beach conditions

[alaity47]

Well, we just got back from our rescue class at Redondo... I'm glad we didn't really spend much time actually underwater, cause the vis was about 12 inches - like brown milk! By the time we got down to 15 feet, it was completely black all around. Creepy.

However, I talked to a couple of folks who had just dived the canyon, and they said they had more like 40 ft visibility down there - but that looking up, they could see where the "edge" of the red tide was! I guess if you're at the right place at the right point in the tide, you can avoid it, but most of us aren't so lucky.

It's hard to remember that diving around here is usually really decent... I hope next year is outstanding to make up for this year's crappy conditions!

 

[ifukuda]

The redtide at Redondo beach is still bad , but the viz does clear up significantly once you go down into the canyon (deeper than 40ft.). I doubt the viz was anywhere near 40ft (it's never that good at Redondo), but it was easily 20ft+ when I dove there a week ago (which is still excellent for Redondo).

Under current conditions, it's better to surface-swim out about as far as the pier extends, and then work your way into the canyon as soon as possible. Diving in the chocolate milk-like conditions is just not any fun.

Diving Redondo during the day sucks right now. But, it's a cool night dive because, at night, the dinoflagellates produce that almost surreal blue-ish glow as you swim through them on the surface.

 

[FengShui]

ifukuda once bubbled...
The redtide at Redondo beach is still bad , but the viz does clear up significantly once you go down into the canyon (deeper than 40ft.). I doubt the viz was anywhere near 40ft (it's never that good at Redondo), but it was easily 20ft+ when I dove there a week ago (which is still excellent for Redondo).

Reports up here in Santa Barbara have the Redtide being just as bad. We were going to go shorediving this weekend at El Refugio, but I think we may have to pass.

How long does the tide usually last?

Also, has anybody been out to the Channel Islands recently? It was reasonably cloudy during the summer, but it cleared up in late August/Early September. Do they have the tide as well?