Dive Report: Heisler Park, Sunday MLK Weekend 2018

[shucksun]

Back in the water after a few weeks off and what a day to be out! It was absolutely the most beautiful day you could imagine; sunshine, wispy clouds, no wind, no swell, and 80F. People were swimming, paddle-boarding, diving, beach combing, walking their dogs and all of them were saying to themselves;"...this is why I live here..."
Instagram post by J. Reeb • Jan 15, 2018 at 2:23pm UTC
Out on the reef it was more of an average day, vizibility was 15'-20' but we could see the surface pretty much the entire dive. Unfortunately the kelp seems to once again be taking a hit. Earlier this year it had grown back to nearly pre-El Nino conditions but it has drastically declined once again. Sargassum is back, more so in the shallows then out on the deeper reaches, but it's around.
Critter sightings: an uptick in lobsters (50FSW), Opaleyes, Sargos, lots of small Blacksmiths and a few large kelp bass hiding on the reef. This Yellow Sea Fan caught my eye:
Instagram post by J. Reeb • Jan 14, 2018 at 7:50pm UTC
Divemetrics: 71mins, 57FSW, 59F

J. Reeb
Dark-Thirty Divers

 

[drbill]

Ah, winter in southern California! Awesome. Visibility reported as 50-65 ft out here at Casino Point

 

[Trailboss123]

Thanks for posting @shucksun - I will be heading down to San Diego on business next week. Will definitely be packing all my gear to get in some shore dives at Heisler and Shaw's on the way down and back from Ventura/SB

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Trailboss123

Thanks for posting @shucksun - I will be heading down to San Diego on business next week. Will definitely be packing all my gear to get in some shore dives at Heisler and Shaw's on the way down and back from Ventura/SB
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Hey hombre
Both places are very historical in recreational diving....FYI & your log

Heisler park aka "divers cove" was the location of the worlds very first invitation international spearfishing meet in 1950 - won by the Compton Dolphins team-- Several other international meets were held there until about 1960 or so

Shaw's Cove was the cove where the battle of Laguna beach began in 1960s - Glen Vedder, who owned the third house south in Shows cove was retired and on city council. Glen proposed an ordinance which would have prohibited all diving in Laguna-- the battle was on-I am the last remaining participants of that battle - And what a battle it was.... The result was the Laguna beach Skin and SCUBA ordinance, which much to the dismay of Glen allows Skin and SCUBA diving .

Look forward to seeing you at the SLO Sheriffs UW S&R DivCon on Saturday March 17, where we can meet and chat

Sam Miller,III

 

[shucksun]

Thanks for posting @shucksun - I will be heading down to San Diego on business next week. Will definitely be packing all my gear to get in some shore dives at Heisler and Shaw's on the way down and back from Ventura/SB

Ouch! The surf is high now through Sunday, with light rain for Thur.
PM me at darkthirtydivers@gmail.com if you want to join us. We are out almost every weekend.

 

[jensfisc]

I was out the same day just a little north of you at pelican point. The kelp along Crystal Cove is doing just fine especially at reef point (stopped there to get another year CA parks pass). Cruising down to the beach there were some crazy offshore dolphin surface boils but I didn't see any of them underwater. I did see something I couldn't really explain, but at the far edge of the reef I saw a medium sized fish fly by at really high speed. It looked like a small billfish (2.5 ft long plus the "bill") or a garfish like the ones I just saw in Australia. I suppose it could have also been a cuda with a long baitfish or smaller cuda in its mouth. It looked wider than the typical CA cuda. Unfortunately it did not stick around long to let me check it out. Any ideas?

Hopefully the vis recovers after the swells blow through.

 

[Sam Miller III]

....
I did see something I couldn't really explain, but at the far edge of the reef I saw a medium sized fish fly by at really high speed. It looked like a small billfish (2.5 ft long plus the "bill") or a garfish like the ones I just saw in Australia. I suppose it could have also been a cuda with a long baitfish or smaller cuda in its mouth. It looked wider than the typical CA cuda. Unfortunately it did not stick around long to let me check it out. Any ideas?
.

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You probably should contact our own @drbill who has spent his life investigating and publishing articles on SoCal marine life. Maybe the old fashioned way, acquire some California F&G indentation books so you will recognized the fish when you see one in the future.

The general rule of Oceanology is that in the winter storms are generated in the north and will effect north facing beaches, Almost all Orange county beaches are south facing beaches and are protected by a number land outcroppings beginning with Point Fermin near San Pedro.

Therefore the best time to dive OC is in the winter when it is protected from swells and devoid of high surf and as a rule has great visibility .

Conversely the summer storms are generated off Baja and pound into the OC south facing beaches, creating summer storm surf

I would strongly suggest that you enroll in the free (last I heard it was free) LA Co UW Instructor's Association (UIA) 3 Rs program -- and repeat it every year for several years.

Sam Miller,III ​