Channel Islands by Pejman

Channel Islands, 1999
Author: Pejman

Posted by Diving Mullah on September 07, 1999 at 16:03:19:

Well, after months of anticipation, we got on board of Truth (Truth Aquatics) in Santa Barbara, CA and headed for Northern Channel Islands for three day of extrodinary diving.

North Channel Islands consists of three main Islands; Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Migule. San Migule is located about 20 some miles from main land and is the most northern Island and closest to point Conception. Point Conception is located north west of Main Land California. Because of the bottom topology of the ocean, any northern or westerly winds that hit that point gain strength and hit San Miguel with full force. Therefore, San Migule becomes undivable most of the year. This time because of the unusually calm wether this did not hold true. I was told that we dived three sites that maybe can only be dived once or twice a year and hence named “Triple Crown”. These sites are Richardson Cove, Wilson Rock and Moth (or Coth?) cove.

We dived Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The diving was incredible, visibility ranged from 35 to 80 feet. Fish abundant and colors magnificent. This is why California is truly the king of all dive sites in world. We logged about 10 dives.

We saw so many species that I lost track but the ones I remember the most is all sort of giant crabs and clams, beautiful nudebranchs, Sheep heads, many Lingcod, all sort of kelp fish and rock fish, horn sharks, seal, sea lions and dolphins. , not to mention California giant Kelp. Steep graded slops, which dropped of to 100-200 feet and colors that only your imagination could conceive.

The water Temp ranged from 55 to 61 degrees. Whether was mildly over cast with temp ranging from 75 to mid 80’s. The boat crew was extremely fun, knowledgeable and helpful. Being 6’ 8” tall and sleeping in a 6’ 5” bunk made sleeping a bit difficult, but that soon got over ruled by having such a wonderful diving food and company.

Few odd things happened. First thee people got sea sick (I mean really sick!) on the first day and my wife gave them all her sea sickness patch and after few hours they are were right and rain and for ever thankful to her. The other thing that happened was that we did a deep dive (about 80) but still in green. My only concern was that in this dive we did some saw tooth profile (up to 40 down to 80 and back up to 40 and down 80) then we headed up. Although we were going at 40 feet per minute up, we missed our safety stop and popped on the surface. I was little concern about DCS hit, but it did not show up. Next dive we did a 100 feet dive and my computer indicated that 2 minutes before DL so I told my wife that we should head up. At 15 I encounter a very heavy current and I held on to kelp, and finished the safety stop; wife could not do the same so she got sweppted by the current. When I got to the surface, she was way out there, they had to throw her a current line so that she could grab on to and be pulled in. Despite of all the excitement she stayed very clam, just a little tired from fighting the current.