San Diego - Carlsbad

[Kimusubi]

I'm going to be in Carlsbad next week, and I wanted to get some diving done while I was there. I was searching through this forum and I found a few places that everyone keeps mentioning, like La Jolla Beach and Cove, and also HMCS Yukon. My only problem is that I'll be coming in possible Monday night or Tuesday afternoon, and I'll leave Thursday or Friday, so I'll only have the weekdays to dive in and most people don't dive during the weekdays.

I was thinking about diving with a local dive shop and having them give me a tour, but that's going to get expensive after the first dive or two. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can go about this? Or would anyone be interested in diving with me next week?

Also, I wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions for a good San Diego dive shop that would preferably rent out dry suits as well (I'm a chicken in cold water). I've found one called Home Page, but I haven't heard anything about them so I don't really know how they are. If anyone can give me some recommendations, I'd really appreciate it.

And lastly (trying to not make this too long), out of the few dive sites I mentioned earlier, does anyone have a suggestions as to which is better? I'm only an open water certified diver with a dry suit specialty. The deepest I've ever gone was 60' for only a few minutes, so I'm not sure if I'm certified to do the Yukon dive wreck, but I wasn't too sure about the La Jolla dive sites.

I know you guys helped me out on my last Catalina trip, so hopefully this trip can be amazing as well. Thank you all in advance for your help.

- Ali

 

[Skull]

Yukon is only accessible by dive boat ... IMO and I'm sure someone will scold me for this but if you have dove to 60' you're ready for the Yukon since the ocean floor is ~ 107' during slack tide on average. Water is cold at that depth this time of year, renting a dry suit would be preferable but a good 7 mil will get you through the dive. Why not book a morning dive on one of the local dive boats with a second on the Ruby max is 85' to the floor.

If you are on a tight budget just hit the La Jolla Shores ~ 7 am any day there are plenty of divers to tag along with plus the beach is guarded ... just in case.

 

[Kimusubi]

Where can I find information on these boats? So I can just look at the pricing and their schedule and all that. Also, do you know if this is a good time a year to be diving around La Jolla or Yukon? I hear Yukon can get a bit nasty because of the current. Thanks again for the help!

- Ali

 

[Skull]

Search HydroDiver, Los Ann, any dive boat operation in San Diego.... they all have pricing, times, party sizes,gear rentals etc....all are pretty competitive.
http://www.divebums.com/Links.html#anchor397648 I've dove on Bill Mosses HydroDiver ...real simple dive op ...he's mored close to the mouth of Mission Bay so only about a 30 min ride to the site. but all the dive boats listed are pros.

As for the site, there is no real current to speak of however depending on the storm forecast for the pacific it can get a strong surge on the site. Whats just as important are the tide tables and the size of the flow in and out of Mission Bay which can contribute greatly to the surge on the site,most dive boat operators are in tune to these conditions. Water at depth is going to be in the low 50's regardless while diving 21% O2 your limited on your NDL's anyway so you should be able to dive a 7 mil wet suit and survive the morning for a second dive on the Ruby. Its starting to warm up nicely here and usually we get about 6 weeks of sunny days on the coast from now till around early May... i.e., warm air on the ocean surface for your SI's. Water will be cool but the conditions are improving.

 

[Kimusubi]

Unfortunately, I don't have my nitrox certification, so I don't know how long I can last in those deep dives with normal air.

I was looking at some of the boats, and some of the dives that don't go very deep look really fun, but I can't tell which one is the best. I was thinking about doing 3 dives in Naval Electronics Lab, NRAD, and New Hope Rock, and hiring a DM to dive with me as a dive buddy for about $50. Do you know if these are decent dive sites?

But then again, I could always go diving in Coronado Islands. Do you need a passport for it or is it no big deal? Because I'll have to renew my passport if they require it.

This might end up being a real fun week if these go well!

