Visiting in July, Best Diving Choices?

[reddiver85]

If you want to dive the Channel Island, there are a few boat option off Ventura harbor and Santa Barbara. Most of the boat, like:Truth Aquatic, Specter and Peace are big boat and can do a multi-day trip. My personal favorite for the big boat are the Truth Aquatic boats (Truth Aquatics: The Best In Liveaboard Diving, Island Kayaking and Hiking). They got 3 different boats with different schedule and destination. So do check them out to find the right trip for you.

My overall favorite boat however is going to be Raptor Dive Charter (Welcome to the Raptor Dive Charters Website located in Ventura Harbor, California). It is a Newton 46, the same type of boat use in many dive resort in the Caribbean and Bahamas. I like it because it is a fast boat. It usually take about slightly over an hour to go out to Anacapa Island, compare to one and a half hour plus by other boat. Also, since it is a fast boat with shallower draft, they could usually take the extra time to find you the best spot for diving that day. If you need any gear or even a guide for the dive, just up the ramp from the dock is Ventura Dive and Sport (Welcome to Ventura Dive & Sport). VDS is Run by the same owner as the Raptor and its also one of the biggest dive shop between Monterey and LA. They are also a 5 stars PADI dive training center. Whatever is your diving need, they would most likely have it in stock.

If you are heading down to LA area, my recommendation would be diving Catalina Island. There are 2 ways to dive it. The first one would by simply taking the ferry over to Catalina and dive Casino Point. Its an awesome spot to dive. Lot to see and its a good way to taste what California diving is all about. For more detail on this check out Catalina Diver Supply (Catalina Island Scuba Diving and Snorkeling from Catalina Divers Supply on Catalina Island in Avalon CA). The second way of exploring the dive spot in Catalina is simply by doing a boat dive. I usually use the Sundiver Express for this (Dive Boat Sundiver). They got multiple dive boat with different destination. You might even get the chance to do an oil rig dive for the 1st dive and do the other dive in Catalina. All in a single dive trip.

If you are going to head further south to San Diego, wreck alley is the place to go. If you like wreck diving, you'll love this.The boat that I usually use for this is the Waterhorse (San Diego SCUBA Diving, Charter Boat Dives. Dive Trips). I love diving the Yukon wreck and Ruby E wreck.

If you want to dive with the California Sea Lion, so far the best place for me to do that is at Anacapa Island at the dive spot called Underwater Arch. Last time I was there, 1 was surrounded by 20+ very playful sea lion.

About guide, depend on how comfortable you are underwater. It seems that you are pretty comfortable in the tropic, but since it is your first time diving California, its never a bad idea to hire a guide. that way, you can just focus on your dive and enjoy the scenery. No need to worry about navigation and such. Plus some guide will actually help you find the cool stuff underwater.

I hope this help. And hope to see you diving here in beautiful California.

Check out this video of the Underwater Arch at Anacapa Island.
https://vimeo.com/60327165

 

[fnfalman]

For oil rig diving, not too many boats do the run because it's an advanced trip and most boats are also tend to be a big too big and cumbersome for the oil rig owners to be happy with.

Dive Sea Bass - diving co. - Sea Bass Calendar/Schedule

The Sea Bass tends to be an oil rig charter.

Also as others have already mentioned a six-pack boat by Selky Charter Selky Charters

For purple hydrocoral diving, Farnsworth on the back side of Catalina Island is the usual spot, but San Miguel Island and Santa Barbara Island plus Nine Fathoms outside of San Clemente Island also have these gorgeous things. Alas, these dive sites are very exposed to the weather and many times the boats can't make it out to the site. Let me rephrase that, the boats can make it out. The divers may not be able to gear up and safely dive. Summer water condition in SoCal tends to be very unpredictable, warm water and warm air moving in tend to make surface and bottom conditions..."interesting".

As far as kelp diving goes, Catalina has plenty of kelps, as are the Northern Channel Islands (San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz). Or San Clemente down south towards San Diego. I'd dare say that the kelp forest in San Clemente tends to be thicker and more vibrant than the ones at Catalina.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Thank you everyone for all the info! We found a 3 day trip on the Peace July 4-5-6 that is hitting Catalina, Santa Barbara, Anacapa and Santa Cruz. It sounds like the perfect "sampler" of the best of everything, sea lions, kelp, hydrocoral, etc. We are going to fly in on July 3 to board the Peace by 8:00 pm. We will then be working our way to san Francisco on a flexible schedule (don't have to arrive in SF until the 14th).

Maybe someone from the board will join us! I opened a new thread on this trip to see if we can meet anyone on this trip.

 

[Lopez116]

That's going to be a great trip. Good temps that time of year too.

 

[Klezz]

hello everybody
as i will be in San Diego in mid september, I could manage for myself one day free : I wish to dive on 2016 sept 18th or 19th
is it possible to dive in San Diego , the purpose is to dive with California Sea Lions
(I would not have time enough to get far outside san Diego)

thank you