July '05 Dive Reports

[scottfiji]

Location: Malaga Cove, 7/31/2005 12:45PM
Max Depth: 26ft
Bottom Time: 85 minutes
Buddy: Austin
Waves: none
Surge: small surge
temp: distinct thermocline at exactly 19ft; 68 degrees above, 57-58 degrees below
vis: 5-20ft, usually 10-13ft

photos:
http://gallery.scubapost.net/v/scottfiji/Malaga20050731/

Austin and I went to Malaga cove on a beautiful sunny sunday, entry was easy in front of the swimming pool. We kicked out to 15ft depth, and swam north east for a while. Lots of fish were out, including many schools of blacksmith, senorita, and rock wrasse, one large school of salema, lots of juvie barred sand bass and lots of juvie and adult garibaldi. also saw a few lobster, one small one in the open who crawled up my chest, arm, and shoulder, then jumped onto Austin's leg for a minute. He was a crazy one! Met up with a medium-sized sheep crab too. It was strange going back and forth between 58 and 68 degree water, it happened abruptly at 19ft. Most of our dive was between 17 and 21ft deep. didn't see any large fish, those must have all been speared, but it was a great dive. Also saw a couple kelp rockfish, and a couple large scorpionfish in the open, beautifully camoflagued. Semi-easy exit over slippery rocks right in front of the trail up.

Scott

 

[scubacalifornia]

Date: Sunday, 7/31/05
Time: 7:09 AM
Dive Location: Crystal Cove - Reef Point
Buddy: Ron Hawkins
Bottom Time: 73 minutes
Max Depth: 47'
Viz: 20'-30'
Wave height: 1-2'
Surge: 0'-2'
Temp at depth: 57 degrees Suunto
Surface Temp: 59 degrees Suunto

Today was just a magnificent diving day at Crystal Cove. Best visibility I've seen all year in Laguna. We headed due south, dropped at 25', and continued until we hit the 3rd reef at about 40'depth. Spent the entire dive exploring the reef and it was like swimming in an aquarium. Schools of sargo, senioritas, sardines, blacksmith, and even yellowtail rockfish. Found a couple of sheepcrabs, a california scorpionfish, painted greenlings, etc etc. My only big mistake today was not bringing the camera. Back to work tomorrow after a long vacation. Boo hoo.

Nothing lasts forever - dive while the diving's great.
Kevin

 

[Kayak Diver]

Date: Sunday, 7/31/05
Time: About 10 AM
Dive Location: Point Dune - 2 tank kayak dive
Max Depth: 49 ft.
Viz: About 15 ft.
Temp at depth: 55 degrees F

Met three other kayak divers at Point Dune for a two tank dive at the pinnacles. We anchored between the above-surface rocks and swam around the pinnacles...a couple of times (one or so per dive). The viz was not as good as it was at Bucannan Reef on Saturday, and there was less marine life, but they were really great dives. There was a bit of a current, and the wind really picked up for the paddle back to shore. We saw the usual critters for the most part. There was one curious fish...a big gray triggerfish was hiding in an overhang. Haven't seen these guys in CA before today.

 

[Peter McGuinness]

2:49pm Sunday
La Jolla Shores
Secret Garden
vis 10 ft (less in the red stuff)
110ft
49mins

I was sorry not to be able to make it to the SDOF diva-thon (sic) this morning - the lure of pancakes was not enough to outweigh the claims of those who know me as "daddy" - but I was pleased to be able to persuade Mike and Barbara to endure the sunday afternoon crowds and dive this afternoon.
Just because you have to park in Clairemont Mesa is no reason not to dive, right?

The intrepid buddies took me to secret garden, an area I don't think I have previously visited. We hit all the tourist spots - the red muck, the rotting corpse - don't you just love this stuff? When we eventually got there, it was to find lots of life - white spotted porostomes, Flabellina, Sandeiegensis, california armina were out and about, plus a few smallish sea hares and a big ole octopus tucked up in his hole. We also found "houdini" the amazing sheeps head who can fit in a hole several sizes smaller than himself.

The highlight of the dive (since we didn't see any dendronotus) had to be the shrimp; no, let me say that again: the SHRIMP! - this was the biggest shrimp I have ever seen. Look, shrimp is synonomous with small; this thing was not small, it was big - I mean BIG!

It was sitting half covered in sand in the surf zone and:

I'M thinking "hmm, amaebi!"

IT was thinking "OK, punk; make my day!"

so I settled for photographs.

which you can find, as usual, on my website at:
http://www.mcguinness-family.net/albums/diving/SanDiego/ShoresJuly05_2/

enjoy!

Peter

 

[MaxBottomtime]

http://www.divebums.com/FishID/Pages/sicyonia_penicillata.html
Target shrimp. They're so cool when they swim. Watching all those little legs scoot along...

 

[JDog]

July 31
Deadmans Reef
13:31
Bottom time: 68 min.
Max depth: 66ft
Vis: 10-20
Waves: not really
Surface temp: 63
At depth: 54-----cccccchhhhillly
EAN 32%
Dove with Jetfixer, hoping to get in a nice vis dive. It started out nice, 15-20ft. About 20 minutes into the dive an orange "fog" loomed ahead, vis remained 15ft+ as long as you stayed under the Red Tide. Other than being a little cold, it was a great dive. Jetfixers excellent navigating skills put us at the beach right in front of the lifeguard tower in 8ft of water, awesome!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Two of the photos Elaine Jobin took of me on the Fog Wreck Sunday. I replaced the porthole after this shot, so no comments please.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

 

[scottfiji]

http://www.divebums.com/FishID/Pages/sicyonia_penicillata.html
Target shrimp. They're so cool when they swim. Watching all those little legs scoot along...

Definetely not a Sicyonia penicillata. Peter photographed a Penaeus californicus. Nice find Peter!

Here's another one Sean photographed:
http://gallery.scubapost.net/v/terry/album10/LaJollaShores031805/LJShores_031805_35.jpg.html

Here's a Sicyonia penicillata that I found:
http://gallery.scubapost.net/v/scottfiji/redondo20050518/Redondo20050518_042.jpg.html

Scott

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Elaine Jobin sent me some more shots from Sunday's dive at the Fog Wreck. Enjoy.