FORT ROSS 5-10-2008

I put the word out to my crew of dive buddies that I was pumped to dive and suprisingly only one answered the call to duty, but in this sport, one bud is all we need! 2 divers also get ready alot faster than 10 divers. The weather on May 10, 2008 was forecasted to be amazing, 60-70 degrees at the coast with a very light wind (5 mph) and a low tide of -1 at 9:58AM. My buddy Jack and I left San Francisco at 8AM on the dot with a gear check the night before we were running about as efficient as a military operation, thus, this was now code name Operation Ellusive Snail. We blasted up 101 North and took a route that was fairly new to us, but one I now strongly suggest for its rural and local vibe. We took the last exit before you reach Cotati on the 101 and took Liberty Road and went West over the highway. Liberty turns into Pepper road. We took Pepper road to Walker Road which runs right into Valley Ford Road and then we were off to Bodega Bay heading North bound for Fort Ross. We were so on schedule for a 9:58 low tide it was a joke. We pulled into Fort Ross just after 9:30AM and headed straight for the point through the wooden gate after flashing our Popey Pass and two thumbs up to the ranger. The weather was ridiculous, almost no wind and the mighty pacific was flat as a pancake, which had us predicting 20+ foot visibility, epic and just about unheard of conditions for Fort Ross and the Sonoma Coast alike. We hiked with our gear on our backs to the shore and enjoyed the walk, posing with a few happy cows who mine as well be our new dive buddies if the usual suspects are going to sit days like this out. By the time we were suited up and ready for one of the best dives of the year I checked my watch, 9:58AM, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" The ocean welcomed us into its beautiful splender that is the Pacific with open arms. On days like these you have to remember to always respect the ocean. We were in the water for 30 minutes before we took our first ab, we simply were diving and counting all the abalone, hundreds in our immediate area in 15-20 feet of water. The visibility was amazing, easily 30 feet, and abs completely in view from the surface. We ventured to the rock formation at the point which under normal conditions is undivable due to strong currents, jagged edges, and zero visibility. Today I was viewing spots at Fort Ross I dreamed of seeing. We ventured out about a 100 yards from shore at which time it immediately felt extremely sharky with a 40-50 foot shelf just a little further out from us. We decided to take our abs closer to shore. 8-9 inchers were the catch for the day with three sea urchins for a little light grazing back at the truck over some ice cold Pacificos, lime, and a little salt & pepper. We even met some new friends who introduced themselves by their dive names, Chum, Hub Cap, and Turtle. To say this dive was amazing is to call an amazing dive, an amazing dive!