In Reply to: Lost Diver posted by Dive Cal on February 17, 2017 at 10:04:21:

After five years of drought, California is having one of the wettest winters on record, which is really good for California in many ways but has made the diving spotty.

Fall and winter usually offer the best vizibility of the year, but not this year. How it will be when you come is dependent on how recently it has rained. The Islands are usually always better than coastal diving, so you will just have to see. Once choice is to hit the oil rigs, they are off shore in deep water and may offer better diving if it has rained recently. Finally, a dive boat Captain who is out there all the time told me "It verys so much, there is no way to tell. It will change by the hour, at the same spot." As an example of this, we were booked on a trip to Anacapa on the Spectre. The day before the trip it rained, and on the day of the trip the breakers hitting Ventura beaches were 15' high. But, we were paid up and the boat was going out so we were on it when it left. The waves at the harbor mouth were so big the Capt, had to time his exit, the water around the boat looked like green milk. We go over to the Island, the Capt, works his way around to the lee side of the island. The first dive spot was so-so, a sandy bottom so some OW students could do their check offs. Then he moves the boat to the "A-B-C-D reef". He stated, "...we don't get to dive this reef much its usually to rough here..." (normal swell aspect). We jump in and the diving was fantastic, 50' viz, healthy kelp, beautiful diving. (See link below) You just have to go see what you will find.

As for the lost diver, Laura, to my knowledge she has not been recovered. The vessel operator (Capt.) surrendered her Captain's license to the USCG, when the USCG notified her they were going to revoke it. The vessel operator continues to run her boat out of Long Beach by using a hired Captain.

• Anacapa Island Dive (Two Dive Segment) 3-5-2016

• Nice Vid (-) seahunt 15:31:49 02/20/17 (0)