Dove With Nick

In With: 3000 psi
Out With: 1100 psi
Max depth: 70 feet
Waves: 2-3 foot mild swells
Visibility: 8 feet or so, silty
Water Temperature: Cold at depth
Total Bottom Time: 40 minutes

I am getting a reputation for diving with old and malfunctioning equipment.

It took some time to convince Nick it is safe to dive with me.

Here is the actual predive email thread between Nick and I; it was so funny that I posted it on Divevets.

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Me: Care to dive Wednesday evening at Redondo?

Nick: Did you buy a new BC yet?

Me: I’m patching the old one.

Nick: I will extend an interest free line of credit up to $1200 to you, repayable over 12 months, for you to buy new diving gear.

A new BC, wetsuit, and depth gauge are required as part of this offer.

This offer is being extended in part for my safety, as well as yours.

Also, I am embarrassed to go diving with someone who used a length of rope to secure his BC, and who has more patches than actual neoprene in his wetsuit.

I’m not really embarrassed to be seen with you in your wetsuit, but I am concerned about your BC and the console that you have to bang (at 80 feet) to get an accurate reading…

Yes, I am paranoid, you got a problem with that?
************************

We met around 5:20 PM at Vet’s Park.

As we were gearing up, Mirek walked over and asked, “Hey Psycho, so who is the guy who is afraid to dive with you?”

I pointed to Nick.

Mirek turned to Nick and said, “Don’t worry, man.

“Just tell Psycho to keep his hands off of your equipment when you are underwater.”

Roland from the Divevets was nice enough to give me an old wetsuit that has less holes in it than mine

These guys are great diving company.

Roland also assured me that it had never been peed in.

We entered the water and walked through the fairly calm surf zone.

We made a short descent before I had to surface again and refit the purge valve on my mask.

We submerged again and went West to the edge of the canyon; I looked back at Nick.

He was adjusting his mask and gesturing, “Wait.”

I looked for any signs of panic or stress and even gave him the option to surface.

Nick gave the “OK” sign and we continued down the shelf, enjoying the 55 degree thermalcline.

At 65 feet, we headed South to “the pinnacle” – a collection of cinder blocks and miscellaneous trash where small fish hang out.

We continued South and turned around when we were at 2000 psi.

Up the shelf we went to warm up and trolled the ledge at 40 feet.

We found more trash, some markers for navigation classes and an empty ammunition box.

I looked over at Nick; there was a big rock crab with it’s pitchers out aimed at Nick.

I thought to myself, “Nick doesn’t see this.”

So I tapped Nick and pointed.

He looked over and was obviously startled.

We headed for shore to an uneventful exit.

Divers were all over the parking lot, either gearing up or debriefing.

Nick and I stayed in the lot and had a few beers while socializing with the Divevets.

Nick took off fairly early; I stayed for the night dive crowd to emerge.

Mirek found a stash of sunglasses at 50 feet and some guy’s ID card

I pointed out that “at least you didn’t find a body with them.”

Roland and another diver shot a halibut – one was huge!

A couple called their dive after entering the surf zone because the woman was afraid to dive at night.

It was getting late by the time Dan and Roland hauled out the Barbecue, so I had to say sayonara.

I donated the rest of my party cups for their own “safety.”