Weekend Highlights @ Anna Cappa Island

Greetings fellow posters:

I thought I should share my weekend experience as it were a first for me and maybe some of you more experience folk can offer me a suggestion should it happen again.

Before I get to that though. For any of you who dive or are planning on diving S. California, now is a better time than any. The cool water is offering a magnatude of fish and bottom life. I have never seen more sheephead that large (at least a good 24-30 inches) in my life! Not to mention the 300 LB Giant Sea bass that was lounging around.. But enough of that! ;-)

Our diving all day was nothing more than 25 feet, and my last dive was only at a max of 15-18 feet, so I wasn't too concerned about what happend, but should this happen in deeper water, I think I would of been a tad bit more concerned.. Luckly for me I had a buddy to help me!

Either case, what had happend, was on my second dive, we were crusing around looking at the wildlife when all of a sudden, I tipped over and my right side of my body started floating towards the surface! The last time this happend, I was in the pool learning how to dive, but it hasn't happend since. So I figured something went wrong with my B/C so I kicked back down and grabbed onto a rock for support while I checked myself out, but I didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary. The current was rather strong, so it was making a grip rather tricky, but something caught my eye as I was struggling to regain buonacy control. (Lets see how many of you got this right as to what happend?) =)



Well low and behold, one of my weight pouches was sitting on the ocean bottom.. Apparently while I was looking in a hole, I must of kicked my pouch loose enough where the overall weight opend the velcro and the pouch fell on the floor. So as I was tossing and turning trying to get it, I called my buddies (I had two that dive) and pointed. They picked it up (and rather amusingly dropped like a stone to the floor) and looked themselves over and shrugged at me as those as they had no clue who's it was.

I polietly (smirk) pointed at my own wasit and then he gave me a nod and tried to put it back in. However I couldn't keep still long enough to do it. After thinking about it, maybe I should of asked my other buddy to sit on my legs to give me some added weight.

Either way, we decided that the dive was over anyway (we were down for 45 minutes) so he gave me the pouch to hold on to and we all went up together. No problem making a normal ascent.

Now the next fun part. The boat was about 30 yards away up current! They had a current line out, and we couldn't get the pouch in topside either (I mistakenly put air in my BC and didn't realize it.)

So I attempted to swim back against the current holding my weights in my hand. I knew I was going to miss the ladder, so I headed towards the current line and luckly caught that. The next attempt was to pull myself hand over hand while holding my weights and the fact I was already exhausted from kicking to maintain some negative buonancy. Well that was more of an adventure than I care to share (mainly because a lot of fowl language was involved hehe)

I made it about 10-15 feet from the boat, when I gave in and motioned to the DM (who was watching me) to pull me in and I held up my weight pouch. She acknowledged and kindly reeled me in the rest of the way. (Gotta love boat diving)

I didn't have to have her jump in though. Although another diver was very dizzy after his first dive that morning and signaled for a rescue. So she got wet earlier that morning.

Anyhow that is my story... I think I handled it quite well considering the conditions. Important thing, I didn't let myself shoot to the surface. I remained calm the entire time, and let my buddies try to assist me. When that didn't work, we went in together, and they kept an eye on me to make sure I wasn't having problems holding my weights in my hand.

Anyone have any suggestions myself or anyone reading this may need if your integrated weight pouch falls out? What to do? Obviously not having any air would of helped, but any other suggestions from all the instructors out there.

Take care All!

Paul

Just one comment. Don't be so attached the weight pouch that you drown before you drop it. Once you were at the surface, why hang on to it if it made your getting to the boat so difficult? I have read here somewhere that you should "never spend so much on weights that you are reluctant to drop them!" I think that you handled the situation very well. But then you wanted instructors' comments and that I am not.

I was on the Spectre on Saturday. Nice day at Anacapa, although the dive sites were all beginner and the boat leaves a lot to be desired. Still had a great time, though.

Originally posted by landlocked
But then you wanted instructors' comments and that I am not.

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Hey no worries about who gives comments.

