Dive #403

Date: January 29, 2012
Time: 7:00am
Location: Shaw's Cove, Laguna Beach
Depth (feet): 39
Dive Time (minutes): 58
Surf (feet): 0-1
Surge (feet): 0-2
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 57
Visibility (feet): 25+
Visibility Description: Good - little early AM murkiness
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Josh - very calm and nice conditions today. Dropped down pretty quickly - directly across from the main cut through the reef. Leisurely tour through the middle and out to the Crescent side...lots of kelp and fish, and gentle enough surge to enjoy the peeking in and around the reef structure. Swam around the end of Shaw's while taking some excursions in and out of the reef. Not seeing anything large, but a lot of little life. Josh found a nice Tylodina Fungina, and there were uncountable Hopkin's Roses...Lots of sand dabs over the sand and a few jellyfish - not always typical at Shaws. They looked a lot like fried-egg jellyfish, but without a yolk...maybe "egg-beaters" jellyfish? Said hi to Shelly - she's grown over a lot since I lost saw her. Saw a very large bass in a crevice area that looked to be surviving, but still nursing a spear-gun wound. Slow and easy swim back across the sand and an easy walk-out. Nice dive, and a good time had by all.

Dive #402

Date: January 13, 2012
Time: 7:15am
Location: North Crescent, Laguna Beach
Depth (feet): 63
Dive Time (minutes): 69
Surf (feet): 1-2
Surge (feet): Variable...2-3 shallower
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 55
Visibility (feet): 25
Visibility Description: Pretty clear
Notes and Highlights: Happy new year dive and great to be back underwater! Met with Len and we did a nice, easy dive around the pinnacles, and parts of the north end of Deadman's. Quite a bit of kelp, fish (garibaldi, senoritas, blacksmiths, gobies (black-eyed and catalina)...some lobsters, and spanish shawls in a range of sizes...

We came across a concrete coffin lid that was made to look as though it had dropped on top of a diver...in the concrete was the form of part of a tank sticking out, as well as the diver's hands...still deciding if it was more cool or creepy. Name plate was pretty grown-over already...made out part that said "Tuttle"...open to any info that anyone has on it - with all of my and Len's dives in that area - we haven't seen it or heard of it before.

Overall a really nice dive to start the year with - great conditions if you can get out...a good time had by all!

Dive # 401

Date: January 17, 2011
Time: 12 noon
Location: Deadman's Reef
Depth (feet): 55
Dive Time (minutes): 70
Surf (feet): 1-2+
Surge (feet): 1-2
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 55-59
Visibility (feet): 10-15
Visibility Description: Murky - below 40 feet clearer
Notes and Highlights: First dive of 2011 - dove with Len and Josh. Great to see the kelp growth and life around the reef...meant as a compliment, I'd say it was like a crappy condition day off Catalina. Saw some sea lions - a large male that checked us out, a horn shark, a large cabezon, a sunflower star fish, lots of spanish shawl nudibranchs, some lobster, sea hares (regular and giant), and kelp fish and healthy schools of blacksmiths. Overall a great time had by all.

Dive #400

Date: November 27, 2010
Time: 6:30am
Location: Shaw's Cove
Depth (feet): 43
Dive Time (minutes): 62
Surf (feet): <1
Surge (feet): <1
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 55
Visibility (feet): 30
Visibility Description: Very Good
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Josh - it's been way too long, but this dive was worth the wait...awesome conditions. No surf or surge, and the visibility was great - at least 30 feet. A nicely slow and deliberate exploration of the crevices inside the reef between Shaw's and Crescent, and we were buzzed by a sea lion as we turned the corner back around towards the Shaw's side at the end of the reef. Lots of kelp, and lots of fish - more of both than I've seen in some time diving local...very positive change. Was a little cold at depth, but bearable...got to see Shelly again - could see her all the way from the reef! Some sand dabs and swimming crabs - really great way to return...thanks for the pic Josh - a great time had by all!

