Scuba Diving Trip to Farnsworth Banks, Aug. 7, 2004

Paul, Jay and I went out on the "Great Escape" out of San Pedro for a scuba trip to the backside of Catalina Island. The intended dive site was Farnsworth Banks, a pinnacle about two miles from west shore of the island. Unfortunately, when we arrived a group of free-divers had grabbed the spot, and positioned buoys so that our boat could not anchor. We moved to another spot called Pinnacle Rock. In our first dive, Paul and I followed the anchor line down to about 90 feet, swam around the pinnacle and then returned. It was cold, and the visibility wasn't great, and my mask was fogging.

For the next two dives, we moved to spot called Whale Rock. We didn't dive nearly as deep, bottoming out at around 55 feet. The visibility was decent, and there was plenty of kelp and grass to swim through.  We surfaced from our second dive around 12:30pm. Our third dive almost didn't happen: the captain had decreed that we would be pulling up anchor by 1:30pm, and we really had to scramble.

This was my first time using my new Sony Cybershot camera. The video mode consumes memory voraciously, so I had to delete movies and pictures on the fly to make room for more. Unfortunately, I may have inadvertently deleted some of the best ones, including a movie in which Paul – the subject – was frantically trying to tell me – the camera-man – to turn around, since there was a huge sea bass directly behind me.

Paul and Jay chatting on the deck as the boat approaches the first dive site. Jay: "You've been certified for an advanced dive like this one, haven't you?" Paul, chuckling: "Oh no, I'm not a real scuba diver."		1st Dive: Paul in suspended animation, 90 feet below the surface.
Is this the vaunted red hydro-coral, found only at Farnsworth Banks? It's pretty whatever it is.		More red coral, this time up close and out of focus.
Paul pretending to do chin-ups.		Second Dive: Here's a menacing-looking scorpion fish (perhaps a 18 inches long, and not menacing in the least).
Here am I, cruising.		"I saw a fish THIS big!"
"Gimme a hug!"		Paul, in a compromising position.
My favorite picture: grass, kelp and Garibaldi fish around Whale Rock.		Paul, swimming through the kelp.
"Take the picture already!"		Jay, floating in suspended animation as we descended.
Paul, swimming through the kelp.		Kelp blowin' in the current.
Jay, up close and personal.		Me, going down, down, down.
Me, in the kelp.		Me, in the kelp again.
Me, in the kelp a third time.		A view of Palos Verdes as the boat was approaching San Pedro.
Paul, snoozing comfortably on the deck.		A container ship.
The container ship, apparently being pushed by a tug-boat. (Aren't tug boats supposed to tug?)

A short, jerky movie featuring Paul towards the end.		A nice video of Marc swimming around (You'll notice that Paul, the camera-man, seems to be doing a pirouette.)
Jay waves hello.		Jay swims around.