SoCalSwami Diving

6/24/2009 - 06-24-09 LJS Clear and crisp

Dive Report for Wed 6-24-09
Time: 6:24 pm
Location: Crap Patch / Vallecitos Point
Time: 84 min
Avg Temp: 54deg
Max Depth: 75'
Avg Depth: 44'

Photos

I was joined by my good friends SnL this evening along with a new dive buddy Donovan Lang for a wonderful dive of the shores of La Jolla. I had hoped to see Brian F, but he was a no show.

Special thanks to Marla, who had planned on making the dive tonight, and agreed to bring my tanks down from the shop, but could not dive due to ear troubles :( we missed you.

After some slight delays, we finally ventured out into the 1-2' surf and kicked out just past the lifeguard tower buoy. Dropping down together into 25fsw, the viz was nice; clear enough in fact to notice SnL were having to equip issues (unfortuntately not all that uncommon these days). After confirming some trouble with Spencer, he indicated he and Laura would try and meet us near the point and waved adios.

Continuing on, my new buddy and I ventured forth down the 50' contour, past a painfully obvious thermocline at 30' and into the detritus patch. The water was so clear under the thermocline we could see from one side of the patch to the start of the wall. Had to be 30'+

Coaxing our way through the detritus, we scoped some horn sharks, Lions nudis and some pipe fish.

Continuing our way South/West we eventually eased our way up the slope and onto the wall, where I found my best find of the day, a Janolus barbarensis the size of kernal of corn.

Along the way out to the point, was bumped into a big male sheephead, a D. iris, and some Cuthona divae. No Cumanotus (rats).

To round things out we saw tons of crabs and shrimp and a few bat rays on the exit.

Overall a fantastic dive. I just wished SnL and Marla could have been there to see it.

Mike Hallack