We made our third trip to Farnsworth this month, but instead of riding along on the Giant Stride we took our own boat. We should have known better, as conditions this year have been bad wherever we have gone.

The swell models looked good for Thursday and we wanted to dive the high spot without having to beat the fishing fleet there. Naturally, high winds arrived on Wednesday.

We decided that waiting until Friday lessened our chance at the high spot, so we nursed the boat into gear an hour before sunrise this morning and began our long day in the wind chop.

I was hoping the backside of Catalina would be calm during the northeast winds, but it was just as bad there. It took us two hours to get to Farnsworth, but there were no other boats on the bank until after we had anchored.

We put out a current line but the current wasn't too strong on the surface. Underwater, we had to pull ourselves down the chain all the way to the reef. Surge on the reef was strong, making photography difficult. I planned to isolate one of the hydrocoral snails, Pedicularia californica on a stage but the surge would have made that impossible.

Visibility was down to twenty-five feet. We were spoiled during our earlier visits. After one dive we called it a day and slammed our way home. The wind chop finally abated as we neared Palos Verdes.

• Re: Phil and Merry Take Their Curse to Farnsworth Bank seahunt 16:37:48 11/06/19 (0)