- Ali

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Ali,

Here are my recommendations for you:

• Have you considered taking an AOW class? It would be an economical way to have an Instructor show you around...and obtain more training. At some shops, you might get a discount on gear rental. I'd recommend giving Ocean Enterprises a call. They have several good instructors there.
• Dive with a local! Join the Divebums.com Email List. Then make a post asking for a local dive buddy. You'll probably want to include a little about your dive experience/ability, when you'd like to dive, and where you're interested in going. Night dives at La Jolla Shores are really fun, but don't let it be your first dive there...and don't do a night dive there with a new dive buddy. Dive it first during the day. I dived Vallecitos Point yesterday afternoon. Water temp at depth 54°F. Vis 10-15 ft. Noticeable surge at depth. Surf: manageable 3 footers with a rogue 4 footer occasionally.
• I have no idea about LDS offerings in Carlsbad. The only LDS in the San Diego area that rents drysuits (that I know of) is Aquatech. FYI, the shop is located on Logan Ave. in downtown San Diego in a not-so-pretty/safe neighborhood. Last I checked, they were renting DUI suits for $50/day. They will probably ask to see your drysuit cert card. They do BC/reg/wetsuit/tank packages, too. Bring your own dive gear to San Diego, if you can, since it will save you some money.
• I have been on the HydroDiver with Bill Moss. The trip was wonderful, and he's a really good guy. The boat is small but comfy. Nice snacks. I thought he was just doing full-on charters, so his boat might not be the best choice for a single diver. No air compressor on board either.
• I would recommend diving on the Marrissa if you want to do any Point Loma kelp dives or nearby wreck dives. Anita and Carl are really nice, and they'll take good care of you. They also have the ability to do HP air fills on the boat.
• I have to disagree with Skull on the Yukon dive. You probably don't want to dive the Yukon. Max depth at the bottom (in the sand) is slightly deeper than 100 fsw. At that depth narcosis may be an issue. This really shouldn't be taken lightly. Vis varies. I've dived the Yukon with 50 ft. vis (rare, spectacular) and 10 - 15 ft. vis (more common). It's cold and dark down there. The site really lends itself to a 32% mix, but you aren't nitrox-certified so your bottom time will be limited. You'll be diving a rented drysuit and perhaps using other rental gear. You aren't familiar with the site. If I were you, I would try to check out the RubyE (smaller wreck, slightly shallower, and more colorful than Yukon) and the Point Loma kelp beds. If you like nudibranchs, the kelp beds can be a really fun dive. Carl (Marrissa dive boat) has a really good feel for all of the dive sites there. During surface intervals, he has a knack for finding dolphins. Very cool. If you must dive the Yukon, hire a DM or Instructor. The Yukon is often included as one of the AOW class dives.
• The Coronados Islands are a long ride out. You should not need your passport. I believe that US Driver's License is OK, but check with the dive op. There are some nice shallower dives there. It is common for OW classes do their final class dives there. There's a playful sea lion colony on the islands. Personally, I don't like the long ride out there and the fact that many of the sites seem like a barren wasteland -- just lots of urchins and brittle stars everywhere. I suspect that the place was overfished long ago. During surface intervals, the boat will be swarmed by a bunch of annoying black flies. (If you go, you'll see what I mean.) I'd take any dive in the Point Loma kelp beds over the Coronados in a heartbeat. But that's just my opinion.
• For gear rental, I've never heard of Dive California on Scott Street. That doesn't mean that they aren't a good LDS, though.
  - OEX has a very convenient location at La Jolla Shores just a couple blocks from the beach. I believe that they have DMs for hire for the Shores and the Marine Room. Even if you don't rent gear from them (they don't rent drysuits), you'll probably end up getting some air fills there since it's sooooo convenient. The shop is run by a bunch of kids, so be patient.
  - Ocean Enterprises is located in Clairemont Mesa quite a distance from the dive sites. OE is arguably the largest dive shop in San Diego. They rent out gear, but I don't think they rent drysuits.
  - Sport Chalet at UTC mall is just a few miles from La Jolla Shores. You could give them a call to see what they have to offer.

Have fun and dive safe...

 

[Kimusubi]

I've actually called all of the boats that you've mentioned plus some other ones, and none of them are offering weekday dives. The only two boats that could possibly offer a weekday dive would be Dive Connections and Waterhorse. Dive connection said they could offer a DM to go down with me, and they're going to call me back for pricing, and Waterhorse, I haven't been able to get a hold of as of yet. I'm definitely not going to do the Yukon, but I may do El Ray if there is a DM to go down with me.

I have all my own gear, except for a dry suit, tanks and, weights. The only thing that's going to be hard to find is the dry suit.

I actually considered doing an AOW class there, but I'm flying in on Monday afternoon, and will stay there Tuesday, Wednesday, possibly Thursday, and fly back on Friday, so there won't be enough time for me to do all the classes and do the open water dives, though it would've been nice if I could.

