13 replies to this topic

[drbill]

Simon arrived from London this morning and we met at Scuba Luv's shop to get ready for our dives together today. The boat was crowded today (~30 divers) so it took a little time to get everyone organized before we departed Avalon.

The weather was gorgeous... a beautiful southern California February day with warm sunshine and clerar skies. Our first dive site was Twin Rocks. I had thought about dropping down the anchor line and swimming across the bottom to a "quasi pinnacle" nearby. When we hit bottom, the anchor was in 100 ft rather than 75 feet and Simon was diving 36% Nitrox so I decided to head upslope to the shallows. Had a good dive, but the surge made it difficult to maintain decent buoyancy. Simon finished his dive and headed back to the boat while I continued to dive and film... finding a number of abalone as well as an Anthopleura anemone (normally intertidal) and a beautifully colored and patterned rock (how many divers film the geology of the sites?).

Lots of fun people to meet and chat with during the surface interval. Simon was much too warm in his dry suit (unlike most divers who tend to be too cold) so he put on lighter undergarments for the second dive.

We dove Isthmus Reef. The surge was pretty powerful on top of the reef and visibility mediocre, so I led Simon down to about 85 ft over the sandy bottom looking for sea pens. I didn't see a one, but the strong current may have been the reason. The deeper elk kelp was lying flat on the bottom due to the current. I swam us back to the wall (~50-60') at the end of the reef and we were soon joined by two of the lady divers (obviously attracted by two very manly types like Simon and myself!). Headed back to the boat over the top of the reef.

More topside socializing and lunch followed the second dive. We motored down towards Avalon and stopped at Torqua Springs for the third dive. Now the captain and I consider Torqua Springs to be a 1 or a 10 depending on conditions. Today it was a 1... poor vis (bat rays feeding or buoyancy control challenged divers?), lots of surge, late afternoon shading. As Simon said, all three of his dives were "night dives" (relative to London time).

Just got my shower and captured the video footage to the computer. Will get together with Simon, and possibly Vivian and Victor divers from New York who were on the boat yesterday. Both Simon and Vivian lived in Hurghada.

Tomorrow we plan to dive Casino Point for a change of pace (and place). Report to follow.

[Simon]

Wow Bill that was fast, I've got back to the hotel room and signed up for internet accesss and you've posted a report.

Yeah you're right about the three night dives, last dive went into tomorrow if you follow. The time in England would have been past midnight and surfacing at 12.20 am. My body clock hasn't ajusted as yet but no doubt tomorrow will see it sorted out.

The equiptment that I cobbled together for this tour has to be as versitile as possible as it has to be used in warm, very warm. cold and even colder water. The thermals that I brought are amazingly warm. I did wear them last Saturday for the first time in England and the water temp was 38f and I did three 45 min dives and I wasn't cold at all, however today I was really warm and sweating way too much. Removing the trousers for the second and third dives did the trick but the pee valve rubbed a little on my leg.

All in all three very enjoyable dives and Bill is a superb buddy, you don't need a reference book

I saw a egg case from a horn shark, to some this may not be too exiting but it really made my day as I have only ever seen pictures of these before.

My first taste of diving California and I really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow as Bill said it's the casino and in the surface interval I'm going to see if I can talk him into coming to the Red Sea.

Thanks again for today Bill

Edited by Dive_Girl, 19 February 2007 - 03:33 PM.

[drbill]

Hey, thank you, Simon. It was a pleasure.

I loved the fact that Simon felt our water was comfortable (I had temps as low as 54 today, coldest I've had at rec depths this winter), but as you can see he recently dove 38 F water in England. I'd definitely have to dive dry for that. On top of that he's also seen a lot of low vis situations there (probably why the wise man stays in the Red Sea!), so even the bad vis on the third dive didn't bother him. Nothing like the 85' vis we had when Walter and Sapphire were out here a few years ago.

Simon got to meet the lovely, intelligent Vivian Lu who dove with us yesterday. She lived in Hurghada for a while as well. Unfortunately Vivian and her BF Victor caught colds and couldn't dive with us today (or was it that they just preferred a little time to themselves on the island of romance?).

Hmmm... I'm going to play hard to convince re: the Red Sea tomorrow!

Edited by drbill, 19 February 2007 - 12:18 AM.

[Dive_Girl]

VERY COOL! I enjoy reading when SD divers are able to make these kinds of diving connections! Thanks to both of you for posting and sharing!

[jextract]

...
Just got my shower and captured the video footage to the computer.

And I'm sure the ladies on this site are waiting for the upload of THAT video!

[Simon]

...
Just got my shower and captured the video footage to the computer.

And I'm sure the ladies on this site are waiting for the upload of THAT video!

Well that's wasn't the footage that I saw.

Today we were to dive from the Casino. We met at Scuba Luv and discussed if we should can the dive as it had rained and was a little blustery. We decided that one dive should do it, However we were somewhat distracted when we went to pick up the gear with Vivian and Victor the couple from new York who had called into the store.

When we reache dthe Casino the wind was quite bad and there was a fair old chop on the water thrashing the steps. We watched a couple of divers struggle in and fin out only to return without diving so we decided to can it.

later on Bill and I met and had a drive down down to the casino where it was a totally different picture. Blue sky and a pleasent sea, we exchaned our views on how quickly conditions can alter and watched a Sealion moving along the water. We were again joined by Vivian and Victor and a decision was taken to obtain some wine and go to Bills to watch his footage of Great Whites.