Yah I was thinking about that.. But then again, I wasn't in trouble, just needed a hand really.. I would of dropped em if i was way down current, but we navigated well enough to be within a short swim back to the boat.. Just figured, I'm close enough to the line to at least give it a shot =)

Originally posted by Hal Iotis
I was on the Spectre on Saturday. Nice day at Anacapa, although the dive sites were all beginner and the boat leaves a lot to be desired. Still had a great time, though.

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I was right there with ya!

Yah they were rather easy dive sites.. What is wrong with the spectre in your opinion?

Lilman,
I, too love Anacapa (and I think the Specter, like all the Ventura dive boats) is cool (anything with a hot-tub feels good after those cold waters).

The distress of uncontrolled ascent can really distort one's thinking, making the fight to get back down all-important regardless the strain & air used in the process. I just don;t care for integrated BC's, especially for this climate. You have to stuff so much lead in those pockets, & velcro wears out fast if u r diving often.

I replaced my integrated with a very simple BC & weight belt last Fall & felt like a better diver the moment I entered the water. You can also distribute the weight (ie 5lb each pocket, 3lb on tank, 10lb on belt) as long as your buddy knows whazzup. When I have some crazy reason for sailing up, I grap the kelp & lower myself down as if on a ladder.

Hey! We probably met on the boat. My buddy was the guy in the wheelchair. I was in the black Viking drysuit with Halcyon BP/wings right next to the exit point.

The Spectre is good basic transportation, but as a converted crew boat, it has some design problems that can't be worked around. The main problem is that we were constantly backing through the cloud of diesel exhaust during anchoring ops. I haven't experienced this as much on other boats. The generator also exhausts right in the diver's face upon entry. Crew boats have a high freeboard and narrow beam. The high freeboard made for a difficult entry for my buddy, since he can't use his legs. The narrow beam makes for a fast, if somewhat cramped and rolly, ride. The tall, narrow ladder was also a retrofit - the Truth Aquatics boats have a much better setup.

Also, aside from Kiara, the crew was pretty unfriendly, IMO. You couldn't hear the dive site briefing on the P.A., either. I'm also not accustomed to having no source of fresh drinking water except 12 oz. bottles at a buck a pop. The BBQ was good, though. I'd rather pay an all-inclusive rate and not feel like I'm being nickel-and-dimed on everything else. Air fills added 9 bucks to the galley charges.

The Cypress Sea in Monterey is also a converted crew boat, albeit smaller. That boat is in much better shape than the Spectre, and their operation seems friendlier and more diver-oriented. Food and air fills are included in the price.

Enough complaining - I had a great day and would do it again. By the way, you should check out the multiday trip on the Truth that some Nor Cal divers are putting together for Sept 12-14. Should be a blast, and we will have some divers from So Cal as well.

- Tom

Yah I think I was chatting with you up on the fly bridge!

I was in the blue/black O'Neil.

I chatted with your friend for a few minutes after the day was over.

That was really cool he could dive with you!

Did he wear anything besides weights and a suit?

Or did he just hold on and you took him for a ride?

I was on the boat too--my first dive off the California coast. I was the guy in the orange-topped drysuit that completely confused the Gerabaldis (is it a fish? an orange seal?). A good contrast after cold fresh water last Sunday.

As to the weights, I see people lose weights out of integrated BC with surprising frequency. Velco wears out or won't hold if it's not carefully set. I divide weights between a cartridge belt and the BC when diving anything heavier than the tropics.

And I've never paid for water on a boat either--or seen one where you could only bring one tank and were limited to air fills (not a problem this shallow, though).

Maybe you can help with a question I posted this morning: I saw something that looked sort of like a 12 inch parrotfish but was black with a thick red stripe down the middle--sort of like a Coast Guard buoy tender. Does anyone know what it was?

I've always enjoyed diving off of Anacapa, even though they are fairly shallow dives. The Spectre is noisey, and belches smoke while anchoring; I still would recommend it for the decent and convenient 3/4 day dives that it offers. The crew has always been outstanding, the bbq chicken lunch is good, and of course the hot tub is nice.
I'm happy to hear of the continuing black sea bass sightings.

DivePartner1: Could that have been a male Sheephead that you saw? They have that toothy parrotfish look.