![]() ![]() ![]() If a cooler jungle gym exists, I haven’t seen it. As soon as my light illuminates the nearest crossbeams, the scary stuff falls away. When we reach our maximum depth of 140 feet, my buddy and I level off and flash each other eager “OK” signs (his more eager than mine). I pass a thermocline that drops the temperature 8 chilly degrees as the current abruptly shifts and speeds up. The noise of these working structures adds to the eerie ambience, as thundering resupply boats arrive and hisses accompany bursts of bubbles that periodically emerge from the depths. The lattice of giant steel beams extends into the depths, beyond my sight and far beyond recreational limits, crossing horizontally at 60-foot intervals to create a beckoning series of levels. Since the huge surface structure blocks out much of the ambient light, it takes my eyes a minute to adjust to the dark water. Despite the hundreds of hours I’ve spent underwater here, descending under the platform still spooks me. As I enter the water, the butterflies in my stomach have returned. The captain shifts the boat into neutral as the divemaster calls out, “Ready? Dive!” Pairs of divers oblige, and soon it’s my turn on the swim step. We’ve arrived at the Eureka oil platform, our favorite of the three diveable rigs near Long Beach. The boat pulls close to the huge structure, disturbing the sea lions draped lazily across the moorings and inciting a cacophony of barking protest. Rec or tec, reef lover and wreck hunter, photographer and videographer: The platforms appeal to us all. Southern California’s oil rigs blend man-made and natural in a package that combines the region’s best underwater features, creating dive sites that offer some of the best multilevel diving in the world. ![]() The steel behemoths don’t fit the palm-fringed SoCal stereotype, but they are the stuff of dive legend. ![]()
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