On the way back we obtained some supplies, Bill gave me his secret recipe for beer shakes. If you want it you have to ask him because its a secret.

Tomorrow it's back oout on the boat and then on Wednesday I fly on to Tahiti.

[drbill]

...
Just got my shower and captured the video footage to the computer.

And I'm sure the ladies on this site are waiting for the upload of THAT video!

Funny, Jamie, funny. I shower in my wetsuit so it would be PG rated. Wish you and Wendi had been out this weekend.

[drbill]

Yep, the four of us had a great time drinking beer milkshakes and California merlot. Not too much since Simon and I will be diving tomorrow. Great company. Hated to take Vivian and Victor down to the boat so they could head to the mainland to catch their red eye to NYC. I may be heading there sometime myself!

Returned and Simon and I chatted, he showed me some interesting music file sharing software and located the songs that my housemate Iris and I asked about.

Having Simon here has been a gas. He is a great guy, funny, proficient as a diver (certainly can out do me in the technical field... I won't even touch the depths he goes to, and I'm considered a pretty "deep" diver!). Very glad that WW suggested I show him Catalina while he was out here. It has been a very pleasant experience.

Dive report will be posted tomorrow... weather forecast is for nearly 10 degrees warmer and calm seas.

[Simon]

Yep, the four of us had a great time drinking beer milkshakes and California merlot. Not too much since Simon and I will be diving tomorrow. Great company. Hated to take Vivian and Victor down to the boat so they could head to the mainland to catch their red eye to NYC. I may be heading there sometime myself!

Returned and Simon and I chatted, he showed me some interesting music file sharing software and located the songs that my housemate Iris and I asked about.

Having Simon here has been a gas. He is a great guy, funny, proficient as a diver (certainly can out do me in the technical field... I won't even touch the depths he goes to, and I'm considered a pretty "deep" diver!). Very glad that WW suggested I show him Catalina while he was out here. It has been a very pleasant experience.

Dive report will be posted tomorrow... weather forecast is for nearly 10 degrees warmer and calm seas.

Today was the last day diving for me as I fly out tomorrow to Tahiti. I did two dives today and Dr Bill did three The first Dive was Gibraltar Rock (I think), a very pleasent dive indeed. Dr Bill will no doubt be posting the details and as he put's it far more elequoently than I do, I'll leave it to him.

Were going to meet up tonight and as it's my last evening on Catalina we're intending on sinking some more beer shakes. No diving tomorrow for either of us!

I've really enjoyed my time here and it has been made so much more pleasureable with the company of Dr Bill. "It's always nice to meet nice people". I have been trying to pursuade him to venture out to Egypt but right now he seems focused on other destinations. I'll give it another go this evening.

Edited by Simon, 20 February 2007 - 08:43 PM.

[Penguin]

drbill & simon
2 things: First, PLEASE share the recipe for beer shakes........You can PM it to me and I promise to keep it secret and make it for Kamala and the gang at BTS!!!!

Second, Simon, where are you diving in Tahiti? I have a very good friend who lives there and I would love to connect you with her. You can PM me and I will check as frequently as possible.

[drbill]

drbill & simon
2 things: First, PLEASE share the recipe for beer shakes........You can PM it to me and I promise to keep it secret and make it for Kamala and the gang at BTS!!!!

The recipe is simple. Take about 1/4-1/3 of a half gallon of vanilla ice cream; spoon it into a blender; add a bottle of your favorite beer (we used Corona, but over the past 30 years of doing this we've used a LOT of different beers); blend it... and drink!

[drbill]

Simon and I dove Little Gibraltar Reef on our first dive. Conditions were good but not outstanding. However this site, a submerged pinnacle reaching up to within 35' of the surface, has a lot of life including morays, lobster, starfish of several species. It is a nice dive site and we had a good dive.

Second stop was Dynamite Shed, just below the old TNT shack at the old quarry. For some reason I rarely find the best part of this reef. Today was no exception! We never found it (the vis had deteriorated with a lot of resuspended sand, bat rays feeding?). Not a great dive... but a great dive buddy!

Simon planned to sit out the third dive to get his gear ready to travel. We stopped at Goat Harbor. I descended to 180 ft to film "deep ecology" critters, but discovered that the video light battery I had just inserted had either lost its charge or was dead. Grrr... I saw two juvenile fish I've never seen before. Looked like some kind of rockfish but now I'll never know.

Neither of us were hungry after all the food on the dive boat, so Simon came up to finish off the beer milkshakes and we had a grfeat chat until I drove him back to the hotel. We'll get together tomorrow after I edit today's video, and then he takes off for Tahiti! It's been a very pleasant visit.

[Simon]

drbill & simon
2 things: First, PLEASE share the recipe for beer shakes........You can PM it to me and I promise to keep it secret and make it for Kamala and the gang at BTS!!!!

Second, Simon, where are you diving in Tahiti? I have a very good friend who lives there and I would love to connect you with her. You can PM me and I will check as frequently as possible.

Ahh so Dr Bill has given the recipe away.All beware, they don't sound good but they taste great.

I've sent you a PM

Now in light of Penguin having a friend on Tahiti I'll start a new thread with the full details of my trip as some of you may have friends in other destinations and If I write about where I've been it may give a few of you ideas for your own holidays.

[drbill]

Alas, I only have "friends in low places" (you know, like 60 feet under).

Hey, if you're anywhere near where Simon plants his fins on this trip, take advantage of the opportunity to meet and dive with him.

Edited by drbill, 21 February 2007 - 10:07 AM.