Date: June
Time: 11am/2pm/3:30pm
Location: Farnsworth Banks / Cape Cortez / Eagle's Nest Reef?
Depth (feet): 79/59/51
Dive Time (minutes): 11/46/52
Surf (feet): n/a
Surge (feet): mostly n/a
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 52-59
Visibility (feet): 10-50
Visibility Description: varied - read below
Notes and Highlights: A very smooth, long ride out (about 4 hours) to the backside of Catalina. Third time was the charm! The other two times I had tried boat trips to non-front-side Catalina destinations the conditions had thwarted the efforts. This time though, we pulled up over one of the pinnacles at Farnsworth in smooth, nearly glassy seas. We geared up and dropped over the side - heading down the anchor line. There was a band of poor visibility (and warm water) in the 20-30 foot range, but as we got deeper down the chain, the visibility opened up to at least 50 feet. I saw the top of the pinnacle, and patches of the purple coral which makes this place famous came into view...it was everywhere! Hard to imagine that that much coral in a place synonymous with currents hasn't spawned colonies in other So. California locations. I turned on my lights - check - turned on my video camera - check...and then watched my dive buddy scream past me...heading back towards the surface at an unsafe pace. I followed, albeit at a safe pace, hoping to find that he was at least able to stop prior to the surface...he was...I found him on the anchor line in about 20 feet...signaling "ok". I still wasn't sure what had/was happening, but he seemed alright at that point. I wasn't able to illicit any information from him as to what had happened..and about 1 minute into our impromptu safety stop I noticed he was getting lower on the chain. I first thought he was maybe having trouble maintaining his depth, but he started going down at a much faster pace. I tried to get a hold of him, and get his attention, but as we passed 45 feet he was out of reach, and not looking back. I broke off my descent, and headed back to the 20 feet range for a few more minutes of watching below...
...as I was getting back on board I saw him swimming down the side of the boat - headed for the swim step. Our conversation started off with my "What the hell was going on...and why would you start descending again - especially without any communication"...apparently he was having issues with his BC at depth, which is what caused the initial un-CESA, but that he thought he had "worked it out", and wanted to go back down to the site. Realizing that it would have been hard to explain that I was truly happy he was ok - if they found me choking the life out of him - I chalked it up to life experience, and started trying to concentrate my telepathic abilities to convince the crew and skipper to stay over the pinnacle for a second dive. Apparently the closest I get to ESP is ESPN - and the crew let me know that we'd be moving off Farnsworth for 2 more dives closer to shore. Crap...
Second dive was Cape Cortez, and the conditions were far more akin to beach diving Laguna - a lot of surge, poor visibility (perhaps 10-12), and a lot of particulate in the water from the surge. The reef structure was chock full of Gorgonians however, and we were able to find several Spanish Shawls (video to be optimistically reviewed tonight). We did a pretty lazy, conservative dive that was enjoyable - even thought at this site the conditions were as lacking as was the purple coral.
Final dive was at Eagle's Nest Reef? This site offered much better visibility (slightly murky 30), and some gorgeous kelp forest on top of the reef structure. The reef had deep cuts and spilled out over the sand in little peninsulas - all covered with good kelp growth, and providing very relaxing views. Some more Spanish Shawls, a tiny salp-like organism, a free-swimming Spanish Shawl which literally sat on my video lens for a while - making me regret that of the three dives today, this was the only one I hadn't also brought my still camera.
So - after 2 years of attempts, several hundred spent in boat trips, and many hours less of sleep - was it worth it to see the coral? Everyone ended up safe, a few good dives, and I was finally able to see (briefly) the purple coral...so yes...it was worth it, and overall a good time was had by all.
Time: 11am/2pm/3:30pm
Location: Farnsworth Banks / Cape Cortez / Eagle's Nest Reef?
Depth (feet): 79/59/51
Dive Time (minutes): 11/46/52
Surf (feet): n/a
Surge (feet): mostly n/a
Water Temp (fahrenheit): 52-59
Visibility (feet): 10-50
Visibility Description: varied - read below
Notes and Highlights: A very smooth, long ride out (about 4 hours) to the backside of Catalina. Third time was the charm! The other two times I had tried boat trips to non-front-side Catalina destinations the conditions had thwarted the efforts. This time though, we pulled up over one of the pinnacles at Farnsworth in smooth, nearly glassy seas. We geared up and dropped over the side - heading down the anchor line. There was a band of poor visibility (and warm water) in the 20-30 foot range, but as we got deeper down the chain, the visibility opened up to at least 50 feet. I saw the top of the pinnacle, and patches of the purple coral which makes this place famous came into view...it was everywhere! Hard to imagine that that much coral in a place synonymous with currents hasn't spawned colonies in other So. California locations. I turned on my lights - check - turned on my video camera - check...and then watched my dive buddy scream past me...heading back towards the surface at an unsafe pace. I followed, albeit at a safe pace, hoping to find that he was at least able to stop prior to the surface...he was...I found him on the anchor line in about 20 feet...signaling "ok". I still wasn't sure what had/was happening, but he seemed alright at that point. I wasn't able to illicit any information from him as to what had happened..and about 1 minute into our impromptu safety stop I noticed he was getting lower on the chain. I first thought he was maybe having trouble maintaining his depth, but he started going down at a much faster pace. I tried to get a hold of him, and get his attention, but as we passed 45 feet he was out of reach, and not looking back. I broke off my descent, and headed back to the 20 feet range for a few more minutes of watching below...
...as I was getting back on board I saw him swimming down the side of the boat - headed for the swim step. Our conversation started off with my "What the hell was going on...and why would you start descending again - especially without any communication"...apparently he was having issues with his BC at depth, which is what caused the initial un-CESA, but that he thought he had "worked it out", and wanted to go back down to the site. Realizing that it would have been hard to explain that I was truly happy he was ok - if they found me choking the life out of him - I chalked it up to life experience, and started trying to concentrate my telepathic abilities to convince the crew and skipper to stay over the pinnacle for a second dive. Apparently the closest I get to ESP is ESPN - and the crew let me know that we'd be moving off Farnsworth for 2 more dives closer to shore. Crap...
Second dive was Cape Cortez, and the conditions were far more akin to beach diving Laguna - a lot of surge, poor visibility (perhaps 10-12), and a lot of particulate in the water from the surge. The reef structure was chock full of Gorgonians however, and we were able to find several Spanish Shawls (video to be optimistically reviewed tonight). We did a pretty lazy, conservative dive that was enjoyable - even thought at this site the conditions were as lacking as was the purple coral.
Final dive was at Eagle's Nest Reef? This site offered much better visibility (slightly murky 30), and some gorgeous kelp forest on top of the reef structure. The reef had deep cuts and spilled out over the sand in little peninsulas - all covered with good kelp growth, and providing very relaxing views. Some more Spanish Shawls, a tiny salp-like organism, a free-swimming Spanish Shawl which literally sat on my video lens for a while - making me regret that of the three dives today, this was the only one I hadn't also brought my still camera.
So - after 2 years of attempts, several hundred spent in boat trips, and many hours less of sleep - was it worth it to see the coral? Everyone ended up safe, a few good dives, and I was finally able to see (briefly) the purple coral...so yes...it was worth it, and overall a good time was had by all.