Gerstle Cove
depth: 40 fsw
temp: 50˚ f
time: 59 min
vis: 20' outside the cove
wind: calm
seas: calm
weather: foggy and drizzly
Gerstle Cove was like a lake this morning and, from the bluff I knew it would be a special day because I could see the bottom of the cove most of the way out. Surprised to see so little kelp, much different from this time last year.
I had just finished schellping my gear to the beach when I saw Michelle wave at me from the bluff. Soon we were camped on the beach across from the OW class at Gerstle for their last day of check out dives.
Slow as usual, I finally caught up with Michelle in the water and we kicked out to the boundary through the glassy water. We took a 180˚ heading figuring we would just piddle around, me looking for photos for Michelle who brought her camera. I'd left my camera home because I was diving a bit different configuration and I haven't had a lot of dives in the last couple of months. Kind of a bunny slopes day for me, but it turned into probably the best day I've ever had at Gerstle.
Vis was 20'+ and there was a lot of light on the rocks, covered with urchins and bat stars. Immediately I saw that it was a day for nudis, lemon nudis all over the place, and a bunch of Dironas, including a scattering of little white babies, waving their little sails around. Michelle took many photos.
We worked our way down the steps of big boulders and dikes into deeper water (deeper for Gerstle). Palm kelp, more nudis, sunstars and batstars, urchins and rock fish. I saw a China and swam right past a 3+ foot long Ling that I only saw when Michelle grabbed my fin and pointed at it. Biggest one I've ever seen anywyere, just lying on a rock ledge in front of a big overhang, into which he decided to swim maybe because he saw my astonished expression. Sbhortly after that I saw a rock fish I'd never seen before, that looked a lot like a French Angel, which of course it wasn't, but a very cool fish. Michelle found a Gopher and took a pic of it.
Suddenly there were hundreds of very small silvery fish around, and we swam through the curtain of them into more big crevasses and rock walls made by logging ships unloading ballast.
On the way back in Michelle found a beautiful Stimson Star, again a first for me. In the cove vis clouded up but it was still beautiful, with light still playing on the shallow rocks despite the overcast topside.
Back on the beach I started to feel cold when the wind came up, and it was still a bit drizzly. Ate something and couldn't get warm so I wimped out of a second dive. If I'd been in a wet suit I'd have had to go to the car and turn on the heater.
I'm sure Michelle will be along shortly to post pictures.
depth: 40 fsw
temp: 50˚ f
time: 59 min
vis: 20' outside the cove
wind: calm
seas: calm
weather: foggy and drizzly
Gerstle Cove was like a lake this morning and, from the bluff I knew it would be a special day because I could see the bottom of the cove most of the way out. Surprised to see so little kelp, much different from this time last year.
I had just finished schellping my gear to the beach when I saw Michelle wave at me from the bluff. Soon we were camped on the beach across from the OW class at Gerstle for their last day of check out dives.
Slow as usual, I finally caught up with Michelle in the water and we kicked out to the boundary through the glassy water. We took a 180˚ heading figuring we would just piddle around, me looking for photos for Michelle who brought her camera. I'd left my camera home because I was diving a bit different configuration and I haven't had a lot of dives in the last couple of months. Kind of a bunny slopes day for me, but it turned into probably the best day I've ever had at Gerstle.
Vis was 20'+ and there was a lot of light on the rocks, covered with urchins and bat stars. Immediately I saw that it was a day for nudis, lemon nudis all over the place, and a bunch of Dironas, including a scattering of little white babies, waving their little sails around. Michelle took many photos.
We worked our way down the steps of big boulders and dikes into deeper water (deeper for Gerstle). Palm kelp, more nudis, sunstars and batstars, urchins and rock fish. I saw a China and swam right past a 3+ foot long Ling that I only saw when Michelle grabbed my fin and pointed at it. Biggest one I've ever seen anywyere, just lying on a rock ledge in front of a big overhang, into which he decided to swim maybe because he saw my astonished expression. Sbhortly after that I saw a rock fish I'd never seen before, that looked a lot like a French Angel, which of course it wasn't, but a very cool fish. Michelle found a Gopher and took a pic of it.
Suddenly there were hundreds of very small silvery fish around, and we swam through the curtain of them into more big crevasses and rock walls made by logging ships unloading ballast.
On the way back in Michelle found a beautiful Stimson Star, again a first for me. In the cove vis clouded up but it was still beautiful, with light still playing on the shallow rocks despite the overcast topside.
Back on the beach I started to feel cold when the wind came up, and it was still a bit drizzly. Ate something and couldn't get warm so I wimped out of a second dive. If I'd been in a wet suit I'd have had to go to the car and turn on the heater.
I'm sure Michelle will be along shortly to post pictures.
