Casino Point Dive park yesterday (6/28)

[drbill]

Night dive last night at the park. Things were stirred up... either due to the number of divers here over the weekend for checkout dives, or the group of young divers that entered the water just before me.

Reports during the day were of 25-30 ft vis depending on where the diver was in the park. Last weekend I could make things out at 80-90 ft (with "real" vis 50-60 ft).

 

[Richard_T]

Not necessarily.

Why not call the dive op and ask them where they're going that day? Whom will you be buddied up with? Why not hire a DM? Or, even better, bring along an instructor and take AOW or specialty?

I'm already a Rescue Diver, but I completely agree with hiring a DM or, otherwise, finding some ScubaBoard dive buddies that happen to be going. I'm going start a separate e-mail string on that. Thx.

 

[merxlin]

Would you all agree that it's likely not the best time for someone like me to do a 2-3 tank boat dive for pretty much the first time in CA waters (relatively cold) on the Sand Dollar during the last weekend in July, especially if vis is an important enjoyment factor here?

Absolutely could not disagree more! The water is warming up but is not so warm that the kelp is dying off. It will be sunny and warm on the surface. And the dive boats go all out to find you a spot with the best viz possible on that dive day.

Even if viz isn't great (10-ft or less), so what? Slow down and focus on the little things. Go hunt for nudibranches. Or float among the kelps (my favorite activity when viz isn't great).

There are tons of things to see even when viz is not optimal.

I totally agree! Just spent 3 days at Santa Cruz Island. Viz was 30- or so to 15 at other spots. In two days saw 13 different species of nudibranchs. Also bat rays, horn sharks, numerous sea stars, harbor seals, sea lions and a ton of eels and other bottom dwellers. I've had many similar days at Catalina. When viz is less than optimal, you crawl the reefs and see all the little things, most of which you miss when looking for the next "big thing". I ran into a bat ray once feeding on a fairly large fish in less than 20ft of water and a patch of sea grass.
Pix from last weekend Small stuff

 

[Leejnd]

I totally agree about the joys of SoCal diving in "low" vis. Around here, 10-15 ft vis is not uncommon, and you just can't predict what it will be like on any given day. Vis can be like that at any time of year. If travelers to SoCal only dove when the vis was "good", then it would be impossible to plan a dive trip here, as you just never know.

Some of my best dives have been in 10-15 ft vis. Now granted, I tend to bail when it gets below 5 feet, but 10+ is fine for me, and like fnfalman and Merxlin point out, it can help you to focus on the small stuff that you otherwise might miss. Your dive boat will find you a reef...you can spend an entire dive in a 20-ft area and see more fascinating, beautiful things than you'd see if you spend your dive finning along looking for the big stuff.

 

[cakemoto]

did a dive with Ron Moore yesterday. we found a huge bsb,and a few other cool things.vis was about 20 give or take,water is a bit cold @ 80ft.Kelp has grow a bit too.there is a big blanket laying on top of the water. had a great time with Ron!
very few people diving there.

 

[drbill]

Although many still refer to them as BSBs (black sea bass) the accepted common name was changed to GSBs or "giant sea bass" in 1961 by the American Fisheries Society due to the fact that an unrelated fish on the East Coast already had the former common name. Of course some people cover both bases by calling them giant black sea bass. I prefer to use their real names... Morris, Mary, Randy, Rachel...

 

[Dominantly]

Although many still refer to them as BSBs (black sea bass) the accepted common name was changed to GSBs or "giant sea bass" in 1961 by the American Fisheries Society due to the fact that an unrelated fish on the East Coast already had the former common name. Of course some people cover both bases by calling them giant black sea bass. I prefer to use their real names... Morris, Mary, Randy, Rachel...

Ahh, very interesting. I see you are on a first name basis with them, ever have any over for dinner? :grinjester:

 

[fnfalman]

I totally agree! Just spent 3 days at Santa Cruz Island. Viz was 30- or so to 15 at other spots. In two days saw 13 different species of nudibranchs. Also bat rays, horn sharks, numerous sea stars, harbor seals, sea lions and a ton of eels and other bottom dwellers. I've had many similar days at Catalina. When viz is less than optimal, you crawl the reefs and see all the little things, most of which you miss when looking for the next "big thing". I ran into a bat ray once feeding on a fairly large fish in less than 20ft of water and a patch of sea grass.
Pix from last weekend Small stuff

Those are some sweet photos. I have yet to see the Santa Barbara or the white sea cucumber.

 

[cakemoto]

sorry Dr. bill.......now i know.they never told me there names.haha

 

[drbill]

Ahh, very interesting. I see you are on a first name basis with them, ever have any over for dinner? :grinjester:

Actually they were legal to take and reportedly good eating when I first started diving Catalina waters in the late 60s. However, I never encountered one back then and by the time I did, they were illegal to take (as of 1981). Ron Merker, the instructor who finally certified me (after 8 years of diving), caught a world record fish with a speargun. There is a pretty well known picture of him in his car (MG?) with a GSB draped across the back seat.