California Diving News: Easy Diving

Oil Platform Diving
Some of the most fantastic diving in California water is oil platform diving. While these massive steel structure were placed on the ocean floor to extract natural resources, they have become a second resource in of itself as natural reefs. Most of the oil platforms off the Southern California coastline have been there for 20 years or more, long enough to gather a substantial amount of marine growth and accompanying fish.

But diving California’s oil platforms is not your ordinary diving. All of the platforms lie in deep water, 160 to 200 feet, in open ocean, far from any land mass, and almost always under the influence of strong currents. Oil platform diving is not for beginners and the faint of heart. Even so, it is relatively easy if you use proper techniques and planning.

DEEP WATER
Plan for this to be a deep water dive—at least 100 feet, maybe more. While you can make platform dives shallower, you will find yourself being drawn ever deeper by the clear, blue waters and changing marine life scenery below.

Oil platforms are built with horizontal cross members at various levels at regular intervals (usually about 35 feet apart, but it depends on the individual platform). If possible, find out at what depth each level lies so that you can plan your dive accordingly. But even if you can’t find out, there is enough hardware and fixtures on oil platforms that allow you to stop at a selected depth. One of the most useful fixtures are the diagonal cross braces. These run from leg to leg at a diagonal; just choose your depth.

NAVIGATION
The legs, cross members, and diagonals also make it easy to navigate your position on the platform—so long as you’re paying attention. Of course, you can use your compass, but be aware that you are surrounded by steel and your compass can behave erratically (although this is unlikely).

BUOYANCY CONTROL
Not only do platforms lie in deep water, they are a vertical environment as well. This is a place where you need to have your buoyancy down pat. Optimal buoyancy is for you to be neutral (neither sinking or rising) when at rest at your safety stop, with 500 p.s.i. in your tank. This generally means you will have to start your dive with a slightly negative amount, depending on your tank size and material. The point here is that you need this all worked out ahead of time.

CURRENTS
In diving around oil platforms you will almost certainly be dealing with currents, often very strong. First, dive only with professional dive-charter boat skippers. For the most part, these are the only boats given permission to approach the platform, other than work and supply boats. But the main reason is they know how to dive a platform properly. With the exception of rare instances, the boat will not be allowed to tie up to the platform. You will be “live boat” diving where the boat is neither anchored or tied up. The procedure is actually very simple. The boat will drop you off on the up current side of the platform then swing around to the down current side for pickup. Do not descend until you are either at the platform or at least have the structure in sight underwater. Head immediately for the structure.

During the dive, use the large components of the structure to duck out of the current’s push. A good place for this is at a “node” where several structural members join a leg.

On ascent, use the members or legs to your advantage to monitor ascent rate and for a safety stop.

HANGING ON
Sometimes the intense current will necessitate hanging on to the structure. Remember, this is a living reef and you should respect is as such. Keep contact to a minimum. But if you must hang on, find a spot with minimal growth or grab a hold of a handful of mussels as they generally are a solid anchor and recover quickly if damaged.

WHAT TO EXPECT AND DO
The members are thick with marine growth. What you will find on the members is dictated by depth. You will notice a distinct difference in the marine growth between 20 feet and 100 feet, for example. The upper sections tend to be dominated by mussels, while in deeper sections every square inch seems to be covered with anemones. The patchwork of lavender, pink and orange corynactis anemones is predominant. Depending on the specific platform, white metridium anemones appear from 80 feet and deeper. The deeper you go, the more there are. From about 30 feet and downward, large rock scallops are prolific. Do not plan on taking anything from the platform. This is for a number of reasons. First, many prohibit hunting. Special provisions are in place to be given permission to approach the platform to dive. No hunting is generally enforced. The second reason the scallops may be tainted by drilling chemicals. While the oil platforms are absolutely religious about not polluting, a number of years ago things were not as such. And finally, some divers have gotten themselves in trouble filling their bags with heavy scallops over deep water and then have trouble surfacing. Don’t do it.

Your best bet is to just sight see or take pictures. Subject material is everywhere. And because the platform has so many different angles, you can get just the right shot with blue water or a sunburst in the background. Not only are there thousands of small subjects to photograph, be prepared for fish photograph as well. Rockfish, cabezon, and garibaldi are abundant.

Finally, don’t forget to look seaward out into blue water. Because this is an open water location, you will see animals here not normally seen around the kelp forests or over reefs. Look for jellyfish drifting by. Ocean sunfish, often referred to as Mola Molas, are a common sight. Even open water sharks have been seen.

PRECAUTIONS & PREPARATIONS
Fishing line can be a problem as is the occasional rope accidentally dropped from the platform. Be sure to carry a sharp knife. If heading deep into the realm reserved for trained and experienced technical divers, be sure to carry snips capable of cutting through wire should this be encountered.

For added enjoyment, bring a powerful light. Much of the underwater structure is in the shadow of the platform and can be quite dark. The added light will also bring out all the dazzling colors these artificial reefs have to offer.

Dale Sheckler is Editor and Publisher of California Diving News, Producer of the SCUBA Show 2004 expo to be held May 22-23 in Long Beach, CA, and co-author of the book A Diver's Guide to Southern California's Best Beach Dives, 3rd Edition.