For the long weekend- Catalina Conditions?

[geoff w]

We dived at Casino Point yesterday. Not very crowded, especially considering nice weather and the start of the three day weekend. Viz was consistently 15 to 25 feet. Very warm on the surface (around 66), but it got down to about 55 on the Sue Jac. It was a great one-day vacation, especially considering the L.A. area is horrible for shore diving now with the swell and waves we've been having lately

 

[drbill]

What Geoff said. Vis was pretty good the weekend before but dropped significantly by the start of last week. I'm staying high and dry editing Philippines video at the computer this weekend.

 

[merxlin]

Well, the water temp was good, and only dropped below 60f at 70ft off Geiger. Viz varied but 20 ft was about it. Nice and sunny so a great day all in all.

 

[fnfalman]

Sunday was a damn good day. Sun was out and the wind didn't pick up until later in the morning. Viz anywhere between 3-ft and 40-ft horizontal, depending on the site.

We went out on the Great Escape, I dived the first site (which I didn't remember where) stumbled out of bed, into my gears and into the water. Lots of shimmering thermocline and water temp was anywhere between 55-F and 62-F. Viz was about 10-ft here, lots of particulates, lush kelp forest, we saw a cute little moray eel with a cleaner shrimp that was almost as big as its head. We teased it out with a kelp frond. Saw a gorgeous California Scorpionfish that was easily 10". Various small scallops; orange and green lipped, and abalones. Unlike last week the crabs were slim pickin'. We saw a big sheep crab that was snapping at a female sheephead - hilarity ensued.

I slept through the second and third dive. I was told that the second dive, viz was practically zero at times. The third dive was at Empire Landing, I believe. I slept through that one too but I was told that viz was epic and current was also tough for newbies. I woke up to see the current line deployed and a bunch of OW students stringing from it. One of the guys described the scythe butterfly fish to a tee.

I did the fourth dive at Yellowtail Point. I'm guessing viz was 40-60ft here with incredibly lush kelp forest. We went shallow and found a 4-footer leopard shark swimming around. This is where I saw my first Hypselodoris californiensis too. Another group saw a thresher shark inside the kelp bed. One of the persons in the group was the newbie that spotted the scythe butterfly fish on the third dive. Lucky mofo!!!

 

[muzikbiz22]

Well, the water temp was good, and only dropped below 60f at 70ft off Geiger. Viz varied but 20 ft was about it. Nice and sunny so a great day all in all.

merxlin and I were both on the same boat yesterday, and was a great day overall. The only "little hiccup", was at the end of the first dive (can't remember dive site), was the current. Was very mild first part of the dive, then about 30 minutes into it, someone "flipped the switch", it and was ripping !

 

[drbill]

This is where I saw my first Hypselodoris californiensis too. Another group saw a thresher shark inside the kelp bed.

Congrats on the Hypsie (although there has been a name change for the species and I can't remember it).

As for the "thresher shark," last time someone told me they had seen one, I showed them my shark DVD and it turned out to be a torpedo ray. While thresher sharks ARE occasionally seen, finding one in the kelp forest seems highly unlikely.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Last Sunday - Water was 66 degrees, 30 to 60 foot vis, blue, ton's of Bat Rays, Black Sea Bass. Dive sites were Big Geiger, Cherry Cove, and Lulu Reef. Water is definitely warming up. I'm going to assume (hope for) the same conditions this weekend. Going on Sundiver Express this Sunday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
According to your profile you Just don't log dives."

I have a question that perhaps you can recall from memory

Were is "LULU reef?"
Who gave it that name?

SDM

 

[muzikbiz22]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
According to your profile you Just don't log dives."

I have a question that perhaps you can recall from memory

Were is "LULU reef?"
Who gave it that name?

SDM

Not sure where the name comes from, it is located just west of Lion's Head Point at the Isthmus. It a great spot, has a little bit of everything. Reef, kelp, sandy flats.

 

[merxlin]

I'm still trying to figure out the 40-60 ft viz HT said they found......BTW, there were GSB seen at Geiger yesterday. Guess they took Sunday off!

Our first spot was Red Bluff (El Bluffo Rojo )

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Congrats on the Hypsie (although there has been a name change for the species and I can't remember it).

As for the "thresher shark," last time someone told me they had seen one, I showed them my shark DVD and it turned out to be a torpedo ray. While thresher sharks ARE occasionally seen, finding one in the kelp forest seems highly unlikely.

Felimare californiensis