In Reply to: Santa Barbara Island conditions? posted by Longhi Boarder on August 06, 2005 at 13:37:07:

We were at SBI yesterday and did some awesome dives. The crossing
was smooth both ways. There was very little wind. The water was
warm between 60 and 62 degrees. Vis was rather good, but not the best I have ever seen in, between 20 to 40 ft depending on the
site and depth. There were only two other boats in the area when
we arrived. A Radon with spear fishermen showed up about 8am as
we left the first dive site.

Dive 1 was at Sutil Wall. Very nice, lots of fish. Electric
torpedo rays in very shallow water. Fried egg jellys on top of
the wall. Not many nudis here right now. Saw quite a few big old
male sheepshead. A slight current was present.

Dive 2 was at Webster's Point. Great bottom terrain as always. Can't always dive the point because of the usual NW swell and
big winds that are usually here. Vis here was at the lower end
of the mentioned scale. Good scallop pickings and a couple of
small lobsters were sighted. Seniorita's were thick here.

Dives 3 & 4 were at 'Gabriel's Cave' (White Cave or White Rock)
adjacent N of the Rookery. Better vis and really clean water,
cleaner than usual anyways. Deep here the vis was about 15'.
Between 40 and 20 the vis dropped off the about 10' or less. But
up against the island the vis opened up to 25 to 30 feet. But in the cave itself, the vis opened up to 60' plus. We could easily
see the entire topo of the cave with lights. The water was
almost gin clear, like the FW caverns and caves in FLA. Inside we
witnessed a nice dance routine by no less than 6 sealions as the
darted between us and the chimney hole near the back of the cave
itself. The sun was beaming through the hole illuminating the
inside like a shimmering Hawaiian grotto.

Speaking of Hawaii, isn't Longhi's the name of a really good
restaurant in Lahaina on Maui? Nice place.