Dive #399

Date: June 20, 2010
Time: 7:00am
Location: Diver's Cove
Depth (feet): 25
Dive Time (minutes): 20
Surf (feet): 1-3
Surge (feet): 1-2
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 64
Visibility (feet): 2-5
Visibility Description: Red tide - bad
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Josh - If you're keeping track this would make more than 6 months dry...knew the conditions were going to be poor with a red tide in, but didn't care - was diving anyway. Geared up and kicked out without incident...the last "without incident" portion of the dive...

Just as we were about to drop down I reached down to look at my computer, and as I started to pull it up to where I could see it - there was a loud bang and an explosion of water and air. I was holding a live high-pressure hose and no computer. The first thing I thought of was "find the computer", and I yelled to Josh to drop and start looking. I got out of my BCD so I could reach my air and turned it off to stop the high pressure flow, and swam in to drop my gear on the beach. I turned and burned to get back out and help with the search...turning freediver on top while Josh continued to look on the bottom. Two thoughts jumped into my head - the first was "crap! my car key was on the ring that I hook the computer to the retaining lanyard"...the second was "wait! could it still be attached to the lanyard? I swam back in and ran over to my gear - computer and key still attached! In my hurry to try and get into the water to start the search I hadn't taken the optimistic second to search the gear.

I signalled to Josh when he popped up that I had it, and to hang for a few minutes while I go up to my car and see if I can re-attach...the threads still looked good. A diver named Tim saw me working on it, and not only informed me that there was a small pin with o-rings that must have blown out when it exploded, but he produced a spare one he let me have and I was able to re-assemble the whole thing. Thank you Tim!

Got back down to the gear and was putting it together when Josh walked up with an odd look on his face - "I didn't attach my mask right when I was hanging in the water, and it must have dropped off"...you're kidding me...6 months of dry, and this day was just getting worse. I threw my gear on and figured I'd at least get a dive looking for his mask - 6 months ago I would have had a spare (or two) in my car, but the gear had slowly migrated from the car during the dry spell. On my second pass along the bottom of the surf zone I saw a black thing rolling around on the sand - Josh's mask was found, and it's game on again!

We dropped down quick into the warm, red water and just tried to relax and see if we could find anything interesting. Saw several giant black sea hares, some small halibut, blaksmiths and a couple garibaldi...basically pretty sparse and everything red and murky. After 20 minutes Josh showed me his computer - which showed no depth or air...and we figured it was the third strike - surface swim back and toss everything back in the car - nobody was hurt, and all the gear came back with us...so overall a good time had by all.

Dive #398

Date: January 8, 2010
Time: 7:00pm
Location:
Shaws Cove
Depth (feet):
40
Dive Time (minutes):
65
Surf (feet): 1-2
Surge (feet): 2-3
Water Temp (fahrenheit):
57
Visibility (feet): 20
Visibility Description: good
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Jeff - wanted to get in before the swell hit. Conditions were not quite as good as the previous dive - but still very enjoyable. Even the water didn't feel quite as cold. A few moray eels and some nudibranchs...not a whole bunch of animals, but a good time was had
by all.

Dive #397

Date: January 7, 2010
Time: 5:10pm
Location: Wood's Cove
Depth (feet): 30
Dive Time (minutes): 60
Surf (feet): 1-3
Surge (feet): 1-3
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 59
Visibility (feet): 20
Visibility Description: good
Notes and Highlights: Dove with Jeff to beat the swell - coming of the previous dive wanted to take advantage of the visibility conditions. A bit more surge and surf this dive compared to last, but Wood's is far more exposed than Shaw's, and the conditions were good for the site. Dusk/night dive - first 20 minutes without lights - good visibility...can really take in the varied and extensive reef outcroppings Wood's offers. More life as the light subsided - a 2 foot juvenile horn shark was the standout encounter. Larger-looking swell/surf on the exit than actually felt...good tide timing - overall a great time had by all.