Ben_ca
Contributor
mweitz:Well, you gonna go diving this week or are you just a 'net diver?
Mark
I'm a net diver... I just read about this diving stuff online.... I'm almost an urban legend.... like Fred
Daily report for TsandM & WADiverBob
- Thread starter Rick Inman
- Start date
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I'm a net diver... I just read about this diving stuff online.... I'm almost an urban legend.... like Fred
...and Janet and I'll be diving Hopkins reef (from El Torito) Sunday, or maybe the outside of Pescadero rocks from Stillwater Pier (still haven't decided).
Monday we're cruzin Granite Point Wall out of Lobos. We'll say hi if we see any of you!
All the best, James
Monday we're cruzin Granite Point Wall out of Lobos. We'll say hi if we see any of you!
All the best, James
OP
Today’s dive… today’s dive… I’m hesitant to tell you about it. I’m thinking that maybe you should just cash in your tickets and stay home. I mean, the planets only line up once in a millennium.
When I pulled up to Monastery North, Mark was already unloading gear. He had a pair of fine folding tables set up down by the water, ready to receive our doubles. The tables are light and easy to set up, they’re stable enough to securely hold the weight, and adjust to the perfect height for stepping into the gear. His cart, which sported over-sized wheels for rolling on the sand, easily moved our gear down to the tables for set-up.
Mark has some very cool toys.
Before we even started suiting up, we were watching a trio of dolphins playing just outside the surf line. They were splashing and jumping and sometimes even leaping high out of the water, as if doing a Sea World show just for us.
Large flocks of gulls and pelicans dived in frenzy at schools of bait-fish. Even better, there were whales breeching just outside the cove!
We stood at the cars talking, getting to know each other, planning the dive and watching the dolphins and whales. Priscilla did what she always does: she set up beach chairs, wrapped herself in a blanket and settled into a good book.
After donning our drysuits, we went down to the beach. Mark tossed a big orange buoy just outside the surf line and clipped our stage bottles to the line. Did I say, "surf line?" Ha! There was maybe eight inches of surf. The horrible and deadly Mortuary Beach had been tamed!
We slid easily into our gear, stepped down into the water, slowly put on our fins while the little waves lapped at our feet, clipped in the stages, did a bubble & safety check and began our surface swim. Getting into the doubles and stages and into the water was so easy that I said to Mark, “Well, that was a real non-event.”
He agreed.
As we swam past the dolphins, they jumped and played around us. We made it easily to Wash Rock and began our descent. As soon as we began to descend, we both saw a Shark swim by below us. A shark??! Yup. Maybe six or seven feet long. And not a nurse shark or dogfish or anything. This was the real deal predator. Maybe a blue?? Not sure, but Mark is going to look it up. We looked at each other with that, did-you-see-that? look. Mark shrugged at me, saying he didn’t know what kind of shark it was. Very cool.
We continued the dive, descending to the wall that drops into the abyss. Our max depth was just shy of 150’, with a bottom time of 25 mins. We moved slowly along the ledge, Mark pointing out the cool stuff with his light – nudies, ling cod, corals, sponges, and more. The vis was a good fifty feet. Once, he pointed to a loan Metridium Plumose Anemone – which made me laugh out loud, flooding my mask. One Metridium! Those things grow like weeds in Puget Sound. Good thing I came all the way to Monterey. Mark took his reg out and smiled at me.
A few times, I just looked down and out into the abyss, which seemed to be calling to me.
Finally, Mark signaled the turn and we headed back, moving shallower, seeing a bunch of new cool stuff along the ledge.
We came to the end of the ledge, messed around for a few mins and began our ascent. When we hit 70’, we went to our deco bottles without a hitch. Seals buzzed us as we did out stops. We cruised between the rock piles at the edge of the kelp forest and looked at stuff as we deco-ed. Mark fed kelp leaves to the abalone. I watched the seals. Above 20’, a very gentle surge rocked us back and forth.
At sixty-six minutes, we surfaced.
Near shore, we clipped our stages back into the float line, took off our fins, and easily walked back up through the non-existent surf to the tables, where we stepped out of our gear.
