Long Point, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
(aka The Old Marineland)

Christmas Day Solo Diving

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 1200 psi
Max depth: 45 feet
Waves: 1-4 feet
Visibility: 5-10 feet, soupy
Water Temperature: Cold
Total Bottom Time: 35 minutes

It was about 11 AM; nobody was at long Point except the security guard for the movie set “Dick and Jane.”

As I was gearing up, a mother and her hottie daughter drove up and asked about the conditions.

I told her that I had heard that conditions have sucked recently.

The hottie said, “Be careful, there’s a storm coming and nobody is around.”

She obviously doesn’t know that I’m macho.

Teenagers were having a beer party in Pigeon Shit cave.

I was hoping that they would be around when I got back, so they could offer me one.

I swam out, lined up with the two “lobster trap” markings (as described in dive #92 ) and submerged.

Visibility really sucked; 5-10 feet at best, but very silty and soupy.

At 40 feet I looked around, but couldn’t find the lobster trap.

I surfaced, swam East to realign the markers and submerged.

I found it within two minutes.

I noticed that someone must have just baited it with two jars full of frozen Sheephead meat; the lids had slits in them and the trap door was tied shut.

I wonder who keeps baiting this thing?

There were no lobsters in the trap.

I started swimming back.

Close to shore, there were big surges and bad visibility.

Sometimes all I saw was silt.

I surfaced about 70 yards out since I couldn’t see anything underwater.

It was sort of a challenge getting back on shore.

The waves were shallow, but they swept over the surf zone about 15 to 20 feet.

I got sucked back a few times in the receding waves.

Once on shore – BOOM!

A huge wave crashed onto the rocks!

Phew!