New pictures

Attached are two pictures: Haul by Ritchie Zacker, Sumora Customer and 2006 Spearfishing Team National Team Champion (Above)

4pm-2AM dive in Laguna Beach, California(Below)

The clock was ticking away. Decision time to leave Los Angeles at 1:30pm Wednesday...Be stuck in traffic while pristine Laguna conditions wash away... or go out and enjoy the scenery ASAP!

Hearing about good conditions is usually just hearsay - its truth cannot be asserted because weather can change so instantly, and fish can disappear so rapidly. I had to find out what the fuss was about (My friend shot 2 Halibut yesterday - the larger being 40")...so the decision was easy!!! 

After the last Sargo cooking spree that turned out to be one of the moistest, tastiest fish (and knowing a big party to provide for), I was on a Sargo-Hunt. 

I made it to Laguna at 4:30pm, about 30 minutes before sun down instantly getting some dinner (2 Sargos with my 120cm Apex 3000) at the far reef at Moss. I didn't find the big sheepsheads, nor the calicos this time around, even in the dimming 30 ft visibility.

I made my way into shore and grabbed my new Princeton Tech Shockwave LED (Very Very nice LED light - brighter than my previous UK C8 LED and lightweight. And switched out the 120cm Apex 3000 Tuna Line for an 80cm gun. (Stealth Carbon 80cm)

Diving at night was fun and challenging - given I've never hunted (fish) at night. Visibility made things comfortable and conditions were FLAT! (though Moss gets very surgy). I shot 4 more Sargo and a nice Calico. In shallow where there was a lot of water movement I looked for bugs, saw a 4#er retreat far back into the hole and grabbed a legal. I then headed over to Sebastien's house (If only because I heard his wife is a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef) 

I am so lucky and blessed - Earlier in the week a customer's wife cooked up an italian food storm after a dive in PV, and as a first grade teacher cursed and threw down some beers and pasta and pizza with us. I wish I could have shared this wonderful meal with all you.

Sebastien's wife was a fantastic cook and very hospitable...what I wanted was a light meal before the night dive but how could I resist?

Thoughts of having a light dinner quickly took reversed themselves after I got a bite of the food

So, we had a few more glasses of wine, relaxed by the outdoor firepit, and we headed to a different spot together.

Quickly searched for Halibut but looks like someone killed them all the night before...then headed for Scallops pulling a limit throughout the night (after dropping the iron, used our hands to pull them off the rocks)

It was a good learning experience to look in a lot of the holes to see what was going on, where the bugs were moving, but there were a lot of traps out and previous report of bugs everywhere (day before) turned untrue for today.

Deep in a cave a small Octopus was camouflaging itself but its bulbous head stuck out and so he was early to come to the party. 

And later a scorpionfish decided to come along as well.

We were in no rush - it was now 1:30AM and 3 hours of doing 1 up one down with green glowsticks attached to the snorkel (this was very helpful and not obstructive) Sometimes we venture out all over the place but I truly enjoyed the team effort and camaraderie of diving together.

In where there was more good water movement was able to find 2 more bugs and we headed in. Was out of the water at 2AM, Dropped off lobster for my parents then headed to LA. Along the way searched for Albertacos 24 hr Mexican food, settled after 30 minutes of pointless driving with Del Taco. 
Arrived to my destination at 4:30AM.

Total tally for the Phelps diet:
10 Scallops
3 Bugs
1 Octopus
6 Sargo
1 Calico
1 Scorpionfish
1 Donut Cinnamon twist (Donut Star)
1 Bean and Cheese Burrito (Del Taco)
1 Chicken Burrito (Del Taco)

Enjoy some videos

I hope you enjoy some videos of World Freediving Record Holder Stephane Mifsud as much as we did:

Dive Hard.  Sumora. Dive Anywhere. 

I Kill to eat!

I Kill to Eat, and I eat…to kill. Another day. Fuel to the body. Necessary? Absolutely. It’s a vicious cycle that could be easily broken if one of the steps were taken out. But I don’t want it to. It won’t happen. Not now. Never. No way…! It’s too much fun being in nature, this time going up and down the cliffs of Palos Verdes, (Southern California) for small table fish. I have to admit, I like variety. And I like to cook. So naturally the menu of the night consisted of fish. And fish! And even more. 

It was 6 o clock in the evening when we started preparation. I knew it was time for dinner Right now…so, logically… I began the preparation for LUNCH…tomorrow: Filipino style ceviche. It begins the same process of cooking the fish in limejuices as Mexican style, only later coconut milk, Turmeric, and papaya are added. The fish of choice was Sheepshead which range from 1-25+ pounds. For steaming and ceviche, I like the smaller the better. It was quickly filleted, sliced, and put in a Ziploc, the next step? Add garlic, ginger and salt, quickly expedite it to the refrigerator.

It was only proper to start with appetizer of some Bonita Sashimi caught off Catalina Island, California.

NEXT. My recent trips to Angelini Osteria in LA have seen the Branzino (Mediterranean fish) prepared in an interesting aromatic way. It involves preparing a salt-bread crumb crust mixture layered with thyme, garlic, salt, various other herbs, olive oil, and stuffing the cavity for flavorful fish baked in the oven at 350F for roughly 20 minutes. 

The crust is taken off and the fish ends up being UNBELIEVABLY moist, delicious, and extremely flavorful in this simple preparation. We made a cucumber heirloom tomato basil Salad w/ Mozzarella and red onions (also in a fish dish)

To finish the dinner we had Almond-crusted Halibut fillets dipped simply in flour, egg, crushed almonds, salt pepper and cooked in Butter.

Overall it was a GREAT TIME but not without its mishaps: Leaving the butter too long on the saucepan...And accidentally placing an oven-proof glass dish directly on the stove. 

To get it perfect next time?...I'll just have to dive another day.

Erik Sun   

Spierre blades on top!

Attached are pics taken during scouting in Venezuela - sent to me by Gyula, South Africa's National team captain.   Apparently the various teams at Worlds tested each other’s equipment and according to Gyula our Spierre Pure Carbon blades came out tops above the other brands. Our whole team ended up returning to SA minus their fins after selling them to the other competitors.

Speak soon,

Pierre

pictured: Spierre Pure carbon Blades, Gyula with Spierre Pure Carbons & Rabitech Wetsuit.

Catalina in 1 minute...short report

Catalina Island lies about 25 miles offshore southern California (Los Angeles).

Though we were looking for yellowtail in nice 64-66 F(18-19C) water with visibility upwards of 40ft (10-12 meters), we ended up shooting reef fish and Bonita (which are fantastic for Sashimi)

Here's a short video.