What a great dive!! The total experience: Flat calm water with great visibility, whales breaching, dolphins jumping, seals buzzing by, tons of lively and colorful marine life, and a shark! Plus, a highly skilled, fun and generous buddy to dive with made this one of my top dives to date. I can’t thank Mark enough!
While we dived, Priscilla had gotten lunch, so we packed up the gear, drove to Lobos and had lunch, talked, took pictures and planned our next dive together on Saturday.
Conditions were so perfect today that, anyone thinking they might have it this good when they come, should just cancel their trip and stay home so as not to be disappointed.
Pictures:
Mark & Rick at the tables.
A seal swims back and forth staring at Priscilla (check out the raging surf!).
Me and Mrs. I after lunch at Lobos (the water is flat calm).
When I pulled up to Monastery North, Mark was already unloading gear. He had a pair of fine folding tables set up down by the water, ready to receive our doubles. The tables are light and easy to set up, they’re stable enough to securely hold the weight, and adjust to the perfect height for stepping into the gear. His cart, which sported over-sized wheels for rolling on the sand, easily moved our gear down to the tables for set-up.
Mark has some very cool toys.
Before we even started suiting up, we were watching a trio of dolphins playing just outside the surf line. They were splashing and jumping and sometimes even leaping high out of the water, as if doing a Sea World show just for us.
Large flocks of gulls and pelicans dived in frenzy at schools of bait-fish. Even better, there were whales breeching just outside the cove!
We stood at the cars talking, getting to know each other, planning the dive and watching the dolphins and whales. Priscilla did what she always does: she set up beach chairs, wrapped herself in a blanket and settled into a good book.
After donning our drysuits, we went down to the beach. Mark tossed a big orange buoy just outside the surf line and clipped our stage bottles to the line. Did I say, "surf line?" Ha! There was maybe eight inches of surf. The horrible and deadly Mortuary Beach had been tamed!
We slid easily into our gear, stepped down into the water, slowly put on our fins while the little waves lapped at our feet, clipped in the stages, did a bubble & safety check and began our surface swim. Getting into the doubles and stages and into the water was so easy that I said to Mark, “Well, that was a real non-event.”
He agreed.
As we swam past the dolphins, they jumped and played around us. We made it easily to Wash Rock and began our descent. As soon as we began to descend, we both saw a Shark swim by below us. A shark??! Yup. Maybe six or seven feet long. And not a nurse shark or dogfish or anything. This was the real deal predator. Maybe a blue?? Not sure, but Mark is going to look it up. We looked at each other with that, did-you-see-that? look. Mark shrugged at me, saying he didn’t know what kind of shark it was. Very cool.
We continued the dive, descending to the wall that drops into the abyss. Our max depth was just shy of 150’, with a bottom time of 25 mins. We moved slowly along the ledge, Mark pointing out the cool stuff with his light – nudies, ling cod, corals, sponges, and more. The vis was a good fifty feet. Once, he pointed to a loan Metridium Plumose Anemone – which made me laugh out loud, flooding my mask. One Metridium! Those things grow like weeds in Puget Sound. Good thing I came all the way to Monterey.
Mark took his reg out and smiled at me. A few times, I just looked down and out into the abyss, which seemed to be calling to me.
Finally, Mark signaled the turn and we headed back, moving shallower, seeing a bunch of new cool stuff along the ledge.
We came to the end of the ledge, messed around for a few mins and began our ascent. When we hit 70’, we went to our deco bottles without a hitch. Seals buzzed us as we did out stops. We cruised between the rock piles at the edge of the kelp forest and looked at stuff as we deco-ed. Mark fed kelp leaves to the abalone. I watched the seals. Above 20’, a very gentle surge rocked us back and forth.
At sixty-six minutes, we surfaced.
Near shore, we clipped our stages back into the float line, took off our fins, and easily walked back up through the non-existent surf to the tables, where we stepped out of our gear.
What a great dive!! The total experience: Flat calm water with great visibility, whales breaching, dolphins jumping, seals buzzing by, tons of lively and colorful marine life, and a shark! Plus, a highly skilled, fun and generous buddy to dive with made this one of my top dives to date. I can’t thank Mark enough!
While we dived, Priscilla had gotten lunch, so we packed up the gear, drove to Lobos and had lunch, talked, took pictures and planned our next dive together on Saturday.
