Wreckreational Diving

10/25/2008 - Worst Conditions Of The Year

I'm beginning to distrust the visual acuity of other divers. I've made dives in fifteen feet vis and had a buddy call it twenty-five. That's a huge difference. Earlier this week I dived Redondo Canyon and had five FOV at depth. I read a report later that said thirty-five feet. Wow! Conditions changed dramatically in an hour. Yesterday I read about thirty-five FOV on the south side of Palos Verdes. I got in the water early at Sacred Cove, only to find visibility between a few inches and two feet throughout the cove. I stayed down anyway. The animals I came to see were still there. It was just going to be difficult to find them.
I mucked around for fifty minutes without seeing a single fish, nudibranch, tunicate or sponge. I was about to give up when I finally found a Hopkin's Rose. I spent seventeen minutes taking photos using various camera settings before moving on. This would have angered even the most patient of buddies.
I soon found more Hopkin's Roses and one Laila's cockerelli nudibranch, plus two Garibaldis. I planned to make it a two hour dive, but at 1:51 the surge picked up. I surfaced in ten feet of water and made my way up the long, steep trail.
Thanks to Divebum Don for allowing me to park at his house, avoiding a ticket and/or tow.