Club Boat Dive Report
Great Escape to San Clemente Island
June 9, 2002

Report:  By David Garthwaite, SCDCIE Member at Large

The new location for the Great Escape is classic fisherman’s pier.  Getting on and off the 710 is easy, and the loading area and parking are close.  The surrounding facilities are a little on the rough side, but it is a short drive to downtown Long Beach.  Robert Carlos and I boarded the boat about 7:30 pm.  We were the second ones there, so we dropped off our gear and went into town.  We returned about 10:00 and noticed Jody and Elissa Thompson had checked in.  We also ran into Richard Scobey getting his grand raffle prize MX-5 camera ready for action.  We looked at the boarding manifest and notice other club members Conrad Miller and Mike Doyon, who along with Clara McMurray were teaching an advanced class on this trip.

I woke up about 6:00, to an overcast view of San Clemente Island.  Mike Thompson & Paula Schwable were all ready up and raring to go!  We were still about 10 miles out, and heading to the center of the island.  This was a relief since last month we ended up at Catalina.  The name of the first dive spot was “Wilson Cove”.  We had two Divemasters, Paul Haase and Lee Anthony.  While Lee gave the briefing, Paul went hunting for game.  We suited up, picked up a lone diver, and jumped in.  We dropped to a sandy bottom, adjusted our buoyancy, and headed for the kelp beds.  We saw numerous bugs, kelp bass and garibaldi.  The visibility was from 20 to 30 feet, but we would get so deep in the beds, we needed lights to see anything.  This dive had a maximum depth of 60’, and a dive time of 53 minutes.  The water temp at depth would get down to 55, and even in a drysuit my feet and hands could feel it.  We completed a safety stop and returned to the boat.

While our tanks were getting filled, our stomachs wanted the same.  The crew put on a nice breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, toast and juice.  I’m sure there was more, but that was enough for me.  The captain picked weighed anchor and we headed north to the next dive location.

The second dive site was called “LCI”.  I think this is some Marine or Navy term.  This site also had large kelp beds, plenty of bugs and good visibility.  I got some good pictures of a Spanish shawl and large schools of blacksmiths.  The water temp was still on the cool side in some areas.  We ran into Elissa and Jody, and waved to the camera.  We surfaced after a 53-minute dive with a max depth of 43’.

Back on the boat, while off gassing, we were treated to sliced cantaloupe and fresh fruit.  The overcast turned into a misting sprinkle, but since we were already wet, nobody seemed to mine.  The boat headed further north to Northwest harbor.  This dive site gave us two choices. Swim east into deeper water and try to find large schools of sea bass, or west into kelp beds to areas where navy seals practice.  We chose the kelp beds.  While the number of bugs was low, they still could be found.  We also found a large crab with one claw missing.  The rock formations were like blocks stacked together.  Every once in a while the sun could be seen poking through the kelp.  This dive was 42’ for 55 minutes.  After we return, Elissa was all bugged eyed about the biggest shark she had ever seen.  She thought is was a Bull or White, but nobody else saw it to confirm.  Also, her camera housing was having problems, so no pictures either.  I’m thinking large sheepshead.  =-)

Roll call was taken, and it was lunchtime.  Steak and potatoes with all the fixings was on the menu.   With diving and eating on the agenda, the only thing missing was sleep, which many divers did on the 5-hour trip back.  It was too bad for those who decided to hit the bunks, because hot brownies and ice cream were prepared for desert.  Also, on the way back, dolphins, sea lions, and sunfish entertained us. The boat arrived back about 5:30, and everyone unloaded his or her gear.  Club boat dives are great for all levels of dive certification.  I would urge all club members take time out to enjoy this type of experience.  It was a great time for all that went.   And Clarke, we missed you’re DMing the trip.  Hope the other trip with your class went well!