So Cal Alert Farnsworth on the Sundiver this Sunday 18 February

[Archangel]

Who: You and Barefoot Blue

Where: Sundiver with Captain Ray headed to beautiful Farnsworth Banks Sunday Morning at 6:00a, come join the fun Saturday night on the boat!

How much: $129.97 for all the food, fun, and compressed air you can handle. We will have unlimited gates! (no DM leering at you because you did 1.5 hours in the water). We are looking at doing two deep dives, and then moving to a shallower site.

Captains choice.

Why: Because you deserve to be pampered. Dream resort pampering right here in the Pacific Ocean.

Remember this is your charter! Your desires count!


We have six spots left. . . . . . .
Please PM me/email us at admin@barefootblue.com.

Look forward to hearing from you,

Kelli & Tevis

 

[drbill]

Forecast looks good for next weekend... should be a fantastic trip, Tevis.

If you haven't dived Farnsworth Bank, and feel up to the dive, it is (IMHO) the best dive on Catalina Island if not in SoCal.

 

[Otter]

Forecast looks good for next weekend... should be a fantastic trip, Tevis.

If you haven't dived Farnsworth Bank, and feel up to the dive, it is (IMHO) the best dive on Catalina Island if not in SoCal.

Dr. Bill, Why?

I have never dived Farnsworth....the descriptions, limited as they have been, haven't sound that great to me.

Maybe I have been misled....

 

[Mo2vation]

You SoCal's should jump on this.

Its killing me that I can't go. I've never been there, and I want to go so badly, but I have a commitment on Sunday and can't make it. Someone step in and take my spot, and bring some friends.

My last trip with BFB was one of the best trips of the year for me - The shots I got were some of the shots of a lifetime (so far) - and the hang and diving were the best ever.

You need to make the time to go to this amazing site with this first class operation.

---
Ken

 

[HBDiveGirl]

Forecast looks good for next weekend... should be a fantastic trip, Tevis.

If you haven't dived Farnsworth Bank, and feel up to the dive, it is (IMHO) the best dive on Catalina Island if not in SoCal.

I'll second part of that, Bill. The hydrocoral alone makes it worth the trip. Then add in the nudibranchs and the large lobsters and octopus I've seen there... and the cool and amazing comb jellies and pelagics floating by... and you've got an amazing dive experience. The highest sea mount tops out at 65fsw. Most of the peaks have dramatic and shear drop-offs on at least one side. The clarity of the water can be remarkable as it's so far off shore.

Plunging down the anchor line in all that blue water is always a thrill.

It is an advanced dive:
It's a deep open water dive. The anchor may be set on a pinnacle deeper than 70fsw. Big currents may come up during the dive. Visibility may suddenly decrease. It's essential to track the anchor line, even with nitrogen narcosis due to the depth, and return up the line. I'll often lay out a line from near the anchor if conditions warrant it. It's essential to carry an SMB in case you are swept off the pinnacles. It's best to have it on a spool and know how to deploy it if you must do an open water ascent off the anchor line. You need calm and effective buoyancy control.

If you have these skills, it can be a fantastic dive.

I will never miss an opportunity to dive Farnsworth Banks.
Capt. Ray pins the anchor on great spots there, too. His excellent anchoring has always added to the safety and fun when diving this site.

