Labor Day Beach dive and feast

[Dramis4]

Sounds good, though I think Sunday would work best. If its possible, my family will make the drive down . That will be myself, wife and 2 sons.

Alhambra is a great beach, just the parking is harsh.

 

[DebbyDiver]

Debbydiver, thanks for the invitation, I checked the website and it is great...I am traveling to S. America on Monday and wont be back until Thursday, but I will join the next one for sure.

Please do, it is a really nice group! ENJOY your trip!

 

[Fossilbabe]

Looks like the list is getting longer, lets hope for great dive weather. See everyone on the beach!!!!!!!

 

[CMOST]

Has a site been locked in yet? It looks like I have a free weekend (family taking road trip). Not me I want to dive. I'm in just need to know when & where. More then likely I'll be diving both Sat. & Sun. Try to do some spearfishing Sat. @ the culverts off Service Park. Need dinner I'll be home alone. Then do some shark tooth hunting on Sun with y'all.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Sunday is the day I am gonna be diving. Wouldn't mind diving both days, but need to play MOM and Friend also while in the area.
Am rigging my kayak wondering if I should try a trip across the alley with just the foams. Will be getting the kayak formed foam.. Any thoughts?

 

[dkramer]

It's tough to advise you when I really don't have a good look at what you're dealing with but I'll try to throw out some general pointers. I used to use the foam blocks on my canoe but they actually had a slit in them that allowed the gunnels to sit in them. I'm old school in that I always car top my boats upside down so that the keel is pointing up. On the hull of the boat I use those cinch straps like the ones you get with the wheelez carts. You can pick them up at Walmart. If you're using just foam blocks with no rack, then I would imagine you'll have to run the straps through the windows. (obviously wait to tighten them until after you get in) I would also put on a bow & stern line. You want the bow to be facing the front of the car & tighten it down first so that it is actually a little lower than the stern. That way the wind will be pushing the boat down onto the car rather than getting under the bow & pulling the boat up. I used to use 2 different lines on both the bow & the stern (4 lines total) I would first put on cotton line because it doesn't stretch. Then I would place a second nylon line as a safety line. Cotton doesn't stretch but it will cut if it's rubbing on something sharp. The nylon won't cut as fast but it does stretch. I don't know how you are about your car. My ride is basically my work, beach & boat mobile so little scratches & dents don't bother me. I tie my boats on real tight.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I am currently using the pool floats, cut in half with straps through. They go around the hood and inside. Then I strap on the kayak, keel side up, using 2 more straps to go from one side, across the boat, looped through the boat handle and one of the straps strapped to the car, then back across the boat and under the strap (to the car), and connected. Clear as mud?
awwwhhh a photo might help..

I think I am gonna need to flip the yak over for the foam blocks as there is not much room to see out of the front windshield.. and to alleviate how high the bow rides.

 

[pjohnson]

My 13 year old son and I dive Venice pretty regular during the winter months. He is a fossil addict and has been bugging me to get over there this summer. I'm planning on packing up the family and heading over for the holiday weekend. We would like to join the party if it's ok. It would be cool to meet everybody. What should we bring? Is it like a pot luck or is everybody doing their own thing?

 

[dkramer]

Well, I suggest we dive the park on the north side of the pier. Parking is plentiful. The beach is not as steep as Alhambra is right now thus, easier to get yaks in & out, if you're using one. And, Sharky's is right next door so we can go there & eat afterward that way no one has to bring anything. But, if ya'll want to do Alhambra, That's okay too. I think we need to decide though, since we are getting a lot of responses, so that everyone knows where we're going. We also need to decide time.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

I figured we would meet up in the morning, dive, dive, eat, dive, go home. Sunday. Alhambra.
Anybody diving on Saturday? Monday? Do we need to start a separate thread for each day?