To celebrate Paris Hilton’s birthday, I invited her via email for a dive a post-dive celebration at Terranea Resort.

She never responded and didn’t show up, but the dive went on anyways.

A total of six divers showed up, including the famous Reverend Al; a new diver, David, joined the group.

We dove from the Cove; entry was easy.

We surface swam to the rocky finger outside of Pigeon Shit Cave.

I buddied up with SCJoe.

Logged SCUBA Dive #432

Dove with SCJoe
The Cove At Terranea Resort, California, USA

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 800 psi
Max depth: 42 feet
Waves: Some chop, but easy entry and exit
Visibility: 10 feet, some places maybe 15
Water Temperature: 52 degrees
Air Temperature: 67 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 46 minutes

The visibility could have been better, but it was better than zero visibility…

We followed Jordan most of the dive, and half way through I thought, “Where the hell is he taking us?”

We definitely toured some areas that I had not seen in many years, and as Jordan later said, “Why see the same old stuff every time?”

A Sea Urchin Mace.

Even though it wasn’t a great day for photos, Jordan pointed something out that we couldn’t identify and I was able to take a picture of it for later identification.

So what is this? It looks like a yellow booger of some sort.

During my attempts at photography, we lost Jordan.

I thought I lost SCJoe a few times, but he was always there, usually right behind or above me.

We surfaced to get a bearing, and discovered we were way on the other side of the Cave in about 25 feet of water.

We took new compass headings and headed in.

We all had easy exits.

The beach was crowded with tourists and other onlookers.

The first thing I said once we were ashore, in my best foreign accent, was “Did we reach America?”

There was a dive boat anchored nearby.

We were asked, again, if we were with the boat.

“Uhm, no, we are poor divers, the divers on the boat are rich divers.”

The Ghetto Grill cooked some Beer Brats.

Traditional debriefing ensued.

New diver David said that he’s not a beer person.

Someone jokingly said, “Well, I have a couple line of coke over here, if you want.”

We explained to him, that you don’t have to drink beer, just bring beer.

Jordan wore one of the best diving themed T-shirts I had ever seen.

All in all, even though Paris Hilton didn’t show up for her birthday dive, it was a good day.

To view this video on YouTube, click here.

February 3, 2013*

We were eating a light snack of fruit, chips and dip during our surface interval when the question about the second dive was asked.

Where should we go next?

Stay here, or to another oil rig?

When most didn’t care either way, Dan made the comment that, “You guys vote like women.”

The captain suggested that we stay for a second dive since, “Conditions won’t be any better at the other rigs.”

So, we stayed.

Donna apparently found a more suitable, less macho, dive buddy, so I paired up with Dan.

Logged SCUBA Dive #431

Dove with Divevets’ Dan, “SoCal Buddy Style”

Eureka Oil Rig, California, USA

In With: 2250 psi
Out With: 600 psi
Max depth: 52 feet
Waves: Pretty calm
Visibility: Eight to 10 feet, but cleared to 20 feet at depth
Water Temperature: 54 degrees
Air Temperature: 74 degrees
Total Bottom Time: 26 minutes

We descended.

This was my second dive with my new BCD… I grabbed what I thought was a purge value and ended up pulling my weight pouch out.

Luckily it was empty, as I still use a weight belt.

By the time I got down, Dan was gone… well, same ocean, same day, so oh well, we’ll do it “SoCal buddy style.”

There’s a floor of beams around the 60 foot mark.

I spent most of my time at this depth, cruising around the horizontal beams, trying to take some good pictures as my camera was warning that the battery was very low.

If I wasn’t so macho, swimming around underneath all those dark beams may have spooked me out.

I slowly surfaced just as Dan did.

We started the dive and ended the dive together, so that’s good enough in my book.

Some divers brought back some big scallops.

I was also fortunate enough to meet Carl, a friend of one of the hottest celebrity divers in the world – Paris Hilton.

He apparently has even been to her house; meeting him was better than previously meeting someone who did catering for Paris.

Maybe one day I will actually get to meet Paris Hilton, or better yet, even dive with her.

On the way back, it was recommended that I dive in Estonia this year; I am planning to go to Poland and got into a friendly argument when someone told me, “You know Poland is land locked?”

Uhm, no it isn’t.

Now for the tragic part…

With ten divers, how much beer did you think the boat had?

If your guess was one can of Tecate, you would be correct.

Luckily, I brought a few Bud Lights and Donna had a few Tecate bottles, so debriefing was light, but that was probably a good idea on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Pacific Star has a big deck – well, with ten divers it seemed pretty big…

And even though their tasty breakfast burrito sat like a rock in my stomach, and they only had one beer in stock for ten thirsty divers, the Captain and crew are very competent, I will be glad to go on another dive trip on the “Pac Star.”

*Posting of this has been delayed because of the Super Bowl.