First (SWS)

After watching the weather/swell all week, looking multiple times a day to see if it is going to change for the better or worst. I decide to commit and go a head and bring a my dive stuff and yak with me to work on Tuesday and I'll make the final decision wed night. I asked a buddy, who relieves, me on Thursday if he could come in at 6 am instead of 7, he agreed. Now as long as we don't have a call, that will take hours, right before he gets there, I'll be good. The plan is set.

On the road by 6:30 with 2 1/2 hours to think about the plan for when I get there. I was hoping to go to SWS for the first time. But it being a first I was a little nervous of what to expect, so I drive by coral st  just to see what that looked like, good back up plan. Made my way to SWS and it looked amazing. Met a pair of Mikes who were pretty cool dudes. They asked me how deep I dive and kindly pointed me into a starting direction.

After I get the kayak down the stairs, wich wasn't to bad it's not to heavy just a little awkward to carry that far and down stairs. Lol. I paddle a short distance toward the very large house. Watching the fish finder to monitor the depth I look into the water and see the vis is great (between 15-25 ft). I stop in an area where can see some good structure and get all of my stuff ready and hop in the water.

Really hoping to shoot a Ling, but considering the only fish I have shot before that were 3 surf perch (2 striped 1 pile) each in different outings, any fish that wasn't a perch was going to be great. I swim around in 25-30 ft and see some fish. Shoot a gopher And continue on. Some small blues are swimming around me and a larger one comes in for me to take. After a little while my forehead sinus really starts to bother me so I move on. Stopping in an area that has spots that go from 15-25 I start again working shallow and then being able to go deeper again I shoot another blue but when I go to take it off the spear it comes free and swims out of sight. Super bummed I continue    I shoot another fish, lesson learned from before I make sure it is dead before taking it off the spear. While doing this I look down and see a fish laying on the bottom on its side swim down and it's my blue! Still alive I grab it and finish it and put that on the stringer also.

Missed opportunities

This whole time looking in cracks and crevices for a Ling I only spotted one. It looked big but by the time my brain recognized what it was it was swimming away, and gone. Missed a shot on a black/yellow. Saw an olive got close enough for shot and "click" .... Forgot to load the bands... Seen a couple of kelp greenlings but  it was to hard for me to judge if they we of legal size so didn't shoot.

So all in all had a great day of firsts

Looking foreward to the next time. And hopefully don't leave the go pro in the truck next time.

Thanks for the report and pictures smilee.

Great job dude!!

The area you were in gets a lot of pressure, but is an excellent place to learn and get your system dialed, and still often produces a good amount of fish.

You will get your ling next time!! 

Hopefully we get a chance to dive together in the future and I can show you some other areas to explore.

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Thanks Jim
I look forward to diving with you some time.

I probably should have paddled around some more to do some exploring. But I SWS so anxious to get into the water. It's been a while

Thanks Jim
I look forward to diving with you some time.

I probably should have paddled around some more to do some exploring. But I SWS so anxious to get into the water. It's been a while

I hear you dude!

So much ground to explore so little time.... 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Good Job,
Where do you work? Sounds like fire.

Good report, makes me want to try it!

Good Job,
Where do you work? Sounds like fire.

Thank you
Yes I do work fire for Stanislaus Consolidated Fire dept

Good Job,
Where do you work? Sounds like fire.

Thank you
Yes I do work fire for Stanislaus Consolidated Fire dept

Thanks for the report and play by play. Lots of lessons to learn.  Also nice to have back up dive plans. 

Great report and thanks for the pictures!

Good job.  You will be surprised at how soon you start getting nice lings .  Keep checking those holes.  They will particularly take an interest in you after you have shot some rockfish nearby.

Glad to hear you "committed' to your dive adventure.  Thanks for sharing the fun.  My first time at SWS,  BigJim advised me just head towards the pink house.... never did find a pink house, just a giant pink mansion  . Forgot to load up the bands  , that has never happened to any one on this forum   . Look forward to your first ling report/pics.

Might be a weird question. But what do all the :smt... Mean?

Can't wait to get out again constantly watching forecast reports.

I think those are emoticons that aren't showing up.