SoCal Dive Reports - Let us know about your dive!

[azstinger11]

La Jolla Shores
Date 8/30/14
Surf at Entry: 1-3ft
Light to Moderate surge at shallower depths, once past about 30ft surge nonexistent
Visibility: 10-15ft
Surface Water Temp:68
Temp at Depth: 61

Just a checkout dive for us before the dive boat this weekend. We kicked out from kellog tell about even with the end of scripps pier, took an east heading then explored to the north along the canyon, before turning SE back towards our entry area. We were able to see 2 large sheep crab, a large school of sardines, painted greenling, tube dwelling anemone, and one larger fish that I am still trying to figure out what he is (thinking a bass of some sort but unsure).

Edit: photo of my mystery fish (I am hoping to take the REEF fish course out here soon, as the invertebrates course was great)

GOPR0114

 

[MaxBottomtime]

It's a female sheephead, Semicossyphus pulcher.

 

[bshmerlie]

Crescent bay
8/30/14
1-2 foot swell
Visibility 15 feet
Water temp- 73
Minor surge

Excellent day...lots of fish, lobsters, and many seals. Seas were calm with a mild breeze. No other divers all day. Dove off my own boat.

 

[Lopez116]

8/31

Catalina - Yellowtail Point

Temp - 74 surface, 68 at 45'

Viz - 30-40'

Current - lots (east to west)

 

[azstinger11]

It's a female sheephead, Semicossyphus pulcher.

Thanks. That was one of the possibilites we had, the book we have said it needed to have a pink underbelly and due to the photo quality we weren't positive. Thanks again!

 

[bshmerlie]

9/6
Marine Room at the reef
2-3 surf
<10 foot visibility
Water temp 70
Surge was a little annoying although not too bad.
Wore a wet suit but hood was not needed.
Beach entry had to deal with incoming surf.

Did two dives. One at 6:30am was better. We were fighting the current too much on the second dive. Saw a horned shark, leopard shark, small lobsters, and misc fish. Not the greatest dive because it was a little murky but well worth it for me as I got to work on my buoyancy skills. I am much improved over just a couple of weeks ago. Weights on my ankles helped quite a bit.

 

[SanDiegoSidemount]

Long Point, Catalina Island
Sept 13, 14
78F at ~40 feet
Visibility 10-50 feet

This weekend's strong Northwesterly winds made finding suitable dive sites a challenge along Catalina's east side. The lee of Long Point seemed the best protected from the wind and chop, so we ended up there both days. Currents were quite strong at the point, though that's not unusual in my experience.

The kelp is really torn up: there are no "forests" to be seen. According to @drbill, this is due to a summer of very warm water temps, which caused the kelp to be weak from lack of nutrients, which in turn made it susceptible to recent hurricane swell events.

And yet, it's still Catalina. Which means it's always a pleasure.

 

[drbill]

Ship Rock, Catalina
Sept 11
73 F at 120 fsw
Vis 80-100 ft

Exceptional dive on Ship Rock. No noticeable thermocline to 120 fsw. Mating octopus.

 

[lamarpaulski]

Casino Park
10/14/2014
Viz 30 to 50
Temp 71
Depth 64
Nice..very warm set of dives.
Saw GSB at deep end of Su jac on each dives. Small school of sm. yellowtail and 1 largish leopard shark. Cardinalfish. A lot of what initially looked like used condoms but are some kind of tube shaped floating critter. Never seen before.

Very nice dives..still no kelp.

 

[tc]

Catalina- Big Fishermans Cove
10/31/14
Vis 100ish
Temp 71
Depth 25

Not much kelp left but lots of other life- including one Finescale Triggerfish.