Conditions were so perfect today that, anyone thinking they might have it this good when they come, should just cancel their trip and stay home so as not to be disappointed.
Pictures:
Mark & Rick at the tables.
A seal swims back and forth staring at Priscilla (check out the raging surf!).
Me and Mrs. I after lunch at Lobos (the water is flat calm).
mweitz
Contributor
I put today in my top 10 dives ever.
I think it was a Blue shark. Probably 6' or so. I descended a little close to the wash rock, so we were in about 25' of water. We were about 20' above it. It just cruised by. A second later a seal came a full speed from the direction of the shark. Cool stuff.
Highlights of the dive. A 12" ling cod (I've never seen one this small), 4 Spanish Shawls, Huge amounts of Clown Nudibranch, some very big ones, a tiny Dendronotus albus or D. diversicolor, a group or 4 nudis that looked a lot like Chromodoris macfarlandi, a Festive Triton, a Limacia cockerelli, Oodles of HUGE Blue Rockfish, a few lings. Rick seemed to like the Cadlina flavomaculata.
We had a lot of seal buzzing, there were lots of birds working the baitfish outside the bay (and presumably the whales as well). The dolphins really put on a good show. It was hard to get into the water, then hard to get out.
Temp looked like it was 53 when I checked.
EDIT: Oh, Abalone. I've never seen as many abs in Monterey as today. We found a rock with about 15 or 20 good sized Reds and a few Greens.
Mark
I think it was a Blue shark. Probably 6' or so. I descended a little close to the wash rock, so we were in about 25' of water. We were about 20' above it. It just cruised by. A second later a seal came a full speed from the direction of the shark. Cool stuff.
Highlights of the dive. A 12" ling cod (I've never seen one this small), 4 Spanish Shawls, Huge amounts of Clown Nudibranch, some very big ones, a tiny Dendronotus albus or D. diversicolor, a group or 4 nudis that looked a lot like Chromodoris macfarlandi, a Festive Triton, a Limacia cockerelli, Oodles of HUGE Blue Rockfish, a few lings. Rick seemed to like the Cadlina flavomaculata.
We had a lot of seal buzzing, there were lots of birds working the baitfish outside the bay (and presumably the whales as well). The dolphins really put on a good show. It was hard to get into the water, then hard to get out.
Temp looked like it was 53 when I checked.
EDIT: Oh, Abalone. I've never seen as many abs in Monterey as today. We found a rock with about 15 or 20 good sized Reds and a few Greens.
Mark
Hey Rick - If you really want some fun - try eating a sandwich with mayo that has cooked in the sun for a few hours. Then you will really appreciate those dives.
Great report amigo. Wish I was down there with you. This board needs more posts like this.
Great report amigo. Wish I was down there with you. This board needs more posts like this.
OP
Me, too. Was telling Mark all about you and UP today, and how well you mentored me.OE2X:
But I'll pass on the mayo.
The shark you are most likely to see along the edge of the kelp would be a thresher
(big long tail). Blues are usually well offshore, and 6' would be a pretty big one. But
the blues do like the warm water we've been having. Either one would be unusual -- I've
seen two threshers and no blues while diving close to shore. I've seen a few blues well
offshore. No whites.
(big long tail). Blues are usually well offshore, and 6' would be a pretty big one. But
the blues do like the warm water we've been having. Either one would be unusual -- I've
seen two threshers and no blues while diving close to shore. I've seen a few blues well
offshore. No whites.
WADiverBob
Contributor
Rick... Thanks for nice report about shark, weather, etc.. And great pictures ( Mark's toy ) COOL!
Have you use with your underwater camera? I like see picture of shark, etc.. I think you don't have your own housing right? I bring my underwater camera and I plan a diving on Oct.23-24. Hope to find dive buddy/ies with me. I like Point Lobos and any sites.
Have you use with your underwater camera? I like see picture of shark, etc.. I think you don't have your own housing right? I bring my underwater camera and I plan a diving on Oct.23-24. Hope to find dive buddy/ies with me. I like Point Lobos and any sites.
OP
Hi Bob!WADiverBob:
Yes, I have my camera with me, but didn't want to take it on a deco dive with a new buddy. I'll try some shots tomorrow. But I'm not good with an underwater camera like you are.
Check back tomorrow night...
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