Nick Radov sent the following report to the BAUE mailing list:
Kevin Metcalfe organized a little BAUE get together for today. Paul Braunbehrens, Will G, Mark Lanett and I were supposed to meet this morning at Breakwater but we didn't have much of a plan beyond that. We never saw Mark (what happened to you Mark?) but Paul's friend Glenn Davis had come along with him. Paul wasn't feeling too well and didn't want to dive, but he graciously offered to take the rest of us out on his boat.
With such a heavy load in the boat we didn't want to go too far out so for the first dive we hit Ball Buster. I dove with Glenn, and then Kevin and Will followed later. There was so much algae in the shallow water that I though the dive was going to really suck, but once we got down to the pinnacle the visibility opened up to at least 35. Saw an adult wolf eel, some decorator crabs, and the usual varieties of rock fish. There is a float on the surface attached to a line wrapped around the pinnacle but we didn't bother checking if there was anything on the other end. Maximum depth 98, average depth about 85, run time 42 minutes.
After filling tanks we went out again to Hopkins reef. Glenn had bailed on us so Kevin, Will, and I dove as a team of three. Since Paul was on board we decided to skip anchoring and run a live boat. Visibility here was a little worse, but it turned out to be the land of the giant nudibranchs! We saw one that looked like a Sea Lemon but it was about the size of a rabbit and almost white instead of yellow. There was also an unusually large Flabellina iodinea (I think), plus a juvenile wolf eel. Maximum depth 80, average depth 75, run time 43 minutes. We sent up a marker buoy at the end and Paul picked us up.
It would be nice if we could start getting a larger turn out at BAUE events. If we want to dive Cordell Banks later this year it's time to start getting some practice in how to work together as a team. Does anyone have a suggestion on what to do next?
Glen Davis posted the followin report to the ba_diving mailing list:
(Removed Friday's info)
Saturday - Dove Monterey Bay with Paul again and friends Keith Metcalfe, Nick and William of a local DIR dive club (forgot club name). We were going to drop the club off at the barge expecting 5-6 divers but when only 3 showed up I suggested we slog out to Ball Buster. Paul wasn't feeling well and so was kind enough to be the captain but didn't dive. Water at the site was clear 0-10', very green 10-65' and again clear below 65' with the vis at the bottom being 40'. Nick found a large male wolf eel in a little cave in the rock, it had several bit sized fish with it that looked like an easy meal for the wolf eel. Decided that the float and line I spotted earlier in the week is just a loose float and line from someone's fish trap. It's line has wrapped itself around the rock but is not attached. Should have brought it up by attaching the end to the anchor - but didn't. Next diver that dives the site should consider doing that to clean it up. Didn't dive a second dive as I thought conditions weren't that good for a not so deep 2nd dive with the green water layer from 10-65'.
(Removed Sunday's info)