Farnsworth on 4th November 2012 - it was nearly perfect

[Ken Kurtis]

And I'm willing to be that in Sam's day, they weren't signing waivers on the way out, either. Plus, I don't think that in these times I could get away with a briefing of, "They're only blue sharks, let's dive!!!"



- Ken

 

[fnfalman]

Photos of Farnsworth courtesy of Ocean Safari SCUBA.

Please note a couple of the photos showing the Great Escape, indicating the clarity of the water. Finger Rock and Ironbound Cove.

Is that shark a horned shark or swell shark?

 

[Sam Miller III]

It is a GREAT WHITE SHARK!

but most call it a Horned Shark...note the horns on the ridges of the eyes..

Herodonus Nelsonii as I recall...

Buy a few books on marine life!

SDM

---------- Post Merged at 08:18 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 08:11 AM ----------

And I'm willing to be that in Sam's day, they weren't signing waivers on the way out, either. Plus, I don't think that in these times I could get away with a briefing of, "They're only blue sharks, let's dive!!!"



- Ken

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ken,
You are so correct!

In 1960 the first civilian dive program, LA Co was only six years old and NAUI was only 3 months old. Manny on board had never had a formal class instruction but became divers via the experienced waterman era; purchase the equipment, read the brochure that came with the equipment and then go diving.

This gave rise to the "Experienced Diver Test." These mustangs could pay a nominal sum take a written test, demonstrate watermanship and receive full certification as a "LA Co Certified diver." This lasted to 1970 when Tommy Thompson and I conducted the last one in Orange County- 8 "divers" applied one passed. So the program was dropped.

The waivers etc didn't come into popular usage until three divers drowned on Farnsworth one week end and another one the following week end from the same boat. This prompted the "LA County dive ordinance" of the early 1970s- which didn't pass, but caused the dive operators rethink the liability factor and to check certifications and indemnify themselves with waivers.

The "bank' was a popular pole fishing area. When a boat pulled up and anchored the sharks had been conditioned to swim to the boat for chum tossed over to attract fish. Every time we dove there, the three times from a private boat and during that December 1960 dive sharks were every where.
So much of the short history has been and is being lost ...

SDM
NAUI Instructor #27

 

[fnfalman]

So, Doctor Sam, what happened to all the sharks? Overfished?

 

[Sam Miller III]

G-OK = GOD ONLY KNOWS!

One would suspect that the conditioned reflex, ala, Pavlov, was some how breed out of the sharks in the succeeding generations. Remember there was a period of 52 years between the first recreational dive and yours in 2012.

The sharks heard or saw the anchor drop into the water and associated that with chum being tossed over board for the worm drowners to attract fish, which equated to food for the local sharks.

I suspect they are still there watching the divers but unseen by the divers...Most were only the little blue sharks, most divers do not consider them a threat
SDM

 

[fnfalman]

I don't consider them a threat at all. It'd be nice to see those types of sharks instead of the usual leopard/horned/swell/guitarfish/angel sharks nowadays.

 

[Sam Miller III]

infalman,



"The first dive revisited
Farnsworth banks is a bank aka reef on the back side of Catalina Island, in the open ocean it is deep, cold and in the 1950s it was full sharks wanting a hand out from the fishing boats that often visted the banks. It was first dove in early 1950s by a hement diver which was aborted, then again in late 1950s which was also aborted due to currents. I went on several "exploratory SCUBA dives" with Sea Sabre Club President Bob Retherford (see Legends of Diving sea Sabre Sigaling System) and several members of the scientic community in 1959 -1960-

On occasion I exchange e mails with those remaining from the 1950 & 1960s dive tribe. Ed Mossbrooke was the very first recreational diver to dive Farnsworth in December 1960. What follows is extracted from an E mail from Mossbrook--the first recreational diver to dive "The Banks" I hope you you enjoy this exchange - an account of the first dive recreational dive on Fransworth banks

Ed's e mail:

"You forgot about my excitement about being the first to dive on the Banks.

As you recall I was the only one who had the newly introduced oil filled navy depth gauge, most of the rest were using capillary or bordan tube or no gauges and I was also the only one diving twin 72s. Therefore I was "volunteered" or was it "selected?" to be the first to dive and check out the diving location called Farnsworth.

I was standing on the swim step of the Outrider I was just about to enter the water when Norma Smith asked if I planned to put on my fins! In my excitement I had failed to put on my ducks. (ed note a fin==Duck Feet) It would have been a total disaster since we were all diving with out flotation and I would have sunk right to the bottom.

