Long Point, CA
(aka The Old Marineland)

Dove with Nick

I met Nick at 8:00 AM.

The waves looked exactly like last week — the same conditions.

I was determined not to get thrown like last week.

I was very careful and walked out after Nick was in.

I put my fins on after I was in the surf.

It sort of sucks because you have no control when you’re out.

Dennis (of Dennis, Fred and Al) later advised us to put one fin on while on land and the other fin on in the surf.

We swam to the jetty near pigeon shit cave.

We submerged; I was hunting, Nick was just sight seeing.

There was a solo diver there who was hunting with a spear gun.

I came upon a sheephead that was feeding on an urchin that I had broken open.

I measured her; she actually helped me by laying flat against my spear.

That fish was so stupid; I didn’t have the heart to shoot it.

We swam around the reef and in to the second kelp bed.

We saw the other spear fisherman pass by again.

I didn’t think we were at the second kelp bed, so we went East trying to find it.

At 40 feet, we got quite an aerobic workout fighting the current.

We surfaced to find that we were way the hell out past our target.

We swam on the surface until we were a hundred yards to shore.

The waves were crashing on the rocks.

We submerged me to the bottom, Nick to 10 feet and went in.

We surfaced about 20 yards to shore.

I went in first, riding a swell in and then crawling like hell for higher ground.

We again talked to Dennis of “Dennis, Fred and Al.”

He gave us some pointers on boat diving.

Visibility was good, 20 feet and clear.

The water was 55 degrees F according to Nick’s thermometer.

In with: 2900 psi
Out with: 1100 psi
Maximum depth: 40 feet
Waves: 1-4 feet
Visibility: 20 feet and clear
Water temperature: 55 degrees F

Long Point, CA
(aka The Old Marineland)

Dove with Nick and some “Sandeaters.”
Photos By Nick

Notable Event: Maytagged On The Rocks

I met Nick at 8 AM. I was talking to “Melvin” from the Sandeaters Diving club previously.

Nick and I went out (or tried to) around 8:30 AM.

Nick left the rocks first and swam out.

The waves were mild, about two or three feet.

I went down to the rocks and put one of my fins on.

About to put the other one on, I looked up and saw this huge 12 foot swell approaching.

Nick was on top of the wave pointing his camera down at me.

I put the second fin looped around my hand, held my spear and grabbed on to the rock that I was sitting on.

I was scared shitless.

Just like the hand of God, the wave just picked me up and threw me.

I had no idea where the rocks were.

I put my arms over my head and smashed into a rock.

Apparently, Nick told me later, there was a second wave.

I was okay, but my elbow was a little sore.

I gathered the spear and quickly put my other fin on and coasted out.

Several other divers looked on in amazement.

I was shaken.

It was a long swim to the second kelp bed.

We were fighting a current pushing us the other way.

I took inventory of my gear and checked my equipment before we submerged.

My compass was lost in my accident.

We got tired of swimming on the surface, so Nick took a compass bearing and we submerged to about 30 feet and headed East to the kelp bed.

I heard the waves crashing against the rocks — a more terrifying sound than anything.

We approached the kelp bed.

The kelp was practically laying flat in the strong current.

The floor started moving; silt came up.

We surfaced to see what the hell it was.

The waves were two to three feet on shore; it was just a strong current.

We submerged again.

I had no idea where we were going since I had no compass.

Nick motioned that he wanted to follow me.

I just hung around the kelp bed.

A few times, we ran in to other divers.

I almost followed the wrong person.

I did the typical hunting thing, Nick photographed.

Towards the end, just like White Point, I found some big sheephead hiding in a small cave.

I shot and hit one fish, but the current was extremely strong.

I didn’t hit the fish square, so it wiggled free.

I motioned to Nick to head in.

I followed but had to correct him once in the cove.

We were heading West and had to go North-West after a while.

We both made it to shore without incident.

Once up in the parking lot, I discovered that my left elbow was split wide open.

Melvin from the Sandeaters said, “Do whatever works for you, but most of us walk out and put our fins on in the water – you really got tossed.”

No shit!

I’m going to follow his advice!

We talked with Melvin at length about diving and how not to get old.

His advice – exercise and sex three times a day.

Wow, I need a girlfriend!

In with: 2800 psi
Out with: 600 psi
Maximum depth: 35 feet
Waves: 2-3 feet, except for one big ass wave
Visibility: 15 feet/ soupy water
Water temperature: 60 degrees F ??