February 15th PV Inshore Boat Trip

[diverrex]

Do they feed us?

If it's a typical Sea Bass trip, which I'm assuming it is, Richard will have muffins or something and fruit after the first dive. Usually he has something like that before the first dive also before the ride. After the 2nd is usually lunch - hamburgers, chips and something. He has a cooler with watres and drinks. I think he has coffee and hot watre inside at the small galley area. It's a small boat so they can't put out a spread like on a boat such as the Great Escape, but I've done long trips to Farnsworth on the Sea Bass and not been hungry. They run a good boat and it's fast, so with any luck we get in three good dives and still get home fairly early. I do bring a couple granola bars just in case.

Got my tank filled with Nitrox today and am ready to go. Let's do some diving on Sunday! Woo hoo!

PS - Unless he's moved the boat which I don't think he has or I'm in trouble finding it, it's behind the Crusty Crab restaurant. If you see the Crusty Crab sign, you're there.

 

[Teamcasa]

If it's a typical Sea Bass trip, which I'm assuming it is, Richard will have muffins or something and fruit after the first dive. Usually he has something like that before the first dive also before the ride. After the 2nd is usually lunch - hamburgers, chips and something. He has a cooler with watres and drinks. I think he has coffee and hot watre inside at the small galley area. It's a small boat so they can't put out a spread like on a boat such as the Great Escape, but I've done long trips to Farnsworth on the Sea Bass and not been hungry. They run a good boat and it's fast, so with any luck we get in three good dives and still get home fairly early. I do bring a couple granola bars just in case.

Got my tank filled with Nitrox today and am ready to go. Let's do some diving on Sunday! Woo hoo!

PS - Unless he's moved the boat which I don't think he has or I'm in trouble finding it, it's behind the Crusty Crab restaurant. If you see the Crusty Crab sign, you're there.

Sounds great Rex, It will be good to dive with you again.

My tanks are filled but only air for the first dive, Nitrox for any additional ones!

 

[Teamcasa]

Billy, thanks for putting this dive together, we had a great time!

 

[Empty V]

Billy, thanks for putting this dive together, we had a great time!

No sweat! I'm just glad everyone had a good time, and a phenomenal 2nd dive.

Billy

 

[Scuba~Sarah]

So how was it everyone....?

 

[Teamcasa]

Pictures from the dive.
I sure others will post more (and better pictures!)

 

[diverrex]

So how was it everyone....?

Dive #1 - Old Marineland Platform - for those that didn't find the platform this was a bad dive, only sand and 5-10 foot viz. For those that did find the platform it was better, 15-20 ft. viz and something to look at. The colors that showed up on the platform were cool. But having dived it once that's enough, I don't need to go back.

Dive #2 - Hawthorne Reef - this rivaled lots of sites I've seen at Catalina and other Channel Islands. Tons of Spanish Shawl and other Nudibranchs with lots of different fish. I could definately go back here. Next time for a trip like this I'd say go here first and and if conditions are good stay for a second dive also.

And after dive 2 during the SI a whale came within about 60-80 feet of the boat. You could see about a 5 ft area of its back as it surfaced - that was really cool!

Dive #3 - Christmas Tree Cove - This was ok, probably similar to a below average Catalina dive and a good Laguna Beach dive. Lots of kelp and sea life. But between the kelp, surge, and up and over or around the finger reefs it was a little disorienting. I wouldn't hurry back.

If it wasn't for dive #2 I'd say either take the boat all the way to Catalina or just shore dive, but based on dive #2 doing an inshore boat trip is worthwhile. Any ideas on some other inshore reefs that rival the islands?

If was very nice getting back to the dock around 3PM after doing three boat dives. I was home by 4 PM and still had some of the day left.

 

[Teamcasa]

Dive #1 - Old Marineland Platform - for those that didn't find the platform this was a bad dive, only sand and 5-10 foot viz. For those that did find the platform it was better, 15-20 ft. viz and something to look at. The colors that showed up on the platform were cool. But having dived it once that's enough, I don't need to go back.

Dive #2 - Hawthorne Reef - this rivaled lots of sites I've seen at Catalina and other Channel Islands. Tons of Spanish Shawl and other Nudibranchs with lots of different fish. I could definately go back here. Next time for a trip like this I'd say go here first and stay for a second dive also.

And after dive 2 during the SI a whale came within about 60-80 feet of the boat. You could see about a 5 ft area of its back as it surfaced - that was really cool!

Dive #3 - Christmas Tree Cove - This was ok, probably similar to a below average Catalina dive and a good Laguna Beach dive. Lots of kelp and sea life. But between the kelp, surge and up and over or around the finger reefs it was a little disorienting.

If it wasn't for dive #2 I'd say either take the boat all the way to Catalina or just shore dive, but based on dive #2 doing an inshore boat trip is worthwhile. Any ideas on some other inshore reefs that rival the islands?

Good review Rex.

 

[Oside Jimc]

A fun day by my book, but I just love being on the water.

Dive 2 was great, note to self: Take the damned close up lens next time! Still even with the 28mm I got a couple of OK shots.

 

[ligersandtions]

Dive 1 was a bust....pretty much summed up 2009 for me (and I'm hoping to leave it there!).

Dive 2 was SPECTACULAR! So much life, so much color, so much interesting stuff....the only thing I could have wished for was that we did this dive instead of dive 1 (and for dive 2 as well) and that my poor buddy wasn't freezing. Had he not been freezing, I think I would have been kicking myself for not biting the bullet and getting the nitrox cert, but it wasn't a big deal.

Dive 3 was okay....it was a fine dive, and kicked dive 1's @ss for sure....but given the choice to go back to CTC, I would pass (especially if it required making the trek down the hill....ugh!).

I wish we had taken Phil's advice and gone to Buchanan Reef, Whale Rock, or the Underwater Arch instead of the stupid sand reef. But the second dive did make up for it....beautiful! I'm still on a bit of a high from it