Date: November 27, 2009

Location: Wreck Alley, Ruby E.

Time: 10:07 AM

Dive length: 43 minutes

Max Depth: 84 ft.

Surface Conditions: large 4 to 6 foot swells at 16 second intervals

Visibility: on Ruby E., poor: 3 to 5 feet

Surge: heavy at times, 3 to 4 feet in either direction

Purpose of Dive: REEF Survey

Mix: 28 %

Dive Team: Barb, Tim and Kevin Lee

Photos: pending upload by Kevin

Marine life observed: blacksmith fish, with huge numbers of juveniles 1 to 2 inches long, both inside and outside of the wreck, Black Surfperch, Greenlings, Black eyed Gobies, Barred Sand Bass, Red Gorgonians, Warty Sea Cucumbers, Tube-Dwelling Anemones, Strawberry Anemones, Giant Spined Sea Stars, Moon Sponges and White Medtridia.

Highlights:

We knew that the swell would be picking up today, but were still surprised to be greeted by 6 foot swells at the mouth of Mission Bay channel at 9:00 AM. Although we had been hoping to go to Point Loma today, to give Kevin Lee nudibranch hunting opportunities, seeing large white breakers crashing onto the beaches both south and north of us, caused us to make an on-the- spot decision to divert to Wreck Alley instead, for safety’s sake.

Upon arrival at the Rub E, it was decided that Kevin and I would drop down first, to check out conditions, with Barb and Tim bringing up the rear.

Knowing that Kevin would be busy with his macro photography, and I with my REEF Survey, we decided to make ours a SOSD: [ Same Ocean, Same Day] dive team.

Kevin and rolled in about 10 minutes ahead of me, and when I arrived on the wreck, I could see he was already down in a hold below deck, busy taking pictures. Since the surge was heavy on the deck, I waited until he was finished , and then went in after he had come out. It is a testament to his diving professionalism, that when I dropped down into the hold after him, it was completely clear, meaning, he knew not to use his fins inside the ship and stir things up!

It was a bit spooky down below, with lots of Tube-Dwelling anemones, and Black-Eyed Gobies, darting about in the dark corners. A dead lobster, lying on his back, appeared in the beam of my Nite Rider light.

I noted the anemones and Gobies on my slate and then slowly inflated my BC and rose slowly back onto the deck, which was covered with bright red Gorgonians and orange and yellow sponges, vibrating in the surge.

I spent the rest of the dive cruising about the deck, making note of the marine life I saw and putting it on my slate. But the surge was so heavy, I found myself frequently ducking down back into the holds below deck, to get out of it.

Entering the skeletal structure of the pilot house, was just asking to be knocked around and pinned up against a beam, so I quickly exited.

Finally, after about 35 minutes of getting thrown around, I decided my survey was done, and headed for the surface.

I’ve gotten what I’d come for, and hopefully so had Kevin, in these typically Southern California winter diving conditions.

He had no regrets, and neither did I…..

Tim and Barbara may have set a new record for the world’s shortest dive: apparently his tank slipped out of the BC straps within just a few minutes of descending, and rather than hassle with a broken strap, we decided to come back up.

All in a day’s work, in Southern California!

Dive safe everyone,

Mikey

Note: this dive report was dictated using voice recognition software; any syntactical or verbal oddities are due solely to this program.