One more trip

Last Saturday I reported on my first trip of the season, and how cold I was in my leaky 3-year-old suit in the 57° F water. I've ordered a new custom suit, but it will take a couple of weeks, and now I'm paying for it not getting one sooner. The water was 55° yesterday, and I thought I'd freeze to death.

But it was still a fun trip with Chris Oakomoto and Dam Nguyen. Chris dropped down on a 51.3 pound white sea bass about 10 yards from me and drilled it. Since Dam got two big ones last week, he was diving with his camera rather than his gun, and he got some great photos. They are unusual in that they tell the story from finding the fish tied up in the kelp, then Chris braining it and cutting it out, then the spectacular shot of his bringing it up, and finally cutting the gills on the surface.

After that fish was taken, the two guys went off in a different direction while I worked the area behind the boat as long as I could stand the cold. After I got back in the boat, took a hot shower, and dressed. Dam came swimming through the same area and saw two singles and a school of six to eight 60 pounders. He said he got a good video of the school, but then his battery died and he couldn't show it to us.

There was no way I could suit back up and get in that cold water again, but after resting for a while Chris and Dam went back in. I thought they were really going to make me regret being a sissy, but they dove for an hour or so and didn't see a thing. It goes to show how things can change so quickly.

foxfish said:

Those are really good pictures Bill...

Click to expand...

Dam is really getting good at it. The current issue of Hawaii Skin Diver Magazine is full of his pictures.

BatRay said:

Those are some gorgeous photos. What was the depth where the fish was shot? Did you feel a bit more comfortable this time, despite the cold?

Click to expand...

The water was about 45 feet deep, but the fish was shot at about 20 feet deep. And then Chris was lucky, because even though it took all of his 110 foot float line before he stopped it, it tied up at about 30 feet rather than going to the bottom.

My diving was a good bit better as long as I lasted, but the cold was just too much. I was hoping my new suit would be ready today, but no calls yet. Maybe Monday.

BTW, last Monday I took another trip and I took Anders, a DB visitor from Norway. Unfortunately, the visibility really went downhill. I never even suited up, but Anders got in the water at four spots and didn't see any white sea bass. He did see a Mola Mola (ocean sunfish) though.

I ordered the suit from JMJ. I have a weird body that won't fit in any off-the-shelf suit, so I have to get custom. I've been wearing JMJ for about 12 years. They don't have camo- its black or green. Three suits ago I went with all green, then the one I just wore out was black and green, and the one I just ordered will be all black.

Its too bad the vis went bad just when you got down here, but it seems bad all over. A friend called me from a spot half way down through Camp Pendleton this morning and said he couldn't even see down the kelp stalks, so he came home.

BatRay said:

It was a shame because I had just purchased a new wetsuit and was looking forward to trying it out. I was also hoping for some good viz because my husband hasn't been in visibility over ten feet, at best. Any word on when it's supposed to clear up?

Click to expand...

Who knows. Its bad even out at Catalina. One guy on Spearboard said he dove the entire front side and a bit of the back side, and it was the worst he has ever seen it out there.