working out the kinks

We are up and running again! Mr. Calico and Capitan put in a lot of hours and sweat into renovating the trailer, and now we are finally able to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Usually, the first day of the season for the Freedive Hunters is considered to be a trial run, even though we always hope for Yellowtail or the scarce White Sea Bass (deep down, we know those chances are slim to none).

It was an early start to the day, and most of the crew was expectantly unprepared. Line needed crimping, spears needed sharpening, weight belts needed adjusting, masks and snorkels needed reuniting, boat needed last minute TLC, etc.

This week's fearless crew: Frederic, Jordan, Tom, Jason S., Orion, and Eric.

Fred's critique on Jordan's technique: "Jordan managed to pull the boat out of the driveway without demolishing the neighbor CMU Wall. The launching technique still needs work. The idea is to launch the boat in the water as opposed to launching the boat on the dry part of the ramp (As John "The Magnificent" is rumored to have done in Mexico). Jordan also brilliantly performed the back up of the boat back into the drive way with 1/2" to spare on the wall side."
Cozy in the cabin.
Hercules distributed his famous flapjacks, and the crew was ready to dive.
Can you tell who is who amongst the many camo Yazbeck suits?
Remember the unspoken rule of respect regarding Captain Frederic: you speak when spoken to, and you may never make direct eye contact with him.

No fish pictures this time. We each had a go at a Kelp Bass, and Eric annihilated an entire school of Sheephead. There were baby Yellowtail sightings - too small to shoot at, but exciting to see. Diving conditions were decent - we enjoyed about 10-15 feet of visibility in most spots, and the water was a chilly 55-56 degrees. It was almost warmer in the water than being on the boat in a wet suit with the cold air blowing. Needless to say, the diving was fun. We are now ready for warmer waters and bigger Yellowtail.

We are getting good at this boating stuff.
Look at all the FDH shirts! When are we diving next?
Frederic's report of the savory Calico he consumed later that night:
"Calico was lightly steamed and served with a Tarragon/Lime/Butter sauce on a bed of spinach sauté with garlic. Autopsy revealed the following: Its last meal shortly before the fatal encounter was octopus. It has some kind of learning disability as it had been shot before."



-TJ