No Destinations: Diving and Spearfishing in Palos Verdes
Today, we head out to Mike’s backyard in Palos Verdes, one of California’s premiere spearfishing grounds. While the weather was a brisk 58-degrees on land, other markers indicate that the diving conditions could be promising.
According to data gathered from various sources including swell charts and chlorophyl estimates, we were to expect a glassy flat ocean with decent visibility.
Mike and I headed to various coves in Palos Verdes to check how well these charts compared to the real world conditions.
As we start gearing up, another spearo is finishing his dive with a nice sheep head in tow. His success drives our excitement as we head into the icy cold water.
We enter the water and are immediately rewarded with great visibility inside the cove.
Once simply grazing land granted to Japanese farmers, Palos Verdes has become one of the most affluent and expensive areas to live in LA County.
Below the multi-million dollar bluffs of the peninsula lies California’s truest wilderness. Known for it’s expansive kelp forests and home to one of the most productive ecosystems in California, PV hides treasures of fish and invertebrates.
The surface temperature of the water today is a bone chilling 58-degrees Fahrenheit, driven by a recent upwelling. Deep ocean water had risen towards the surface bringing in cold, nutrient-rich water to the shores. Its a normal phenomenon that occurs in this area in early to mid spring and is most pronounced on windy days.
While we had a different species targeted alongside the recent grunion run, this particular area wasn’t the right environment for halibut hunting. We spent the next hour exploring the kelp and looking between rocks for reef fish. Without the additional protection of a neoprene hood, our dive was ended early by our bodies telling us that it was about time to get out of the water.
After getting out of the water, warming up in the sun, and collecting our things; we proceeded to tackle mother nature’s stair master.
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