11/19/2013 E3 aboard Escapade by Gary Banta

[ghbanta]

11/19/2013 E3 aboard Escapade by Gary Banta -- [View in Reports Page]

Bottom Team:	Susan Bird, Alberto Nava, Gary Banta
Visibility:		Time:	11:00 AM
Temp:		Surge:
Max Depth:	150FSW	Avg Depth:
Bottom Time:	0:22	Total Time:
Bottom Gases:	21/35	Deco Gases:	EAN50
Backgas Config:	Double HP100	Deco Tanks:	AL80
Deco Profile:
Tuesday I completed the T1 “experience dive”. This was a week after Jon and Teresa completed theirs. Last week I was totally exhausted after 7 days of diving it 8 days. For the experience dive I buddied up with Susan and we set off on the Escapade for E3 – just outside of Point Lobos. The seas were dead flat, no wind and the sun was peeking through broken clouds. Stunning. We dropped into truly blue water and descended to find the twin pinnacles of E3 in full view. Vis was over 100 feet. E3 is “Elephant Ear Edge” and it certainly is. Spaced about 4 feet from each other are EE sponges, literally everywhere. Between them are gorgonians and corynactus, etc. I was blown away. There is nothing like this in the recreational range. We circled the NW pinnacle at 150. Beto found a beautiful snail on a gorgonian. Up close was amazing but conditions drew the eye to the visas. Looking up above the pinnacles was clouds of rockfish and as we rounded the NW end a Mola cruised by checking us out. We moved up and over to the top of the second pinnacle, thumbed the dive and headed up. Deco was easy and totally relaxing enabling us to look around and take in the occasional life in the water column. Then at 30 feet, four to six good sized Molas showed up and did the ballet for several minutes. Magic! On the surface and to home with several stops to attempt swimming with the Rizzos. They were everywhere! I felt -- “ We are not in Kansas anymore”