Skin Dive#:017
Fri Jun 27, 08
Pt. Vicente Fishing Acess: rocks, reefs
Purpose: test new gear
Tide: High @ 5:00 pm
Entry: rocks @ 5:45 pm
Distance: out to boulder and towards left of cove
Gear: 5/3suit, mask, snorkel, fins, socks, hood, gloves
Temp: Air 70 F?/Water 64 F?
Enviroment: overcast, light wind, 1-3 ft breaks, light surge
Visibilty: 0-10+ ft
Conditions Synopsis: poor
Sights: bait fish, opaleye, surfperch, sea hare, stars, calico bass, octopus
Exit: same @ 6:15 pm
Time to date: 12 hrs 15 min
Total time this dive: 30 min
Total time: 12 hrs 45 min
Special Notes: Earlier in the week I purchased a new mask and snorkel. I decided to try these out down at Pt. Vicente yesterday after work. I drove over there and recognized some vehicles in the lot and peered oved the cliff. I could see a lone snorkeler with just swmimmin trunks on and two spearfishers gearing up. I quickly loaded my backpack and strapped my wetsuit to it and hiked down. Once down the spearfishers were entering and the snorkeler was about to exit. I geared up and entered over the rocks near the cobblestones. My new mask is ultra low profile and it felt fine. The snorkel keeper felt like it was in the wrong place tho. I will look at that. My new snorkel is another matter, I don't like it. It has a rubber valve near the bottom for easier clearing, but I don't like that it somehow lets in water. My cheapy U.S. divers snorkel works a hundred times better- is lighter, stays closer to my head, and doesn't have leaks. I will spray paint it black and maybe sell the new one. The vis was not too great but opened up nicely in some spots. I was approached by the spearfishers who swam up to me at the boulder in the center of the cove. When they popped up I gave them the OK sign and one dude said, "John Bagge!". And I said, "Who are you?!". He said he was someone's little brother and then I recognized him by face, not by name or association. We exchanged words and chatted about sealife while bobbing up and down in the choppy ocean. They clutched their spears poles and went away searching for a kill. I thought to myself... I try to remove myself from land to get away from everyday life and somehow someone recognizes me in the ocean through mask, snorkel, and hood. It was weird. I swam around and saw MR. Octopus and everytime the dudes killed something I would swim over to them and check it out. They were rowdy. I didn't dive down too much cause I didn't feel 100% with my new gear. But when I did I was reminded of the the weigths strapped to my belt and I enjoyed the ease of going down. I also had a new knife on my belt and practiced taking it out and then re-sheathing it without looking. I exited casually near the cobblestones and then watched one of the spearfishers fumble too long in the breaks, get slammed and loose his catch! I changed back into dry clothes and then chatted more with my peers about diving spots and such. It had been an unusual dip.
Showing posts with label cardiac hill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cardiac hill. Show all posts
June 28, 2008
May 28, 2008
Back At Pt. Vicente
Below: the nice walk down
Skin Dive#:009
Thur April 27, 08
Pt. Vicente Fishing Access: rocks, crevices
Purpose: first use of new wetsuit, show friend spot, rehab my calf
Tide: High @ 5 pm
Entry: rocks @ 6:30 pm
Distance: 10 - 100 yds offshore and about length of cove
Gear: 5/3suit, mask, snorkel, fins, socks, hood
Temp: Air 68 F/Water 58-60 F
Enviroment: scattered clouds, wind, 2 ft ankle breaks, choppy, strong surge
Visibilty: 5-15 ft, mostly 10 ft
Conditions Synopsis: Poor+/Fair
Sights: large garibaldi, surf perch, sargo, various kelp fish (ufo's)
Exit: rocks @ 7 pm
Time to date: 5 hrs 45 min
Total time this dive: 30 min
Total time: 6 hrs 15 min
Special Notes: Last thursday while swimming at the Y and diving to the bottom (with no fins) to play and equalize my ears I managed to get a really bad leg cramp in my left calf. It was completely paralyzing and I limped for a good day. It took about three days to actually feel normal. When I asked the lifeguard about it, he said it's from overexertion or even more likely from dehydration. I was dehydrated, and I swam for the longest and hardest ever that night. He helped me stretch it out and told me how to take care of it and stay hydrated, which I knew, but didn't practice, obviously. It's happened to him before in a swim meet so he just kept going with his good leg until that cramped up and then he was completely screwed. His soreness lasted several days, in both legs. he told me to eat a banana before swimming. So, I'm learnign to take care of my body more to prevent another leg cramp. For some reason, if it happens in the ocean, I'll be prepared for the discomfort, etc. I'll need to float on my back, stick the leg in the air, massage it with one hand and swim back to shore with the other. Pretty hard, that's where a dive buddy is a nescessity.