See you on board, Tevis and Kelli! I can't wait.

~~~~~
Claudette

P.S. I still think that the Point at Old Marineland is THE best dive in SoCal. It's such a personal choice . Farnsworth is my #2. Then Little Farnsworth, Pt. Dume pinnacles, the F.S. Loop wreck, and the Radio tower, and the Fog Wreck, and Blue Caverns, and Albert's pinnacle, and.... oh, uh, ok.. I'll just quit now.... sorry

 

[drbill]

Dr. Bill, Why?

I have never dived Farnsworth....the descriptions, limited as they have been, haven't sound that great to me.

Maybe I have been misled....

As a diver, Farnsworth can be a challenging dive due to the topography, depth and open water conditions. This can be a good thing. I've had to do a few blue water deco stops there without benefit of the line when I got "lost" in my video work. One of them was a great stop as I was surrounded by a HUGE baitball with 2-3 dozen sea lions and a few cormorants diving into it. You always have the chance of seeing pelagics like sunfish, sharks, etc.

As a marine biologist, the life on Farnsworth is fantastic. In addition to the hydrocoral, there are unique species like the as-of-yet-unnamed "red spotted starfish." The cooler temperatures mean colder water species like colorful painted greenlings and several rockfish not usually seen in Catalina's warmer waters. I've seen more Pacific electric (torpedo) rays (5) on one dive here than at any other location.

Here's my description of a set of dives there:

http://www.starthrower.org/products/DDDB/DDDB_150-199/DDDB_179%20purple%20hydrocoral.htm

Since I've never dived Marineland, I can't debate Claudette's choice for #1 dive.

 

[HBDiveGirl]

Since I've never dived Marineland, I can't debate Claudette's choice for #1 dive.

Ahhhh :shakehead Come on, Dr. Bill....

This is Scubaboard!

Plenty of people debate all kinds of stuff with which they have little or no experience!

But, OK, I recognize ethics and restraint when I see them.
It's wonderful

And so are your Diving Dry articles. From phoronids to urchin barrens, I've learned so much from them... THANK YOU!!

~~~~
'Dette

P.S. Please know that the mainland OML crew would be Delighted to tour you around this beautiful dive site at a moment's notice. Keep your passport valid, we'll await your visit. Maybe it could vie for your Favorite Mainland Dive Site?

 

[drbill]

Darn, Tevis... I'm still too young to be Pamper'ed (but I guess it does Depends on who's doing it). Maybe when I start diving dry in my old age.

Thanks Claudette. I really enjoy writing the columns (see http://www.starthrower.org/products/DDDB/column.htm). Unfortunately I stopped writing them 6 weeks ago because the paper was taking 3-4 months to pay me. Hope to resume them soon, but for now the 221 previous columns are archived at the URL above.

If I am successful in getting my local cable TV show "syndicated" on the mainland, I'll be planning on a lot more mainland dives to increase its appeal. Now that #1 dive buddy (Andrea) is living in Big Bear where the water is in solid form, I'm going to need some good guides over there!

And we now return you to Tevis and Barefoot Blue. Folks, if you are an advanced diver and feel comfortable doing a "blue water" dive, this is a fantastic one. Sign up now.

 

[merxlin]

Who: You and Barefoot Blue

Where: Sundiver with Captain Ray headed to beautiful Farnsworth Banks Sunday Morning at 6:00a, come join the fun Saturday night on the boat!

How much: $129.97 for all the food, fun, and compressed air you can handle. We will have unlimited gates! (no DM leering at you because you did 1.5 hours in the water). We are looking at doing two deep dives, and then moving to a shallower site.

Captains choice.

Why: Because you deserve to be pampered. Dream resort pampering right here in the Pacific Ocean.

Remember this is your charter! Your desires count!


We have six spots left. . . . . . .
Please PM me/email us at admin@barefootblue.com.

Look forward to hearing from you,

Kelli & Tevis

I hope the weather cooperates for you. We got shut out of there yesterday (because of the weather and swells) after a full day at Santa Barbara Island on Saturday. I may have to join you.

 

[Archangel]

Hi Everybody,

Thank you for your warm responses. Thank you for all the PM's and emails, we appreciate your support and encouragement!

Tevis talked to Captain Ray this morning, he gave the green light and said that the weather is shaping up to be great this weekend. Also the Sundiver has gotten a facelift for this charter!

Oftentimes diveboats and divers are turned away due to weather, or currents, or . . . . .

Looks like the stars are aligning to make this a great weekend!

We have three seats left!

We will be boarding the Sundiver after 8p Saturday night, you pick out your sleeping arrangements as we will carry your tanks and gear to the vessel.

You will be awakened to coffee served as we are 45 minutes to Farnsworth Banks.

If you could dream of the perfect dive day. . . welcome to Barefoot Blue.

Resort diving in the Pacific. . . come join us!

Kelli