Well, so far, I have two bugs at $70 a piece; all I need is five more to limit and make this trip worth it.

We moved the boat a short distance, to a deeper reef where the boat that was refilling our tanks – after our compressor broke – said there were plenty of bugs left.

Logged SCUBA Dive #424

Solo Diving/SoCal Buddy Diving
Secret Location: 31 30 30 20 79 61 72 64 73 20 66 75 72 74 68 65 72 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 2c 20 69 6e 20 64 65 65 70 65 72 20 77 61 74 65 72 2e. Catalina Island

In With: 2800 psi
Out With: 700 psi
Max depth: 83 feet
Waves: Pretty flat
Visibility: Up to 20 feet
Water Temperature: 58 degrees
Air Temperature: 69 degrees
Total Bottom Time: About 25 minutes

A deep dive, and I’m guessing at my bottom time since my computer broke – not too smart.

My plan was to do a quick dive, limit and do a 10 minute, progressive safety stop.

Having my doubts about being this deep for lobster, I was pleasantly surprised to have liberated three bugs within ten minutes; it should have been five, but oh well.

I came up slowly, grabbing on to the anchor line, taking ten minutes to break the surface.

Here’s my five – 15 pounds of lobster.

Reverend Al, not only scored heavy on the lobster, but also won the jackpot…

…it was between Al and Chippers bug, but Al obviously won.

We debriefed on the way back, arriving back at port around 7:30 AM.

We moved the boat closer to where Nice Bob had caught his bugs.

I told Reverend Al that my computer didn’t work, and that I would be gauging my dives off of his computer – he went the deepest on the last dive.

I know, not the smartest thing to do, but I was determined to go home with some bugs.

Shortly after my tank refill, the compressor over heated and broke.

Well, I got my fill, and another tank, so I went over and down to the reef Nice Bob discovered on the last dive.

Logged SCUBA Dive #423

Solo Diving/SoCal Buddy Diving
Secret Location: 31 30 30 20 79 61 72 64 73 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 6c 61 73 74 20 70 6c 61 63 65 2c 20 6e 65 61 72 20 74 68 65 20 72 6f 63 6b 20 74 68 61 74 20 72 65 73 65 6d 62 6c 65 73 20 61 20 68 65 6e 2e, Catalina Island

In With: 2800 psi
Out With: 500 psi
Max depth: 43 feet
Waves: Pretty flat
Visibility: Up to 20 feet
Water Temperature: 58 degrees
Air Temperature: 69 degrees
Total Bottom Time: About 40 minutes

Other divers from others boats were on this reef; a diver passed right in front of me and over a lobster that I grabbed – I guess that person was out just for a fun night dive?

There was a big colony of huge bugs in a hole; I grabbed onto one that was like grabbing a football, but it was in an awkward position and it broke free of my iron grip.

On the other side of the reef, I caught a four pounder – the damn thing was grabbing onto the lip of my bag, preventing it from opening.

After using my white belt Jiu Jitsu skills, I neutralized my opponent; it tapped out and crawled into my bag.

If I would have been able to liberate every bug I tried to pin, I would have limited, but the terrain made it difficult to get a firm grip.

Also, some times, unknown to me, I was actually cavern diving – these were pretty big reef indentations.

I made it back to the boat with three bugs; it was now almost 3:00 AM.

Other divers made it back with more bugs.

Chipper and Reverend Al were still waiting for tank refills – the owner of the Sea Bass had another boat near by, and tanks were being transferred for fills there.

Great, Al didn’t do his dive, so now my bottom time and surface intervals are now all an educated guess – children, don’t try this at home.

The moon was full this morning; that was a concern for me, as rumor has it, bugs are afraid of any light.