A Hardcore intention generated only days ago with one thing in mind…to get the best options possible for the short time that the “Brown Pelican Reserve Map” is open to diving. And like always, we don’t take seconds, we find and take the “Best!” The Goby Dive Boat is where that choice landed. And for the obvious reasons…We were going to a broad dive area with a Reckoning.
One of Hardcore made the call and booked The Goby’s Captain Friday and Saturday. NOAA Buoy Data Center was calling for high winds, Small Craft Advisories near where we were going. The Captain said “It’s going to be Great, we’re going to have a good time, have fun!” Boarding the “Captain Loaded” 20ft Navy Seal inflatable powered with 2 outboards looked like it was going to be taxed and loaded big time for the next 28 to 30 Nautical Miles the 4 of us were gonna be in, carrying 12 “big” tanks, weights, not to mention the added take home weight, over the next 12 hours, in the wind! Captain said “It’s gonna be fun dude!”
We get in and cruise out the Channel Island Harbor, with a set of Coordinates. Nobody on the Boat had ever been there at the precise spot in it’s day and age of Protected Closures. Again, this author/diver who’s writing this post, was slightly doubtful, I didn’t ask, the Captain didn’t say anything, while inputting the Coordinates.
Made a casual fast trip to the site as if we were on a carpet ride over choppy water, quiet, dry, and warm trip. Within a short time we were on the exact hoped for dot! Pin Point Accuracy. We jump in and BAM, it’s Anacapa Pelican Reserve. Clear cool water, the bottom is filled with brittle stars. Then the bugs came out to play! Hardcore’s Andrew created a Big Bug Jack-Pot, and we started baggin!
Coming up on Dive 1 Andrew was holding the lead. Captain asked wanna move for Dive 2? Oh yea!
Going in on Dive 2 a couple of us found the Nugget, a well sized Cave that took a while getting in, and instead of going out with the 1/2 gas remaining we kept going and the cave got tight then loosened up into another opening…back into the Santa Barbara Channel! Coming out with a good sized sacks of Bugs, Andrew still held the lead in Big Bug Jack Pot.
Only a couple of bugs now to limit, Captain asked “You wanna move for Dive 3?” Oh yea!
This is important if you’ve made it this far. We do the research, the finds, we nail it and give it to you, it’s what HardcoreDiveTeam does, but you gotta read the “theme, hear the story.”
Captain AJ takes us to Dive 3 and stops seeming far from the Island. He says “This is good right here!” We get in and start swimming to shore. I mention after a long kick that it was far from shore to anchor, Jeff says “I think he anchored on a reef.” We go in to shore and find some top off sack bugs. Long ways from the boat. We get back and AJ is just boarding the Boat ahead of us, with a 6-8 pound lobster,
6-8 lbs
caught right under the boat! Andrew still takes the Jack Pot, AJ wasn’t in!
If you’re going out with The Dive Boat- “The Goby” watch for the signs, the Captain said what we were gonna do, where we were gonna go, what we would find and what we’d take home.
Big and bunch of bugs
He nailed it on all of it!
Party!
A fast and smooth ride back into the harbor bugs filling over the sacks! Nice! Good Times!