So this was my first skin dive since that leg cramp happened. Victor came with me and we got in the water an hour after high tide. Ideally, I'd want to be there a half hour before high tide because the currents get a bit stronger on that side of PV during tide change. The little half hour of calmness rigth before peak tide and right after would have made a slight difference in the dive. Same entry as last time, same exit. We swam out to the big rock and peered for rays in the sand. There was more fish life overall in the cove than the last time I was here. Saw many garibaldi. Fun dive. We cut it short cause my knee began to feel loose after spending days with a sore calf and then finally swimming again. Also, sun sets earlier here than Malaga due to positioning of the spot.
Skin Dive#:009
Thur April 27, 08
Pt. Vicente Fishing Access: rocks, crevices
Purpose: first use of new wetsuit, show friend spot, rehab my calf
Tide: High @ 5 pm
Entry: rocks @ 6:30 pm
Distance: 10 - 100 yds offshore and about length of cove
Gear: 5/3suit, mask, snorkel, fins, socks, hood
Temp: Air 68 F/Water 58-60 F
Enviroment: scattered clouds, wind, 2 ft ankle breaks, choppy, strong surge
Visibilty: 5-15 ft, mostly 10 ft
Conditions Synopsis: Poor+/Fair
Sights: large garibaldi, surf perch, sargo, various kelp fish (ufo's)
Exit: rocks @ 7 pm
Time to date: 5 hrs 45 min
Total time this dive: 30 min
Total time: 6 hrs 15 min
Special Notes: Last thursday while swimming at the Y and diving to the bottom (with no fins) to play and equalize my ears I managed to get a really bad leg cramp in my left calf. It was completely paralyzing and I limped for a good day. It took about three days to actually feel normal. When I asked the lifeguard about it, he said it's from overexertion or even more likely from dehydration. I was dehydrated, and I swam for the longest and hardest ever that night. He helped me stretch it out and told me how to take care of it and stay hydrated, which I knew, but didn't practice, obviously. It's happened to him before in a swim meet so he just kept going with his good leg until that cramped up and then he was completely screwed. His soreness lasted several days, in both legs. he told me to eat a banana before swimming. So, I'm learnign to take care of my body more to prevent another leg cramp. For some reason, if it happens in the ocean, I'll be prepared for the discomfort, etc. I'll need to float on my back, stick the leg in the air, massage it with one hand and swim back to shore with the other. Pretty hard, that's where a dive buddy is a nescessity.
So this was my first skin dive since that leg cramp happened. Victor came with me and we got in the water an hour after high tide. Ideally, I'd want to be there a half hour before high tide because the currents get a bit stronger on that side of PV during tide change. The little half hour of calmness rigth before peak tide and right after would have made a slight difference in the dive. Same entry as last time, same exit. We swam out to the big rock and peered for rays in the sand. There was more fish life overall in the cove than the last time I was here. Saw many garibaldi. Fun dive. We cut it short cause my knee began to feel loose after spending days with a sore calf and then finally swimming again. Also, sun sets earlier here than Malaga due to positioning of the spot.
May 15, 2008
My First Garibaldi / Pt. Vicente
Dive#:007
Thur April 15, 08
Point Vicente Fishing Access: reefs and rocks
Tide: High @ 7:30 am
Entry: west rocks @ 8:00 am
Distance: 50 yards out
Gear: spring suit, mask, snorkel, socks, hood
Temp: Air 70 F/Water 58 F
Enviroment: overcast, light wind, 2-3 ft knee breaks, flat to choppy, strong surge
Visibilty: 10-20 ft
Sights: medium garibaldi, surf perch, small kelp fish, many orange sea stars, many purple urchins
Exit: sand @ 8:30 am
Time to date: 4 hrs 15 min
Total time this dive: 30 min
Total time: 4 hrs 45 min
Special Notes: I drove over to Pt. Vicente Fishing Access and was pleased to see through the water all the way up from the parking lot. I hiked down the goat trail and found a spot wich looked like an easy entry. It was awkward but, I eventually sat down on a rock in the shallow during the calm and jumped right in. Once in the water I was happy to see a good 20+ feet vis and was in deep water already. I really enjoyed all the tiny rock canyons and formations. This place is very scenic in that sense. Exited in middle of cove with somewhat of ease. I'm still getting to know the rocks. All in all, it was a great fee dive. I'm happy to finally know the place. This dive needs gloves and hard soled slippers. I didn't get roughed up but, it was close to being gashed on both the entrance and exit; small surface tear on seat of wetsuit.
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