Down Memory Lane!

[Papa Bear]

When Glen launched the new boat the Coral Sea they closed down the streets to the harbor and the High School band marched it to the waters edge in a well planned parade of Santa Barbra's new harbor pride! For us it was like having a new luxury ride to our favorite places! In addition it opened up new areas that we didn't go in the "Old boat" for fear of late returns or worse problems! On one of those trips we did some banks of Santa Rosa Island and brought up huge lobster! This area is considered storm central with average winds at 28mph and you have to be ready to get out of Dodge in quick time in a sturdy boat!

Here we not only found huge lobster, but a 16 foot Great White who swam around us trying to figure out what we were! What we were was willing to risk a lot for hug bugs! The guy behind me in the shot was named Tinny and was 6'-8" tall and the smallest of two other brothers and a sister who was close to his hight! He was from El Central area of California and was going to Cal-Poly under the GI bill...... Tinny was a deputy sheriff in Imperial County until he went into the Army where he became a Nuclear Warhead specialist and was sent to Vietnam to retrieve two warheads that had been shipped to theater by mistake!!!! I am 6'-3" tall and he made me look small, but his heart and spirit were as big as he was!

We spend so little time under the water that our adventures and the people we choice to dive with are among the best treasures of our sport!

http://twotankedproductions.com/imag...-5_lobster.jpg

[seasnake]

The hair is awesome ....

[Papa Bear]

Good god man it was the 70's!

[Papa Bear]

Here is a picture from a world famous surf spot called County Line! It is on Pacific coast Hwy on the Venture & L.A. County line...... Out about 3/4 to 1 mile is a reef the shape of a circle and yes we would kick out to it! On the dive on this day we ran into Grey Whales on the way down on the reef! I saw movement in the 30ft viz and it got dark, I looked over and saw something, but couldn't tell my mind to compute what I was seeing! Until I saw the giant bright eye looking at my buddy and me blowing bubbles! She slowed to a stop and eyeballed us to her satisfaction before moving on South! It was a humbling experience that I still describe as wow!

On the way back in from this eventful dive I shot a halibut while we drifted south with the current! I bagged the fish and noticed movement off in the distance, I thought the whale was back, but it was a shark who wanted my fish! And was getting progressively closer to us! I got my buddies attention and we went back to back and pocked at the shark while we worked our way back to shore! We were now in the Kelp bed and it was getting shallower and we were feeling the surge from the surf!

I am sure there is a surfer out there with the reciprocal story about the "Diver who popped up next to him sitting on his board" and said "I don't think this is a good place to dangle your legs"! Well I also scared the crap out of the poor guy coming up right next to him! I saw him jump and explained there was a shark following us! He caught the next wave in and we exited with a nice sized Halibut! Good day after all!

http://twotankedproductions.com/imag..._dive_1973.jpg

http://twotankedproductions.com/imag...alibu_1974.jpg

[Papa Bear]

Look close those are scallops, Abalone, Fish, and whatever we could fined in a can cooked on an open fire! Who says SCUBA is expensive? We eat well and made a number of weekends into inexpensive fun for the whole family! Still as I have said we spend precious little time under and the rest should be a good surface interval with good friends and good company! We camped all along the three California Coasts diving and having a great time on a small budget! We were Collage Students with no budget! But we never lacked for adventure or the spirit of adventure that is the heart of all divers, just don't let life get in the way of living it!

http://twotankedproductions.com/imag..._camp_1975.jpg

http://twotankedproductions.com/imag..._Cove_1973.jpg

http://twotankedproductions.com/imag..._Cove_1974.jpg

[Papa Bear]

We not only had the basic gear for SCUBA, but camping as well! I was in the upper crust because I had a camper! A 1965 camper on my 1955 Chevy Pickup! I had bought the camper so I could study between classes while at Cal-Poly so I wouldn't have to commute carrying 22 semester units didn't give me much time between classes and when I did the Student Union was never good for getting work done and you can only spend so much time in the library! So it was the Camper when we could get the gas and the tent when it was tight!

http://twotankedproductions.com/imag..._Cove_1973.jpg

[acelockco]

That is some great stuff!

Really Impressive!

[Papa Bear]

We were never too pinched to have a gather for a dive story our plan the next outing! Many of Otto Gassers students went on to become part of Inland Valley SCUBA Club in Pomona California where non-Cal-Poly divers would join us! Diving was the hub of so many of our lives!

http://twotankedproductions.com/imag...s_house_74.jpg

For few dollars for cake mix and My Mother would whip us up one of her famous cakes for all occasions!

http://twotankedproductions.com/imag..._Cake_1973.jpg

[PinayDiver]

On the dive on this day we ran into Grey Whales on the way down on the reef! I saw movement in the 30ft viz and it got dark, I looked over and saw something, but couldn't tell my mind to compute what I was seeing! Until I saw the giant bright eye looking at my buddy and me blowing bubbles! She slowed to a stop and eyeballed us to her satisfaction before moving on South! It was a humbling experience that I still describe as wow!

On the way back in from this eventful dive I shot a halibut while we drifted south with the current! I bagged the fish and noticed movement off in the distance, I thought the whale was back, but it was a shark who wanted my fish!

This is one instance where I wouldn't mind a "giant, bright eye looking at...me"
Exciting day, no wonder it stands out in your memory.
Scubamagazine has a new genre: flash memories, fleshed out a vignette at a time. Really nice.

[Papa Bear]

Thank you, I will post more if people are interested! Memory lane always brings a smile to my face Have a life time of them, and a few scary ones too!