Dive Report -21 Apr 07- Breakwater Grand Tour

Date: 21 Apr 07
Dive Location: Breakwater
Buddy(ies): Rob L
Bottom Time: 90/45
Max Depth: 60
Vis: 10-15
Wave height: 1 ft
Temp at depth:49
Surface Temp: 53
Tide information: Low
Gas mix: 32%
Tanks: Double E7-100's
Other gear: X-Scooter short body
Comments:


Dive 1 Breakwater Grand tour
Dive time: 90 mins
Max Depth: 60 FSW
Ave: 40

Dive Buddy Rob and I arrived to a parking lot full of salmon crazed fishermen... relegating us to the "hidden" parking lot. The lawn was buzy with students and instructors going over their course ware and getting ready for their first dives... the excitement is contagious... on of the reasons why I love the Breakwater, you overhear the students go "Ohhhh did you see that anemone?" It makes you remember how everything was cool and exciting when you were starting out

But anyway after GUE EDGE and all our pre checks we waddled thru the non existent surf and into the cool water. The water felt good as the doubles floated off our backs. After a quick bubble check and mod-S/V we were off along the wall. Hit the landmark for the turn at 5 mins and were on our way... a quick stop at Rob's friend Mr Warbonnet and back on the trigger getting to the Barge at 15 mins. Cruised around spotting a couple of clowns (Clown Nudibranch~Triopha catalinae) and some of the usual guys we headed westerly for about 10... At 9 I was about to give up on hitting the Met Fields (I have missed them before) but decided just 1 more minute... I was over joyed when we came upon one of the smaller mounds of Metridiums A fist pumping hand signal wasn't lost on my buddy who understood that handsignal right away.

The Metridiums were in full bloom and the vis as a decent 15. We circled the outer rocks first then moving shallower. On the way back we did some drills and of course barrel rolls and loops... Rob was looking like a veteran with his nice clean maneuvers. Rob shot some photos but we'll see how good they came out... vis was so and so with a lot of snot-sicles in the water...

Dive 2 Breakwater Wall
Dive Time: 45 mins
Max Depth: 45 FSW
Ave Depth: 35
Dive 2 was 45 mins of messing around with the scooters 10 mins out along the wall 10 back and then some more skills..... and seeing a lot of Dendronotus iris...there were 4 of them...2 of them on one tube anemone... Looked like a Nudibranch buffet!

During the SI said hi to Chuck, Dionna and had a nice chat with a guy from one of the local LDS's who was pulling shore support for a class.

Sorry didn't break out the camera that day... forgot to take pictures too excited about the diving

Go diving!

It was a fun day out, but an expensive one. Ben left out the part where I busted an 18W HID bulb before dive 1 even commenced. But that wasn't the pricey part

Man this scooter thing is FUN. I should have listened to Ted when he warned me off of it... I've never tried heroin, but I think I have an idea of what it's like....

In all seriousness, it was a nice dive day, even in avg. vis. I think my friend might be a sarcastic fringehead (Neoclinus blanchardi) (maybe chuck can give us an ID off of the picture I got below). I got a few OK shots, but nothing to write home about. I've posted a few below. The one with Ben in it should give you an idea of what "snotty water" is

Sarcastic Fringehead (i think)


Triopha catalinae


Barge inhabitants


Dendronotus (laying eggs??)


Ben in snotty water



edit: made images bigger

Nice report Ben, and very nice pics Rob.

-John

I totally agree about the scooters. I had the priviledge of using Jonathan's scooter for a dive a while back, and I dream of the day I can get one.

Lovely pictures, but I always laugh at you guys getting SO excited about metridiums. Come up to Puget Sound, and I can show you solid walls of them, and you don't need a scooter to get there And airfare to Seattle is cheaper than a scooter, too!

Hehe. Yeah. you even have orange ones up there too, don't you Lynne? Actually, we saw an orange one today out in the field; the only orange one I've ever seen around our parts.

I may take you up on that offer Lynne; my wife (alwaingold) and I are likely headed up to Seattle sometime this summer to visit my brother. We'll likely be driving up so plenty of room in the car for a couple sets of doubles, drysuits, etc... so we'll likely be wanting to do some diving while we're in town.

The other notable thing about this dive was that it was the first time that I'd seen a sea otter underwater. They're really much much cuter on the surface. Below, they relaly just look like big wet rats, with a huge tail...

Well, if you come, be sure to let me know, and post on the Orca Bait forum. We PNWers love any excuse to go diving!

oh yeah.... and thanks Kevin for the use of your ride

uhmmm actually you used Jonathan's and we kept Kevin's as a spare

Ben_ca:

uhmmm actually you used Jonathan's and we kept Kevin's as a spare

Click to expand...

Sigh. :blush: thanks Jonathan.