Dive report: SWS sunday 16oct2011

With a good weekend forecast, Kwok, Rick, & I decided to hit up Carmel.
As daylight is getting scarce, Kwok & I begrudgingly decided to head out earlier than our usual noon start.
Rick was game for anything, so we quickly loaded gear/kayaks, picked him up, & headed down the 101. 

Rounding Seaside, we got our first glance of the water... and it was spectacular.   
The flattest water I've seen all year; minimal swell & glassy smooth!
The skies were a clear blue, winds faint, and sun glowing. Just a beautiful day.

Despite the epic topside conditions, visibility was varied.
A strong surface haze gave way to slightly clearer waters beneath.
Nothing to be excited about, but very huntable.

We dove sporadically over a mile stretch of coast, checking several reef systems.
Lots of fish around, but we held off for some of the more choice species.
Rick ended the day with a ling, cab, sheephead, treefish, & few other RF.
Kwok got a ling, vermillion, couple olives, & other assorted RF.
I scrounged around for a few RF & a couple lings.   



Some pics... only took a handful, so nothing fancy.   

Rick with his first treefish:


The rest of Rick's varied stringer:


The Kwok, challenging himself to shoot the smallest olive he could find:


My humble catch - olives, ling, & a red:


Kwok feeding some of the locals:


Rick & Kwok, winding down after a long day of diving:



Only vid I got on the day:



My favorite memory of the dive:
Kwok had just shot a blueRF and let go of his gun(floatline).  He was on the surface chatting with us, while casually pulling up the blue with his floatline.  Mid-conversation, he started yelling for my speargun... and I knew exactly what that meant.  Stuck my head underwater to see a hitchhiker ling latched onto his blue.  The bottom was in 50's here, top of pinnacle ~35-40... so that ling had come up quite a ways.  Sending a quick smirk in his direction, Kwok read my mind and let out a "nooooooo!" as I lifted my leg up and submerged.  I soon felt Kwok desperately groping at me like a drown victim... trying to pull me back to surface by my leg.  Too late... a quick shot & the ling was secured.  Ling robbery complete!


Honorable mentions:

• Watching 2 lings circling each other, like dogs sniffing each others' tails.  Rick & I dove, to find both lings patiently sitting in the same long crack.  After deciding to shoot one, they disappeared...
• Working an extended ledge, specifically looking for a vermillion.  Passed up several sheephead, olives, & lings.  Finally finding a red, it stared me down, so I had to poke it in forehead to get it to turn broadside!
• Kwok finding & shooting a red.  He had a 18 month streak of not finding them.  In the last 6 dive trips, he's shot 4!  Super stoked for him.
• Finally diving with Rick.  Scheduling (& my laziness) always seemed to impede getting together for a fun dive.  Not sure if he'll ever dive with me again after we kept him on the water for 9hrs. 

Nothing particularly outstanding catch-wise, but a fun and productive day.
Thanks to both Kwok & Rick for a great time out on the water!   

Can't watch the vid here at work, but the words and pics just put a big fat smile on my face.

Going on my second weekend with out getting wet and I needed that report.

Congrats to all three of you and thanks for sharing!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Looks like a blast for the more adventuresome.

Great write up and photos - enjoyed watching.

Thanks for the report, pictures , and video Fuzz.

SWEET!!!!

Speechless...you guys just pull it off...incredible! Wish I could've been there to see Nelson's reaction!

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Congrats! I guess I have to start spear fishing to come home with fish everytime

Nice report.  Can't wait to learn to spear fish.  Winters kill me when I can't fish. 

Quality reporting, Harold, as always.  I'm stoked that you guys got together for a dive - that's a pro ensemble of divers/sportsmen/excellent documenters and sharers right there.   

Harold, thanks for the report brother! Very cool to see you and Nelson diving with Rick It's so awesome to see Rick getting better and better, awesome job on another sheephead!! That is one fish that I'm hoping to catch one of these days 

Wtg brothers!!

Nice report Harold. Love the B+W vid

I have to reconsider shark_bait becoming a spearo, it seems to breed thievery 

wow...so cool. Fuzz, I still need to get that gun to you for some TLC (assuming the offer still stands)

E

wow...so cool. Fuzz, I still need to get that gun to you for some TLC (assuming the offer still stands)

E

For sure, just PM me when you're free.   

cool report. Thank fo rsharing the stories 7 the fish porn. I dig the B&W vid, looks like it was "the good old days" on 10/16!