Sandstorm On The Reef

[MaxBottomtime]

After the biggest rain storm we've had in a long time here in SoCal the ocean had calmed quite a bit by the Santa winds of the past couple of days. I hoped that the sediment from the rain had settled to the bottom but it was not to be. Visibility from the surface to sixty feet was less than three feet. A school of large mackerel swam past me but I could barely see them.

On Halfway Reef at seventy feet the vis opened to about twelve feet but the water was filled with tiny particulates. I turned the dive into a super macro hunt. I found a lot of tiny animals but kept wondering how many I was missing.

 

[the_ocean]

Great pictures, Phil!
Where exactly is Halfway Reef, anyway?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Halfway Reef is between Christmas Tree Cove and Honeymoon Cove on the SW side of P.V.

 

[the_ocean]

Do you climb down from the top of Honeymoon cove or by boat? That climb seems dicey!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I'm diving it by boat now but have made the shore dives at Christmas Tree and Honeymoon many times over the years. It's a killer climb back up when you're wet and tired and a long surface swim to the best reefs. When I was younger (and dumber) I used to make two dives there. At first we would climb back up and swap tanks. Later we got smart and took the second tank down with us and left it on the rocks below. Nobody ever tried to steal them and carry them back up the cliff.

 

[peterak]

Wow, great shots! Not having any experience in low vis waters, I have what might be a dumb question. Is it pitch dark after going through sixty feet of three foot visibility water column?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

It was like a foggy afternoon. I could see without a light but not any more than fifteen feet.

 

[the_ocean]

Thank you for the maps link, pure gold!