Trip Report Bug's and More, A Catalina Trip Report

[Myrran]

Its been 5 years since I was out to Catalina on anything longer than my 20ft boat. This year we got to ride in style on a Mediterranean 38 called "Skipper". We left King Harbor at 6pm on Friday headed to the island. The weather was not like we had hoped and even had a sprinkle of rain while getting the boat ready to go. Not worried, and holding on to the though that it would clear up the next day, we pushed on. The ride over was a bit rough with the occasional rouge swell tossing everything from the bulkheads and sending our crew scrambling to tighten up the gear and find safe spots for the cocktails and beer.

The Island greeted us with the sight of boats lined up and down the shore waiting for the clock to strike 12am. We anchored up in the spot we wanted to dive and started preparing a meal to load up before nights diving started. There was no protection from the wind and swell coming out of the north pounding the usually tranquil side Catalina and we only stayed in that spot for an hour before agreeing to try and find some protection from the weather. We went east in a vain attempt to find a protected spot that was not already taken. We finally found a spot that was just a little bit better than the first and still within tender range to our usual lobster zones. By the time the clock struck 12, 2 of the 6 crew had already let loose solid sprays of chum over the side due to the constant rocking of the 38ft Skipper.

I limited out that night with 7 legal's around our usual spot, all caught while on SCUBA at 50-70ft. I usually don't even look that deep but was finding nothing but shorts in the shallows, so I decided to look a little deeper. Good move on my part as once I got into 50+ water I could not stuff my bag fast enough. Laden down with 7 sea anchors in my game bag I started the swim back to the boat, expecting to see someone appear anytime to get me with the tender. I was out of air and swimming against the wind and current with a full BC to keep me floating. Flashing my light at the boat trying desperately to get the attention of anyone who might see and take pity on me. WTF!? Where are my friend's with the little RIB? No pity at all was giving.....after what seemed to be a full night of swimming I could finally see I was gaining ground. Only by cursing every one of my buddies for not getting me with the tender did I find the strength to make it back. High fives and a middle finger were giving upon my return and I was told the reason they did not come and get me was because the rope to the tender was wrapped around the starboard rudder of the boat, and no one wanted to get back in to free it. I said gee guys thanks, and jumped back in to free the rope.

The two guys that blew chunks never even got in the water that night. Of the three who did dive, including me, one got six legal's, one had not been diving for fifteen years and had ear issues got a big zero, and I got seven. By the end of the night four of six had chummed the water. It happened to be the same four buddies that were dining on cans of Sardines on the way over. I was glad I didn't eat any and stuck to the smoked oysters instead. That night was almost without sleep but at five in the morning I finally dosed off for a couple hours.

The next day we decided to head Even more East and found ourselves just above Long Point at Two Rocks. We found some refuge from the swell and wind and did some freediving with not much luck. Just a few Calico's and some Sheep's. We decided to stay for the night and try some buggin around there for a change. My buddies decided they would dive first and then when they got back they would wake us up so we could hit it. When I woke after what seemed to be a very long and well needed rest I found the deck lights out and no sound at all coming from the boat. What time is it? It seems late....err....early? What the F!? It's 5:30am! Nobody woke me up! With a Multi Day Permit in hand I was counting on the second night to get my double limit. Kicking my buddies awake on deck I found that my dive partner was awakened but had past back out! I hurriedly got my gear together while watch the lights on the horizon fade into daylight and found myself once again cursing my friends out in my head. How could they not wake me? Why would they not wake me? By the time I got in the water the sun was almost visible to the east. The bugs were all back in and under the rocks and all my foraging only produced one more legal. It turned out to be the biggest of the trip, but I was still a bit steamed and felt a little robbed. Oh well, it sure was a beautiful dive.

Now it was Sunday, the day we had to leave. We Motored up to the Blow Hole and blew another tank just for fun. I dug a few more shorts out during the day and we munched on some Scallops and some really big Uni. I had brought a Mares Mini Sten Pneumatic that my wife bought me a few years back in case I saw a Halibut on the way. I have gotten much grief out of me owning a pneumatic speargun from my buddies and was itching to get some blood on it to show em these things work. A nice Male Sheep was curious enough to be the first kill.

