Breaking News! We had great vis today!

[MaxBottomtime]

After a couple weeks of brown water, we didn't have a particular dive plan today. While motoring around on the west side of Palos Verdes we decided to check out the Topaz pilings off Redondo Beach. Our plan was to bounce dive it when we saw the dirty water on the sand. To our great surprise, we could easily see thirty feet vertically and twenty to twenty-five feet horizontally.
Kevin Lee found a new nudibranch, Merry shot macro with my 90mm lens and I attempted to shoot video.
There was a constant southerly current pushing the algae around, so critter shots were tough. Everything at Redondo Beach is small and near the sand. At one point I decided to make it a drift dive. I floated for about fifty feet before I reached the anchor.
After surfacing from our second dive we were greeted by Scott and Margaret Webb and Jim Lyle who took the surface shots.
The thermocline was at eighteen feet, dropping the water temperature to a nice 51° at sixty feet.

http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x384/MaxBottomtime/Boating/NoPressure2.jpg?t=1341712986


http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x384/MaxBottomtime/Boating/PhilandMerry.jpg

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[TSandM]

Is that middle picture the two of you? I would LOVE to have a mental image to connect to your threads!

[bperc]

Very nice video. Thanks for sharing. Amazing what a difference a day can make in the visibility.

[H2Ocean]

nice!!! The landing craft got the same good results today also!! 20ft viz and cold low 50s temps!!

[undrwater]

Is that middle picture the two of you? I would LOVE to have a mental image to connect to your threads!

That be they.

[drbill]

A nice 51 degrees? I can get that at 200 ft... looking for a nice 65-68 this time of year! Oh, and vis would help... but it is getting "better" (20 ft or so) out here after a few days of 5-15 ft.

[SPKelpDiver]

Great video, great song.

You guys found quite the array of wildlife for the pier pilings. A new nudibranch, octopus, and a horn shark. Sweet dive if you ask me. It's funny how the swell comes in and the conditions improve...hmmm

[asha]

Nice video! What equipment are you using for video?

Can you send some of that great vis south, please? We had 3-5' on the Hogan yesterday :(

[MaxBottomtime]

Sony HDR-HC9 camera in a Ocean Images housing with two 50w lights and a flat port. I used 100w bulbs and a wide angle dome port today. The video was edited using Pinnacle Studio 12.

[FrankPro1]

Excellent vid! Great selection of critters. Looks like Topaz is the place to be right now.

[keithbt]

Nice lovers shot..with boat and all..Merry should frame that one....We had 40+ vis on the Very west end of Catalina...Surface wind chop east all day...slight current west..
no surge....

[Tracy Saunders]

Color me green with envy... You SoCaler's get all the good stuff down there. :D

[MaxBottomtime]

Great video, great song.

I forgot to mention the reason for the song choice. Besides the several octopus we found, it was Ringo's 72nd Birthday. Wow, do I feel old all of a sudden.