It is a good day to dive...

AbCam GoPro is loaded and ready

Heading to the cove.

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

UPDATE AUG-05: The blog hit a few technical issues. Which is to say - I screwed up. The www.mikewallach.com custom domain expired while we were diving and the blog disappeared from the Intertubes.  I've since renewed the domain, but have yet to figure out how to reconnect this blog, so we are temporarily back on the original random eatar242.blogspot.com domain. At least the  blog is still here. I should be able to get things back to normal in a day or so.

In the meantime I'll update this post with more pictures from the day, as...

It was indeed a good day to dive. 

Water was pretty glassy but occasional sets of 3-4 foot swells reduced viz

 We went in as soon as it was legal, about 90 minutes after low tide.

 There were a few issues. The GoPro case leaked quite early and the camera died. We salvaged a few clips from the SD card, but took little underwater footage. In addition, someone lost their fins, cutting the dive short.

Still we each got a pair.

Mine were bigger...

... much, much bigger.

Enough of a catch for a dinner feast...

... But not quite big enough to call it a trophy. Meet Cecil, the beloved abalone of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary...

A 10 inch red abalone in Northern California is considered to be a "trophy". While several of my dive buddies have pulled trophies out of our favorite cove, I have yet to take one. This was the last abalone I took on opening day Saturday, August 1. It was 9 7/8 inches.

Still, Cecil was delicious.

Traditional pan-fried abalone steaks with a lemon, garlic, butter & capers picatta sauce.