New to Santa Monica

[sebo12]

Hey everybody,

I've recently moved to Santa Monica, Ca and am hoping for any and all advice as far as any clubs or groups to join, divesites to check out, etc. I would love to find a good LDS and am always up for making new friends/dive buddies!

Cheers & Happy Diving!

Steph

 

[fnfalman]

Around that area, I recommend Ocean Adventures. Good shop.

Ocean Adventures Dive Shop and Training Facility,Professional Instructors

As far as clubs and such, browse the SoCal subforum for clubs.

If you're into shore diving, Santa Monica Beach doesn't really have any sweet spots but if you go north towards Malibu, you'd get Zuma Beach, Leo Carillo Beach and a host of other good beach dive sites. If you want to go south to Redondo Beach and do night dive at Veterans Park, there's a group called DiveVets that always go there a couple nights a week.

Welcome to the area. And if you were to do boat dive, you may just find me. I'm too lazy to schlepp gears through surf/sand/hills/dells nowadays.

 

[sebo12]

Thanks for the advice!

Ill be sure to check out the shop along with the spots you suggested. I plan on doing many boat dives this summer so I look forward to seeing you out there!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

More info here;
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/socal/454283-santa-monica-diving.html

 

[geoff w]

Malibu Divers usually has a free fun dive once a month at local beaches. Equipment rental half price and tanks & weights free for the fun dive

LA County Parks and Rec has their 3-Rs program that gives a decent overview of local shore diving. See Los Angeles County Department of Parks & Recreation - UNDERWATER UNIT | Rocks, Rips, & Reefs for details

Conditions are probably going to suck big time for local shore diving due to the big swell we've had all week, but you can often find people going out most weekends to buddy up with. There are lots of good shore dive spots on the north side of SM Bay, and it's easy to get a dive in on a weekend morning, be done by 11, grab a beer and fish tacos, and have the rest of the weekend day to do other things. Dive boats pretty much consume a whole day and can become an expensive habit after a while

 

[beaverdivers]

Good Luck & Good Diving!

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

When conditions are good in Malibu the diving can be very good. In fact they can be epic. I recall seeing eight different species of rock fishing, and a pacific electric ray, on one dive. Unfortunately good conditions will not occur all the time, maybe not most of the time. Malibu Road, Leo and Los Tres Sierras are all excellent on the right day. And a little farther afield is Deer Creek. In some of these places you have to work around the residents that are reneging on their obligations to provide public access. There are usually work arounds however.

 

[sebo12]

Wow, thanks for all the great info! Very much looking forward to having an "epic" shore dive of my own.

geoff w -- That pretty much sounds like a perfect day: dive, beer, fish tacos..repeat ​

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