Shore Diving this Friday near LAX ?

[zendiver1]

Awesome Richard...glad you got hooked up with Ken and Claudette. Ken will keep you laughing the whole time.

See you tomorrow Richard and it will be good to see you again Ken.

 

[PacketSniffer]

I wanted to give a big THANK YOU to Mo2vation and HBDiveGirl. They were gracious enough to fulfill my request for shore diving. I just wish we would have gotten past 15fsw. :shakehead

On the first attempt, it turned out I was too light (borrowed tank and 400g thinsulate undies I have a few dives on) once we descended to 15fsw. All that work through the surf for nothing. :shakehead Beforehand, I was told it was a flat sand bottom which turns to mud so I didn't think I'd find anything heavy enough to add to me. After a thumb, shore exit, and a trip back up the stairs to the car in the parking lot, I grabbed the extra weight. I donned my gear right on the beach which put sand everywhere you don't want it to go. On the second attempt walking in, the bungy was snapped from my backup reg as a wave broke next to me while I rinsed my reg. A minute later, my HID lighthead was then snapped from its bolt snap. While I roasted in my 400 gram Thinsulate, I stood frustrated that it seemed somebody didn't want me to dive today. I had to display the thumb yet again. I'm usually the last one to thumb a dive (actually these were my first) but I'm also a safe diver. It was not a good idea to be out there with backup reg that would be flopping who-knows-where when I might have needed it the most.

HBDiveGirl says the surf was about 2'. I swear some of them looked 3' to me. At any rate, the surf and surge kicked my butt that Friday. I now have the utmost respect for the California shore divers. I can see how the shore entries can be downright deadly. I don't like failure though. You know the saying. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. So, I'll be back in October to give it another whirl.

I don't have any pictures of the attempted shore dives. I wish I did. However, I do have lots of pictures from the Northern Channel Islands trip over the weekend. See here. You'll have to create a free account to view them at Zendiving.

Maybe next time we'll actually get to do some diving from the beach!

Cheers,

Richard

 

[Mo2vation]

I wanted to give a big THANK YOU to Mo2vation and HBDiveGirl. They were gracious enough to fulfill my request for shore diving. I just wish we would have gotten past 15fsw. :shakehead

On the first attempt, it turned out I was too light (borrowed tank and 400g thinsulate undies I have a few dives on) once we descended to 15fsw. All that work through the surf for nothing. :shakehead Beforehand, I was told it was a flat sand bottom which turns to mud so I didn't think I'd find anything heavy enough to add to me. After a thumb, shore exit, and a trip back up the stairs to the car in the parking lot, I grabbed the extra weight. I donned my gear right on the beach which put sand everywhere you don't want it to go. On the second attempt walking in, the bungy was snapped from my backup reg as a wave broke next to me while I rinsed my reg. A minute later, my HID lighthead was then snapped from its bolt snap. While I roasted in my 400 gram Thinsulate, I stood frustrated that it seemed somebody didn't want me to dive today. I had to display the thumb yet again. I'm usually the last one to thumb a dive (actually these were my first) but I'm also a safe diver. It was not a good idea to be out there with backup reg that would be flopping who-knows-where when I might have needed it the most.

HBDiveGirl says the surf was about 2'. I swear some of them looked 3' to me. At any rate, the surf and surge kicked my butt that Friday. I now have the utmost respect for the California shore divers. I can see how the shore entries can be downright deadly. I don't like failure though. You know the saying. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. So, I'll be back in October to give it another whirl.

I don't have any pictures of the attempted shore dives. I wish I did. However, I do have lots of pictures from the Northern Channel Islands trip over the weekend. See here. You'll have to create a free account to view them at Zendiving.

Maybe next time we'll actually get to do some diving from the beach!

Cheers,

Richard

Sorry I had to bolt early - I was sort of "working" and taking an extended lunch... I needed to get back by a phone. Sorry to hear it got snotty a second time.

The stuff we do here can be pretty specialized - and at Vets, the sets are very tight so you gotta move quickly through that first 20 yards. When I'm diving doubles like Friday, I know I rabbit in as quickly as I can.

There is no dishonor in thumbing a surf entry. I know I have several times!

We'll try again in October.

---
Ken