Laguna Anti-solo Lifeguards

CDN Editor:

A couple of weeks ago I went with my buddy to Shaw's Cove, the busiest dive beach in Orange County, for good reason. As we have both dived solo and are experienced, we did not stay together the whole dive, which violates Laguna Lifeguard rules. When I swam to shore after an unenjoyable dive, I got a verbal slam from A. XXXXXX (name withheld by editor), the Sean Spicolli (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) wanna be lifeguard. He yelled, "Don't come in so close to the rocks and if you don't stay with your buddy at all times you'll be fined $500." Feeling he was out of line I complained to his boss. The next weekend we had a guard ask us how long we would be gone and where we were going?! That kind of heavy-handedness is overboard, and it is leading to a sign in/sign out and fee system. I really enjoy diving Laguna when the lifeguards are not there to play daddy, and while some divers occasionally need help, Laguna guards are overbearing in the summer.

James Wasser
Long Beach

James:

Laguna Beach does indeed have excellent diving but with some strict diving regulations (such as diving with a buddy). Their reason for being strict is a handful of diving accidents (and I emphasis handful) over the last few years. It's a blot on their record. Most of the accidents, if not all, had nothing to do with whether a buddy was along. But buddy diving is something they can control so they go after it with zeal.

Editor

Just this week they found the body of a solo diver at Moss Point, Laguna Beach. I've been diving solo since I was certified in '91. I'm 36 now. The diver who lost his life was 10 years older than me. I have logged over 400 dives and 80 to 90 percent were solo because no one wanted to go diving. I love to dive and I'm not going to be dry because I can't find a "buddy." If your car is rolling down the side of a cliff and your "buddy" is sitting next to you, how will he save you? Know your equipment inside and out. Know your limits. Have the utmost respect for the sea. I dove Moss a few times solo and with a "buddy," sometimes only risking getting a ticket due to the "buddy" rule that only Laguna enforces. P.V., Corona, Leo Carillo, Reef Point, etc., no problem. Anyway, if you could provide info on what happened to this man, so we can learn from his mistakes (short of a heart attack).

Ted Sherry Villa-Lovos
via e-mail

Ted:

I'd not heard about the "diving accident" you've described. Unfortunately, I think this sort of "accident" will be on the rise, not necessarily because solo diving is on the increase, or because solo diving is dangerous, but because the general age of the population and divers is increasing. As the population ages, the likelihood of a sudden, debilitating medical condition increases (such as a stroke, heart attack, seizure, etc.). Keep in mind that diving is not predisposed to this sort of incident any more than any sort of rigorous physical activity. While our society has developed an excellent rapid response system for these types of medical emergencies above water, underwater is a different matter. If you are stricken or incapacitated underwater, and you are diving solo, you are most likely finished.

I am now well into my 40s. The older I get, the more I hesitate about diving solo, not because I lack confidence in my abilities but because diving, especially cold water diving, is very physically strenuous. If something were to happen as mentioned above, a dive buddy is my only hope.

A dive buddy is simply another layer of safety redundancy. Remove it, and you've removed a layer, which in some circumstances is probably okay. As with any piece of safety gear, a buddy system is also only as good as it functions. Keep your buddy system working well with regular checks and practices.

By the way, you'll only get into problems diving solo in Laguna Beach because it is the only town, to the best of my knowledge, with a law on the books stating that you must dive with a buddy (or face a $500 fine).

Dale Sheckler
Editor

Hello Kim and Dale,

Last night my dive buddies, Fred, Tom, and myself were making our weekly night dive. We decided on Cress Street in Laguna Beach. The hardest part about the dive was the parking. The surf was flat, the water was warm and visibility ranged from 15 to 30+ feet, depending on the depth. Do you know how every once in a while you have a truly magical dive? Well, this was one of those dives. We had observed about every local resident to these reefs busy feeding or spawning; the whole reef was flourishing with activity into the night. It was one of those dives where you breathe as slowly as you can to make your visit as long as possible. All three divers had over an hour and twenty minutes bottom time due to our combined 50 years experience (Boy, we must be getting old). As we were heading back to shore with about 800 psi at 18 ft. depth, our light captured a 70-pound, 4-foot long Black Sea Bass. We approached the fish with our 30-watt lights and the fish did not mind our presence. We were able to spend a good five minutes just observing this great fish as it swam lazily around us. We surfaced with smiles on our faces and a great feeling that we have seen a fish that has not resided in Laguna Beach for over 20 years. We are optimistic that the population of White Sea Bass and Black Sea Bass are rising along our coast. It is a wonderful feeling to know that we will be able to see and enjoy these great fish just as the first divers in the 1950s had witnessed.

Mark Koeckritz
via e-mail

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