Julie and Joe at the Dive Around The Clock Fun(d) Raiser down at Redondo Beach in Des Moines, WA. Divers from around Washington state came to the underwater park to raise money for Childrens' Hospital in Seattle.
July 25th, 2008 -
Julie and Joe loaded up the camper and set up a little "compound" 
in the parking lot at Redondo Beach for the 2nd Annual Dive Around the Clock fun(d) raiser. I had to work that afternoon, so I didn't get off the island and down to Des Moines until about 7PM that day. Julie and Joe had just finished a dive and I signed up to be a part of the marathon diving event. Julie (and friends) raised over $1000 for the cause. Way to go! I parked the Grrr and got into my dive gear. Joe's back was hurting him a little, so he didn't join us on our midnight dive.
It's a nice little dive site, no current to speak of. We descended down to about 87 feet and listened to the whales in the distance. (Verrrrry cool.) Julie showed me where there was a large Pacific Octopus under a sunken 16 foot boat and I got to see my first Moon Snail. I wish I could have gotten there earlier to do a check out dive during the day - as night diving can kinda give you the heebie-jeebies because you don't know what's just beyond your underwater flash light. Of course, that being the case, something tugged on my fin at about 60 feet of water. Of course, I turned around to look. Of course, there was nothing there to see.
On the surface, Julie told me there was a Harbor Seal diving with us. Funny that I didn't catch a glimpse of it once. I think though, I was glad I didn't, I might have freaked!
July 26th =
We didn't get to sleep until about 3AM Saturday morning. I woke up around 6:30AM and moseyed around the camper in serious need of the bathroom (about a block away) and coffee (about a block away too!) We all got moving and put on our dive gear to do our first dive of the day around 9AM. Our objective was to find a sunken VW Bug, but to no avail. I did get to see a few more Giant Pacific Octo's, which was nice. Also saw a lot of Black Bellied Eel Pouts. (See Valerie's photo link below for pictures - again, I flooded my dive camera, so I can't take pictures right now until its' replaced. Soon, also, I'll have copies of Julies pictures and I'll edit them into this post and also upload them to my Flickr account at another date.) I saw my first "Rubie", a red octopus that lives about 2 years and will fit in the palm of your hand. CUTE!
There were many schools of Sand Lance. I think it was so cool to play Maestro to their orchestral fluidity. They spool, they pool, they gather, ball, separate.They move unanimously. They're of one mind, without dissent. There's no resistance. No objection. Just just... do. It's amazing. I can guide them with the wave of my underwater light, I am maestro. With a flick of my wrist, they dart apart and recollect. Amazing.
We got back into the water after Mike (camper next to us) made us breakfast. What a super nice guy. We set about looking for the VW again with much success. The top was ripped off of it and lots of life was growing all over it. Plumrose Anemone and star fish seemed to really take to it.
I couldn't stay for another dive... though I think Julie and Joe were done for the day anyways. I head off to SEATAC to pick up a friend of mine who had a layover from Korea. We went to Newport Bay for a bite to eat (and martini's!!) before she got back on the plane to head home to Rhode Island.
July 27 =
Dove at the Keystone Jetty in Coupeville to assist Pete in certifying the lastest group of open water divers. Great viz, MONSTER Lings all over the bottom.
5 dives over the 3 days. Not bad.
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