|
|
BAUE Trip Reports
2/9/2014 Pt Lobos by Clinton Bauder -- [View this report only]
| Bottom Team: |
Clinton Bauder, Robert Lee |
| Visibility: |
25' - 40' |
Time: | 10:30 AM |
| Temp: |
52F |
Surge: |
2' |
| Scooter: |
X-scooter |
Burn Time: |
|
| Max Depth: |
110FSW |
Avg Depth: |
75FSW |
| Bottom Time: |
1:20 |
Total Time: |
1:30 |
| Bottom Gases: |
EAN32 | Deco Gases: | O2 |
| Backgas Config: |
| Deco Tanks: | AL40 |
| Deco Profile: |
10, slow up |
| |
After the boat for Saturday got cancelled due to high winds Rob and I scored a Lobos reservation for Sunday from Doug Simmons. Thanks Doug! As there have been numerous reports of Giant Octopus sightings we decided to go looking for them. We knew there was one at Beto's Reef and Jon, Gary and Beto told us about another one at Granite Point. There had also been a sighting at Bluefish Cove. We decided to start at Beto's and then head over to Granite Point.
As I got geared up I somehow caught my right wrist on one of the bolt snaps on my harness and tore a hole in the wrist seal. Ugh. I was pretty sure I was done for the day but Rob looked at it and said he thought he could fix it with a bicycle tire patch kit. The tear was in a fortunate location where it didn't need to stretch much and the repair looked like it would hold. After a quick test at the ramp we got in and headed out. Good thing too, I would have hated to have missed this dive.
Vis looked good as we scootered out on the surface to the sand channel. We dropped just North of the Worm Patch and headed out to Beto's. Rob quickly found the octo in its den with a pile or Rock Crab bits on the bottom below. The octo didn't seem to want to come out but we weren't quite ready to leave. Rob wandered off a bit looking for other octo signs and I spent some time looking over the crab burial ground.
After a few minutes I looked up and realized a rock between me and Rob wasn't actually a rock. I started signaling Rob while trying to simultaneously get my camera ready. As Rob headed back towards me the octo decided my frantic signals and flailing deserved a closer look and the next thing you know my camera is completely engulfed.
After a few pictures the octo then decided to give Rob the treatment; eventually completely engulfing his head. Fortunately Rob was able to retain possession of his regulator. Eventually the octo got bored and wandered up the wall, said hello to the other octo and finally retreated into it's own den.
After we recovered from the experience we headed over to Granite Point where we found 2 more octos in dens near where Jon and crew had seen them the previous day. Amazing; four in one day! We finished up the dive decompressing with a nice school of rockfish on Middle Reef.
I love diving here.
Pictures here: |
|
