Catalina Island Info

[drbill]

Due to the economy, visitor traffic has been lighter than usual the past 18 months.

As for temps, this is an El Nino year (or so they tell me) so temps may be warmer than usual. You can check my dive log for min temps, at least on the days I recorded them. See the far right column for each dive where the temp is indicated as "xx F"

 

[mobeeno]

Whats the vis like in mid to late October

 

[Matteus]

Hi guys!

A nice forum you have! Hope I posted this in the right thread.

I'm from Finland and coming to Los Angeles after Christmas and trying to find some good diving there. Catalina seems a great choice. I'm still a novice, so everything under water interests me, but good visibility and things to see down there are always a plus.

What do you think, should I book a one-two day package from Scuba Luv / CDS with accomodation and boat trips? Or just get there by myself, dive in the casino park and maybe hop on a boat trip if there's room? The packages seem a bit expensive, but I believe I need to book hotel rooms etc well in advance anyway.

As the New Year happens to be Friday-Saturday this year, will it mean that the dive shops, tank filling stations and whatever places there will be closed?

As I'm travelling solo I will also need a dive buddy, won't I? Is it easy to find someone there or should I prepare to hire an instructor?

Thanks!

 

[austinspace]

Hi Matteus, I would go on one three tank boat dive with ScubaLuv (they have a nice big boat). We had a great experience doing that this past August. Some advice: watch your navigation closely - swim into the current, and avoid doing your safety in mid-water if possible, as you'll travel a good distance in three mins. Better to first identify the down-line/chain then return to it.
For Casino, tank rental and fills are available there (CDS has a kiosk) right at the point, and there are lockers so you can keep a tank past closing time for a late/early dive. Again, best to use your compass to swim out to a target, then return back to the stairs.
If you could find a buddy ahead of time through the board that would be good, otherwise ask around at Cadino. And on the boat you can hook up with someone. The biggest 'issue' we had in Avalon was the cost of taxis -- need to minimize trips, so having a place to stay near the water could be a plus. And you might want to rent a push cart. Or finding a place on vrbo.com that includes a golf cart would be ideal.
Have a great time, and please report back!

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

FYI: There are plenty of dive boats in the LA area that will take you to many of the Catalina dive sites. This may be logistically easier and less expensive, plus the whole buddy issue is easy to resolve on a boat full of divers than at the dive park in the off season.

 

[strobeless]

Hello Matteus. One thing to keep in mind about Dive Boat trips after Christmas:

January is the month that traditionally sees most, it not all, dive boats "haul out" for nearly an entire month of Boat Maintenance. It is very possible that there will not be any dive boats making any trips to Catalina Island for the entire month of January.

The Casino Point may be your only chance at diving. Although I don't know about Scuba Luv because I only take boats from the mainland.

Take a look at this So Cal Dive Boat Database and type in some dates and destinations, you don't need to fill in all the info, just the dates and destinations to get the most hits.

California Diving News - Dive Trips - Directory

I really didn't see anything listed for January.

My further checking of the online sites for most so cal dive shops and dive charter boats have also revealed very little activity in Jan 2011. I saw a few trips in Late Jan and few in late december.

However the casino point is a great, great dive that will not disappoint.

I saw your comment on most rooms being $100. If you are traveling solo, check out the rates of Hotel Hermosa.

https://www.hermosahotel.com/reservations.html

Get a room with a kitchen and save big on the cost of eating on the Island, or just get the super economy room.

 

[drbill]

Valuable tips, thank you! I will definately get acquainted with the casino point and believe one can make several dives there without getting bored.

I've done between 1,000 and 2,000 dives at the dive park alone and still am not bored... but then I'm easily entertained!

 

[calicant]

I would like to take my wife to dive at Casino Point on a Saturday in February, stay overnight and perhaps do a couple of boat dives Sunday before departing. We are PADI OWD but our experience is limited to about 20 dives in warm tropical waters. Which shop would be best for first time cold water divers who need help gearing up and a guided dive tour of the park?

Any tips on making the warm to cold transition would be greatly appreciated. Our diving needs to come home with us from vacation!

 

[Matteus]

Which shop would be best for first time cold water divers who need help gearing up and a guided dive tour of the park?

Hey! I just came from Catalina after three days of diving with both Dive Catalina and Scuba Luv. Dive Catalina is a small shop, but offers very personal service; they really look after you and seem to be interested in how your diving goes and feels. I can highly recommend! However I'm not sure if they arrange boat trips, but those can of course be purchased from the other shops provided that trips will be arranged that particular day.

As far as I'm concerned the water wasn't too cold for 7 mm full wetsuit and there isn't much difference from tropical diving except for added weights and maybe a trifle increased air consumption. Some divers were using drysuits (I did a drysuit course on the first day with Ron Moore of Dive Catalina, but my suit began to leak...), but none of the shops rents them.

If you're gonna rent your thick wetsuits one point of consideration would be whether there is possibility to have a warm shower at the shop when removing and returning the suits.

-M

 

[drbill]

There are three shops here that could do it this time of year: Scuba Luv, Catalina Divers Supply, and Catalina Diving & Snorkeling (Dive Moore). All three can show you a good time here.