bag here, but I was deeper than I had planned to go and I had caught my day’s lobster limit of seven in a 24 hour period.

I ascended and did an open water safety stop in probably what was a current that had picked up.

When I broke surface I was way the hell East of the boat and had to make a 100 yard surface swim back.

The rest of the divers made it back to the boat; some caught a couple bugs while others got skunked.

I’m glad I brought an extra large bag!

The beer started to flow freely on the way back and the traditional parking lot party ensued for about an hour.

Do I look macho with all my bugs, or what?

The parking lot party crew.

Another great and plentiful night of Southern California lobster hunting and SCUBA diving!