Due to lack of a dive buddy and my bad timing, my only option left is to go on a boat with a DM, which won't be so bad considering that I'll be able to do slightly more advanced dives. I'm just waiting on the pricing. The dry-suit though might be my biggest problem. If you say that AquaTech isn't exactly in the best neighborhood, I'm not sure if I'd want to rent from them, simply from the fact that their gear might not be in the best condition. But hopefully, something else will pop up. Thank you again for your help!

- Ali


Correction: Sports Chalet does offer dry suits, so that shouldn't be a problem anymore. The only thing left is now finding a boat!

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Ali,

Too bad the Marrissa doesn't have any planned trips for the time that you'll be here. I've used both Dive Connections and Waterhorse. I believe that Dive Connections is pretty desperate for business right now. That would probably contribute to them having the most flexible schedule...for you. Waterhorse has a nice, fast, clean boat. The captain usually plays music as you're motoring to the dive site. If given the choice between the two dive ops, I'd probably choose Waterhorse, but I recall that there might be a significant price difference. You should check on that.

Getting a DM to accompany you on the boat dive is a good idea. With a good DM, you could probably do the Yukon if you wanted to. He can help out with navigating around the wreck, and you can stay at a depth that will make narcosis unlikely. Ascend on the mooring chain and I'm sure you'll be fine. FYI, the typical Wreck Alley schedule is Dive #1 at Yukon and Dive #2 at RubyE or El Rey.

Hmmm. I didn't realize that you were flying into SD from AZ. Many just make the drive. With flying back, that means that you won't be able to dive 24 hrs. before your Friday flight.

FWIW, Aquatech drysuit rentals are good quality. They're a DUI dealer, and they sell a nice assortment of tech diving stuff. It's just their location that's always kind of bugged me. I pulled up a Google Map of the police record of all recent criminal activity taking place within 5 blocks of Aquatech. There were little markers all over the map. Truly scary!

If Sport Chalet rents drysuits, then definitely go with them. In addition to the branch at UTC, there's also a Sport Chalet at Point Loma which has an attached training pool. The UTC location is more convenient for people diving in La Jolla. If you're exclusively doing boat dives, perhaps the Point Loma location will be better.

It still isn't too late to join the Divebums.com Email List and shoot off an email for a shore diving buddy. What do you have to lose?

Good luck...

 

[Skull]

FYI ..I have Dive California as my back up dive shop and can tell you Mike runs a fine business. My primary dive shop is IB Divers only because they are the last NAUI shop in town and the owner is a straight up great human being..period.

TBS dive a 7 mil, you will be more than warm enough. Both shops rent however for you to travel all the way to Imperial Beach (IB) is not practical. Actually Aquatech isn't very practical as well since its 10 miles south of the airport and all the dive boat ops are north of the airport.... lots of driving to get gear. Dive California is 2 minutes north of the airport so returning rented gear is very convenient.

If I were you I'd rent a 7 mil and a Steel 120 from Dive California drive up to La Jolla Shores and dive Vallecitos point. Basically park at the life guard tower suit up and surface swim due west to the dive buoy. Swim ~ 100 yds west(more) and dive ~ 35-50fsw to the bottom depending on the tide and the distance you travel past the buoy. Take a heading west till you hit 55fsw and head south along the wall. When you hit 1200 psi head E by NE and surface at about 4 fsw. You should be able to find divers ~ 7 am in the parking lot. Do your SI and do the same dive again but this time head out south of the buoy and follow the same course ...spend time at the walls since there are lots of sea life there.

PM me if you need a buddy ...

 

[Kimusubi]

I got a boat set up with Dive Connections, and the guy on the phone really did sound desperate. I was a bit weary at first because he sounded a bit desperate, but I think it should be fine. As long as I get a nice dive and a nice DM, it won't bother me much. I'm sure they're great people. Waterhorse was virtually unavailable and because of my timing I couldn't wait around to get a response back from them. Currently, I have two boat dives set for Tuesday with a DM, which should be good.

I would love to do another 2 dives from the shore on Wednesday, so if you're interested Skull, it'd be great to have you along. I just hate going to any random person on the beach and diving with them, simply because in my experience, I've learned that a bad dive buddy is worse than having no buddy at all.

As far as the flying goes, I should be fine because I'll have the entire Thursday where I won't do any dives, and we will come back on Friday night, so they should be no deco problems.

Skull, I'll PM you right now with my contact info, just in case you're interested in diving on Wednesday. Anyone else who'd like to come is also welcome, just PM me.

Thank you both again for all your help. All the info has been tremendously useful!

- Ali