keystone dive report / 8/17

[H20doctor]

well I couldnt make the club dive and something had to be done because I needed to dive.... So i called up Joe/ fishtig and Pez... but only Joe could make the trip..Maverick also had some wrk obligations in the shop... So me and joe loaded up and hit the ferry and got to the site around 10:00 am. I decided to dive the pilings because the last trip here i was unable to get to them. We geared up and half way down the beach Joe realizes something!!!! He has left his weight belt at home..*#^$%@ So it turns out that he only wears about 5lbs so its not a call the dive factor... So as we walk to the pilings joe says to me " you know your dragging your dive light down the beach ? " OH I guess i am HA HA HA 3 mins on light vs beach and rocks on my light head... good thing My lights are tough as hell and it worked fine after I bounced and bashed it into the ground... We get into the water and decide to spend the dive mostly here in the pilings and then swim the rope to the jetty at 2000 psi... We get into the pilings and OH snap!!! the most crystal clear vis 40 feet plus and insane Life... this was the best dive ever...shools of fish.... rock fish... kelp greenlings.... and the VIS was INSANE clear...like tropical water clear. I was in shock of the amount of micro algae and life on the pilings...sponges and barnicles...red lords..large lings swimming here and there... after the pilings we headed north to the rope and began the swam against the current..it was a tough swim and halfway there i had to stop and rest for a min.. 300 pounds of air to swim to the jetty and we made it..vis on the jetty was pretty cloudy but still 15 feet...we made it out to the end and then back in... i found a huge ling and signeld joe to watch me as i came up on the beast he swam away from me and joe got a huge view on the monster... must have been 6 feet and a good 200 pounds...on the way back i found a octo den but no sighn of the octo... total dive time 58 mins and amazing dive...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y91395sPhpg

( click on the link to the left that says " watch in high quality " its better : ) ..... )

[LCF]

Oh, I am SO insanely jealous! I was up on Whidbey Island (in Coupeville) all weekend, and I SO wanted to go dive Keystone, but I couldn't find anybody who was willing to brave the tides. Glad you guys had a good time!

[H20doctor]

[Maverick]

I can't believe i missed that dive. thanks for the invite though. Was it slack or did you just dive. I thought the site was current sensitive

[H20doctor]

well its a very easy ferry ride for me and we will go again in sept...i tried to imbed the video but it didnt work..? also the video on you tube is crappy>>> i am going to load it up om vimeo and see how it looks there... This dive was close to number 1 in my diving so far... the Vis...The Vis....incredible

[H20doctor]

we dove it before slack at about 11 am ... the slack slack was at 1230... I wished you could have gone maverick..would have been a blast to dive with you and meet you for the first time.... afterwards joe and i grabbed some hot clam chowder and sandwich across the street

[Maverick]

Actually we met once at muk, you were walking out and i was waking in. we will meet again.

[Fishstiq]

To echo the good doctor, vis was awesome! Lots of bull kelp, wich made some really cool spiderwebs between the pilings, and created some trippy lighting effects from the sun filtering through. The schools of small silverish fish actually redeuced the vis more than anything else! All in all, an awesome dive!