I entered the water and was well into my first dive and had leveled off at 180 feet when I noticed the strong current was suddenly caring me upwards right and into the peak of the pinnacle around 100 feet. Low and behold had a metal box with small railroad wheels and short cable which had a ball with spikes sticking out of it. Another derelict WW11 mine! But different than the others we had seen at Scotsmans cove and Catalina. At that moment I did an explosive decompression ascent (all most) and yelled to "Dick There is a mine on the peak of the reef!" Dick Petter replied "Not to worry as the local notice to mariners had a notice about the instrumented mine that was placed there to monitor currents and sea temperatures." The Sea Sabers on board had a hell of a laugh about this. The event would not have been as funny if he told me before I entered the water.

What about your over sized lift bag to bring up a vast amount of purple coral? WW11 surplus of course as most of our equipment was at that time. Recall we filled a big box with coral and you filled the lift bag from your mouth piece with air. It immediately began its journey to the surface to picking up speed as the air filled the body of the lift bag When the box hit the surface it sort of launched like a Polaris missile fired from a sub. I can still remember the raining down of Purple coral to the bottom and I only had enough air left to grab 1 of purple coral and start my assent.

Or Sheila Platt who was diving with Harry Vetter asked Harry before beginning their descent "How deep are we gong? replied Harry replied "To the bottom." And they did reach the bottom. Down the dove. 90, 100, 120 140, Sheila's depth gauge was only rated to 140, but ever deeper they sunk until the sand was reached at an estimated 240 feet. Between dives Sheila displayed her new Borden tube depth gauge, suck at 140 feet and full of water.

Or when you were followed to the boat by a rather substantial hammerhead. You were totally oblivious to it's presence. You just slowly took your time snorkeling back unaware that a large shark was interested in you as lunch. That is until you reached the swim-step and noticed that Dick Petter had his rifle pointed at you all the divers were congregated at the swim step with hands outstretched to yank you into the boat.

It was Sheila who later broke the tension when she said "Sam I was watching you play tag with that shark when I was eating a chicken for lunch --bones and all"

What adventures we had on every dive --


Ed Mosbrook"


***** note;



All the dives were made using "double hose regulators" Duck feet or Churchill fins and very crude often homemade equipment; masks,(Harry Vetter & I were using Sturgil homemade Masks- Legends of diving "The Mask" & Bio of Harry Vetter ) wet suits (introduced a few years previous and were home made,) lift bags (were WW11 Surplus), we dove devoid of modern instrumentation, a few effective depth gauges, no SPGs, no thermometers!

Most of the divers on that first dive on Farnsworth in December 1960 are now diving in the big reef in the sky. Only a few remain and we remain in occasional contact

Sheila Platt, was the Office manager of Skin Diver magazine, always had a way with words. She had the honor of the first woman to dive to the bottom of Farnsworth on air according to Dick Petter 240 feet, but also was the first to reach that big reef in the sky about 2 years later from cancer

Those were -- "The days of our dives..."
sdm)

 

[fnfalman]

Damn, 240-ft on air, that was something.

 

[Sam Miller III]

240? Fun dives and cheap highs by going deep- not an uncommon occurance
Ed's first Farnsworth dive was an 180 foot solo dive


Infalman
You apparently have an over abundance of interest with the Bank as I did after that first dive from the private boat "The Aqua Duck" 53 or maybe 54 years ago-(a good reason for logging dives-but that is a subject for another time)

May I suggest that you obtain the book "Marineland Diver" which you probably can locate on e bay. There are a number of other books on the Farnsworths...Father Samuel (as I recall) who designed all the Catalina Island roads. His son George who became a famous Catalina fishing guide discovered the banks which were named in his honor.

I have had several Farnsworth books for years packed away but G-OK where..Would strongly suggest that you be on look out for them on e bay, used book stores etc. Very interesting reading about early days at Catalina and the "banks"

And a good reason for establishing a dive library.. Start with "Marineland Diver" --

SDM

 

[fnfalman]

Thanks for the suggestion on the book.

I do have a few SoCal pictorial books but none of them had photos of Farnsworth.

This time marked my third time at Farnsworth in a measly five years of diving. I always make sure to go out on charters that advertise Farnsworth as the maiin destination. Alas, most of the time the boat can't make it out.