On the swim back to the boat I saw an Angle Shark chilin in the sand. I had passed on these before and after reading threads on them was very hesitant about taking it....especially now only armed with my Mini Sten, and without my dive knife to boot! I sized it up and gave her a chance to escape by trying the flip trick. She shrugged off the playful banter and swam only another few feet away. I hesitated for a good 3 or 4 minutes deciding whether or not to take the shot. I was not thinking straight from the lack of sleep and ended up taking a point blank shot on the top of her head. She went nuts, fighting like tiger on a dog leash. The thing kept coming at me and I kept kicking it away blowing enough bubbles to inflate the dingy I finally worked my way up the line to the shaft and grabbed it. Still fighting in a desperate attempt to get away, she was pissed. I had to grab the tail, I thought, so with my right hand on the shaft and my left hand around her tail I bent her body into a circle, and finally she stopped moving. Lucky for me the boat was only 20 yards away. Once on the deck she still had some fight in her. I was explaining to someone where I had intended on putting the shaft and touched the top of her head. The second that I did, she reared back and in a microsecond firmly clamped down on my fingers! Aaaarrgh she's got me! I screamed, while trying to pry here moth open to retrieve my hand. I kneeled down on her head to prevent her from thrashing with my fingers in her mouth. I yelled for help while desperately trying to find anything hard to pry the jaws open within reach. One of my buddies hurriedly hands me an empty water bottle? WTF I said, what am I suppose to do with that? Get me a knife pretty please, and make it snappy, this freaking hurts! A knife was produced after the longest 15 seconds of my day and we were able to insert the hilt into her mouth to pry it open. Ahhh, relief finally! I took my glove off to see a steady stream of blood coming from my middle finger and pointer. I grabbed my buddies dive knife that looks like it came straight out of Rambo First Blood and got my revenge, severing her spine and finally retrieving the dive knife that was still firmly in the jaws. By this time there was blood all over the deck, most of it mine. To hell with shooting those thing's, more trouble than its worth for sure. Got some really good white meat from her after a long process of cleaning that thing. I look forward to eating that bitch sometime soon.

We headed home not long after that and started the long process of packing up and cleaning the boat. This trip had highs and lows for sure, but I would do it again in a second. (just not the Angle Shark part) Cant wait to get out and do it all over again.

[zenspearo]

Epic report and pix. Thanks for posting!

[Jared44]

any day off shore is better than not! Good report. I definatly would have been pissed about not getting woken up.

[ezcompany]

for some reason to me that boat doesn't look like a 38 footer, looks a little shorter. nice ride either way. the water bottle part cracked me up! i hope the angel shark steaks were delicious!

[Nate Baker]

Great story! An adventure for sure.

Originally Posted by Myrran

The ride over was a bit rough with the occasional rouge swell tossing everything from the bulkheads and sending our crew scrambling to tighten up the gear and find safe spots for the cocktails and beer.

That always cracks me up. Rouge wave. At least you guys kept your priorities straight keeping your cocktails safe.

I was glad I didn't eat any and stuck to the smoked oysters instead. That night was almost without sleep but at five in the morning I finally dosed off for a couple hours.

Oh man... The thought of sardines making a return trip makes me queasy just thinking about it. Can you imagine the horror of passing sardine chunks out your nose? Shudder....

I look forward to eating that bitch sometime soon.

A grudge meal? She'll taste that much better after what she did to you.

[Myrran]

Originally Posted by ezcompany10

for some reason to me that boat doesn't look like a 38 footer, looks a little shorter. nice ride either way. the water bottle part cracked me up! i hope the angel shark steaks were delicious!

That pic does make it seem a bit shorter. 1996 Mediterranean 38. Not a bad boat really.

[tailsurfer]

Your friends are... um... lame!

[ofer]

great report!
safety at night is key. there are no excuses for not looking for you with the dingy. they could just cut the line.

Glad you are back safe to tell the story.

[Myrran]

Originally Posted by tailsurfer

Your friends are... um... lame!

Not really.......they are pretty awesome actually.

[Phirren]

Great report! The part where your buddy handed you a water bottle had me laughen my ass off.

[Bwano]

Hey, Great report. You have awesome humility.
Much better than mine, and very funny.
Thanks for sharing everything!
We were at Long point in my 21 ft Proline getting our butts kicked.

[tailsurfer]

Originally Posted by Myrran

Not really.......they are pretty awesome actually.

Lazy? awsome after a few They may be cool, but that is no excuse for not being safe.

Why didn't you go to the inside and then swim up current... I was at Cat opener and that current was stiff, but inside 25ft it let up, and inside the kelp at 10ft it was no current, and just eel grass. Just a thought.

[Myrran]

Originally Posted by tailsurfer

Lazy? awsome after a few They may be cool, but that is no excuse for not being safe.

Yeah.....Lazy....for sure.

Originally Posted by tailsurfer

Why didn't you go to the inside and then swim up current... I was at Cat opener and that current was stiff, but inside 25ft it let up, and inside the kelp at 10ft it was no current, and just eel grass. Just a thought.

Probably right on this. At 3 in the morning its hard to think of the best way to do things.

[Myrran]

Originally Posted by Bwano

Hey, Great report. You have awesome humility.
Much better than mine, and very funny.
Thanks for sharing everything!
We were at Long point in my 21 ft Proline getting our butts kicked.

Thanks Bwano, without humilty some things are just a pain in the @ss.

[SDDiver5]

Awesome trip man. I still have yet to go to Catalina to dive but I want to so badly! I think about it all the time time I just dont have a boat, enough money, or time. Nice story, sounds epic.

D