San Diego Shark Diving - Great Whites

"Ramone Cila" <dontw@nt.spam> wrote in message
news:wOZ4d.29$q26.41301@news.uswest.net...

> It was no small surprise to me, but apparently the cook has a great
> reputation amongst California divers and fishermen. Well earned I might
> add.
> He doesn't have a state of the art galley to work from either. You know, I
> cannot remember his name...maybe Greg. Anyone here that can help with his
> name?

Mark. Greg is the captain (and owner's son).

> Not this time. I have Lembah Strait, Wakatobi and Galapagos coming up
> between now and April. My wife would kill me if I popped up with another
> trip Ha ha haaa! But yeah, I am envious. Guadalupe is an extraordinary
> way
> to visit with Great Whites. Far better than any other Great White trip I
> have done in other parts of the world. The viz, the number of animals and
> the reliability of sightings. It's unlike any place else on earth that
> divers know about right now. Sometimes the viz is too good, leaving a
> mottled look on the shark's back from the sun. And man, if that's the
> complaint you know it's a good experience :^)

My complaint is that the Horizon used to run a summerful of Baja dive trips
for real divers (free and SCUBA), but is now mainly taken up by
photographers who want to sit in a cage the entire time. They still do a
handful of non-sharkcage trips, but only four this year according to their
schedule and they're the only game in town for that sort of thing.

"Greg Mossman" <mossman@qnet.com> wrote in message
news:41549dda$0$106$6c56adcd@news.qnet.com...
> "Ramone Cila" <dontw@nt.spam> wrote in message
> news:wOZ4d.29$q26.41301@news.uswest.net...
>
> > It was no small surprise to me, but apparently the cook has a great
> > reputation amongst California divers and fishermen. Well earned I might
> > add.
> > He doesn't have a state of the art galley to work from either. You know,
I
> > cannot remember his name...maybe Greg. Anyone here that can help with
his
> > name?
>
> Mark. Greg is the captain (and owner's son).

Yesiree...Mark. Thanks.

When I was onboard the Captain was the owner's daughter. Again, I don't
remember her name. Strong looking girl though.

> > Not this time. I have Lembah Strait, Wakatobi and Galapagos coming up
> > between now and April. My wife would kill me if I popped up with another
> > trip Ha ha haaa! But yeah, I am envious. Guadalupe is an extraordinary
> > way
> > to visit with Great Whites. Far better than any other Great White trip I
> > have done in other parts of the world. The viz, the number of animals
and
> > the reliability of sightings. It's unlike any place else on earth that
> > divers know about right now. Sometimes the viz is too good, leaving a
> > mottled look on the shark's back from the sun. And man, if that's the
> > complaint you know it's a good experience :^)
>
> My complaint is that the Horizon used to run a summerful of Baja dive
trips
> for real divers (free and SCUBA), but is now mainly taken up by
> photographers who want to sit in a cage the entire time.

Ah, I think most photographers are "real" divers. They are just people for
whom the diving has become a means to a photographic end. But I have seen
over the past 10 years or so that this mismatched intent has given way to
some animosity between the two groups. Generally I don't want sightseers
around when I am shooting and sightseers don't want me around shooting when
they are trying to discover. I think there is a shared responsibility to
avoid one and other if at all possible :^)

> Plus most would rather dive with the sharks than sit in a cage.

Me too. I find it strange that all Doc's shark dives are in cages. The
Whities I understand, but some of the other dives can be done outside of
cages. To each his own, but for sharks I enjoy being in the water with them.
Though on the whole I can think of far more interesting dives than those
dedicated to most sharks.

> They still do a
> handful of non-sharkcage trips, but only four this year according to their
> schedule and they're the only game in town for that sort of thing.

That's what they told me when I was onboard. I guess they also did quite a
bit of fishing trips as well, but I think the sharkdiving charters with Doc
Ames is easier on the boat, crew and budget.