Harrowing Exit

[redacted]

Your mistakes are not that bad when you can tell others about them.

 

[CT-Rich]

First, how was diving Mieg's point? Diving anywhere in LIS is a potentially terrible dive and I am yet to try Mieg's. I would say the size of the rocks was your greatest difficulty, aside from diving the sound T low tide.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

My favorite shore dive is the former Marineland site in Southern California. I've had buddies break fingers, ribs, an ankle and several cuts and bruises. I've been lucky to have only broken a foot, but that was after the dive near the parking lot.

 

[Neilwood]

Shore entries are definitely something that requires practise and the willingness to get some bumps and bruises.

A lot of the ones I have done are over a rocky base so even without wave action it can be hard to actually walk over the unstable rocks with your centre of gravity so high above them. A slight slip or one of the stones moving can easily become a fall as the 40ish lbs of weight stop you recovering a fall.

 

[TMHeimer]

First, how was diving Mieg's point? Diving anywhere in LIS is a potentially terrible dive and I am yet to try Mieg's. I would say the size of the rocks was your greatest difficulty, aside from diving the sound T low tide.

This was the first time there was 1 foot viz. On other occasions you'd get maybe 12 feet of decent (for CT) viz, and find a nice whelk or two, which made for a decent dive for me. I'll give Merwins Point a try this Fri. using your advice from months ago.

Nielwood, Yes, the main thing is not to fall all geared up. Thus the decision of when to get upright to walk out. Not the same problem of course when entering.

 

[Neilwood]

This was the first time there was 1 foot viz. On other occasions you'd get maybe 12 feet of decent (for CT) viz, and find a nice whelk or two, which made for a decent dive for me. I'll give Merwins Point a try this Fri. using your advice from months ago.

Nielwood, Yes, the main thing is not to fall all geared up. Thus the decision of when to get upright to walk out. Not the same problem of course when entering.

The one that really strikes me is seeing divers trying to enter or exit a shore dive with fins on - why??? It is a lot easier generally to walk out to a reasonable depth in booties/boots and then put your fins on while floating on the surface (even with a reasonable swell).

 

[TMHeimer]

The one that really strikes me is seeing divers trying to enter or exit a shore dive with fins on - why??? It is a lot easier generally to walk out to a reasonable depth in booties/boots and then put your fins on while floating on the surface (even with a reasonable swell).

Once again, we agree. As mentioned, I always encouraged student divers to get deep to don fins. It's something you'd just figure out on your own whether taught it or not. But, going in is relatively easy when you can get floating, even if it means bumping a bit over rocks. Not the same exiting--and with expensive fins in your hands as well as that dive flag if needed or required.

 

[TMHeimer]

CT-- I did Merwin Pt. today. 10', 4' viz, rain. It was OK. Got a couple of small whelks, etc. Parking beyond the no parking signs worked well, as it was an easy walk from the car. It's close as can be for me, being NW of NYC this summer and free, so will probably consider it again next July. Thanks for the tips.

 

[raftingtigger]

I have an innovative solution. While I'm in really good shape and can often out swim my buddies, I find it very difficult to get up off my knees with my gear on. I also HATE crawling out. So I now carry a slightly cut down folding cane in my thigh pocket. Slippery ramp, any waves, rocks to cross - no problem - out comes the cane and I have a third leg. It is also helpful to get me up and off my knees if I end up there.

I did have a comical experience recently. The ramp down to the water at Pt. Lobos is REALLY slippery, especially at low tide. I didn't un-stow the cane and slipped while walking down the ramp (error #1). So I was on my knees on the slippery ramp and decided to just scooch myself the few feet to the water (error #2) and then float myself out on my belly (error #3). Well I went belly down too early and could move only a few inches at a time. At this point my buddy came down the ramp and saw me face in the water not moving (I was taking a rest and breathing off my reg). This gave him quite a start - then he noticed me breathing and I started to move again. There were others there that had watched my deliberate move to the water, but my buddy didn't get the preview.

 

[TMHeimer]

raftingtigger, That's pretty cool!. Something I definitely could've used. Usually, being retired, I just don't pick unfavourable days to dive--there's always the next day. But down here in the US each summer, my schedule dictates FRIDAY!!! Bad move. But that is exactly what I needed.