|
|
|
|
|
I had heard of New Hope Rock for years, but never been there. Two weeks ago, the club went with Frank and Becky Scully to a spot close to there, and I asked Frank to show me New Hope's location. I took GPS readings and a landmark siting, and headed back the next week to find it with my boat.
Jean turned on the depth sounder as we got into Point Loma kelp bed, and wow - changes from 50 to 25 feet in a short distance. There were precipices all over. We dropped anchor and went in. What? It was flat and crummy. We searched and searched for the good stuff, and
finally surfaced again. Then I remembered something I never told Jean. If you hold the power button down when
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
you turn on the depth finder, it goes into a demo mode, and shows an imaginary profile...Arrgh.
We proceeded to the site where New Hope should be, and searched about
for the depth Frank had said = 40', but as I went EastWest looking, the bottom was 40' for miles.
Finally I saw it; an occaisional 29' reading. I put on my gear and dropped backwards into the water. Now I have several clip hooks on my boat but only one on a real short line. I sat my tank on that one, and it had grabbed the tank boot. My entry stopped suddenly and I was hanging upside down like a bat. I quickly deduced the snorkel in my mouth would be of little value. I undid the B.C. and
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
fell out of it.
Continuing the dive, I found there were 3 rocks in close proximity
that peaked at 25'. They had vertical walls, overhangs, corianactis, nudibranchs, tunicates, sponge, etc. This is it. It was lovely.
Coming back, I saw a bat ray swimming awkwardly. It seemed to have an extra back fin. In fact, it had an extra tail. A smaller bat ray was tucked under her upside down. Whoa; bat ray sex, and I had no camera.
Now to find out if that is really New Hope Rock or False Hope Rock, or a new discovery to called John Leek Rock.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I have to admit, the term "pressure diuresis" is not and easily decipherable string of syllables, nor obvious to the those non-MD's or RN's out there. It is, however, a medical term for a condition that affects most of us while diving. Any guesses?
Are you one of the many cold water divers that occasionally "heats" your wetsuit while underwater? If you believe Doug Shokes, my open water instructor (yes, I was one once too.....), "There are two types of divers: Those that pee in their wetsuit and those that lie about it". I guess that allows all of us to blame "pressure diuresis" for our stinky suits after a dive.
Yes folks, "pressure diuresis" is, basically, urinating in your wetsuit. Some of us are proud, some of us are shy, but all of us do it. (except for
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
