To dive in Long Beach & La Jolla, CA - Advice Needed

[ScubaSeanMaui]

The Cove is by far a safer place. The Shores is very deep, and especially at night you are ALONE (minus your buddy). If you head to the rockpile from the stairs with a 30 degree course (towards the yellow bouy) on your way out, then 180 on the way back in you should be safe. Remember the rockpile is at 40 feet, so be sure to go "down" to 40 feet. As Roy said you can surface and take a bearing if necessary on your return. I was there last night with Ryan and we saw a huge black sea bass, barricudas, 2 octopus, and the usual suspects. Personally I would dive the spot in the day 1st, but if you have enough experience you should be fine.

I personally did not dive at the Shores until I had a guide (Krowsea) who knew the place very well. The real dives at the Shores are maily deep, and if you go the wrong way your out over a 300+ foot canyon. It's definitly way more dangerous considering how deep you can/need to go. Maybe someone from the board can guide you on a night dive.

Sean

 

[jrdivagrl]

La jolla is the best. there is a dive shop called OEX and they are the best guys ever! i would try and do the marine room, canyon, and cove..they are all fantastic! If you arent comfortable going alone (which i have no doubt you are) the guys at oex will be delighted to serve you!

 

[tnsharp]

The people on this message board are great. In just a matter of a few hours I have received several messages from very thoughtful people. I sincerely thank all of you for your responses. I also want to thank justleesa for merging my two threads (my bad).

You guys have gotten me very excited about the diving portion of my upcoming trip. I now want to dive in more locations than I will have time or stamina for.

My current plan is to dive Laguna Beach Crescent Bay (Seal Rock or Deadmans Reef) on Thursday as Melvin Pasley suggested. Then La Jolly Cove on Monday, as many of you have suggested. I wish I could make it out to La Jolly Cove on Sunday to meet some of you; I just don’t see how I can pull it off. I’m scrapping the idea of a Sunday night dive; you guys brought me to my senses. Maybe a Monday night dive after I am familiar with the area, assuming I’m not worn out by then. I would also like to dive the Caves too; I sure I won’t fit that in.

A little bit about me and my sons: We do most of our diving in the Mendocino, Fort Bragg area. We do our winter diving in Monterey. We do mostly rock entries; my sons were raised on the rocks. Of course we abalone dive. I just took up underwater photography. Some of my pictures are in the SB member gallery. I hope to get some good u/w pictures of my sons. This will likely be my last dive with my sons for some time, possible for years.

Thank you again for all of the information.

Tom Sharp

 

[saf_25]

The only other option for beach diving I can fgive if you'll be in Long Beach is to hop on the Catalina Express and dive in the Casino Point dive park. There are lots of threads on it and I don't really think it's what you're looking for, so I won't go into details, but I feel that it is the most representative spot of all of what So Cal diving has to offer.
Have a good trip down to our "warm" water.

 

[widebody50]

Sounds like you have a pretty solid plan Tom. These guys are right on about the wildlife at LaJolla. And they certainly have much more experience than I do. The Cove has much more to see than the Shores. On our way out to the kelp we saw leopard sharks, a blue shark (I think), and lots of Garibaldis and other "usual suspects" that populate the cove area.

On the other hand, parts of the Shores look like a sand dollar farm, there are so many of them. And, yes, there is quite a lot of sand there.

Have some great dives with your sons, where ever you go. These are the good old days.

 

[widebody50]

I'd recommend La Jolla Cove for the night dive. It's a shallow dive and easy to nav. Worstcase, you can always come up and take a bearing. Lots more to see there at night........

Shak,

I'll take that recommendation too...after we get our AOW, and lots of practice. Night diving seems a bit spooky right now, but then, so did diving at all.

 

[ryanarcher]

Night diving is where it's at! Like divebuddysean said - we went to the rock pile at the Cove last night and it was great! I'd suggest a good light of course - but I think you should take a good light on a day dive too...to look in the cracks and crevices.

If you guys are here on Monday or Sunday put up a post for a night dive - it is possible I could make it down there with you and some others may come also. Night diving can be tricky - but if you can get in a dusk dive first to get your bearings you'll be fine.