Hi all--just stopped by the SoCal forum to see if a little local experience can offer some advice. Any recommendations for San Diego based liveaboards, either short trips (2-4 days) or longer (6-9 days)? I'm curious about must-dive sites and which ops have good reps in the area, and when's the best time to go... Budget is a consideration, but not a deal-breaker if the trip's worth it... My brother lives in San Diego, so I'm looking to make a trip anyway, just trying to decide if I should use a little more vacation while I'm at it... Not sure what the diving's like down there, but I hear it's pretty good--I've got about 130 dives in, most of them in cold water, I dive dry and on nitrox... My gf is a new diver, but very excited about diving--any trips that are better for experienced or new divers? Thanks!
San Diego-based Liveaboard Recommendations?
- Thread starter Cal71
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Horizon Charters is a very nice operation. http://www.horizoncharters.com
Good boat, good crew, good food. It's not luxury accomodations, but if you are looking for an eat-sleep-dive trip, then it's just about perfect.
I've done San Clemente Island with them, and had a blast. I hear the Cortes Banks and Southern Channel Islands are great too (those are next on my to-do list).
--Dan
Good boat, good crew, good food. It's not luxury accomodations, but if you are looking for an eat-sleep-dive trip, then it's just about perfect.
I've done San Clemente Island with them, and had a blast. I hear the Cortes Banks and Southern Channel Islands are great too (those are next on my to-do list).
--Dan
scubadad
Registered
Cal71:
I'm in much the same situation as I'm in San Diego and looking for diving 10/31 to 11/3. I posted this same question a few weeks ago and did not get any responses. What I am finding is that most of the Liveaboards are coming out of the north, but have not found much in the southern area.
I'll watch your posting with interest to see if a local comes up with a recommendations.
divermichelle
New
Hi guys,
Most of the dive sites around San Diego are either in Wreck Alley or the La Jolla or Point Loma kelpbeds, all easily within reach of a dayboat. Lunch is included. And you get to be back in San Diego for the night life.
Occasionally you'll get a boat going down to the Coronados Islands (Mexican waters, absolutely no hunting!), which is a 3-tank trip instead of the usual 2 tank trip. Here's a page of links to San Diego boats - http://www.heff.net/scuba/features/boats.shtml.
You can book several of the local boats through Dive Connections, unfortunately the link from this page is broken, or Sport Chalet.
Horizon Charters does the only liveaboards out of San Diego (that I know of, and I live here), they do the southernmost channel island, San Clemente, I think they're the only ones who do, but as it is a Navy gunnery target it is subject to closure with no notice. (In fact, the Coast Guard will sometimes try to tell them it's closed when it isn't- luckily when this happened on one of our trips one of the guys in the club was in the Navy and in the know, so he was able to give the captain the magic formula- the name of the Ordinance (I think that's what it was) officer! And that he should suggest to the Coast Guard that they should contact the OO regarding the current status. Worked like a charm!) Then they do the 3-4 hour trip up to Catalina or one of the other southern channel islands. Website is at http://horizoncharters.com.
Usually, aside from the great white shark trips they only run club charters, but often the clubs will sell spaces they haven't filled. They have two boats, one has two-bunk "staterooms" and bunks with curtains in a common area. The other just has the bunks.
The next closest island is Catalina, and you're better off driving 1-2 hours up the coast and going on one of the boats out of San Pedro or Long Beach if you want to dive there.
Basically, we don't have many liveaboards because we don't need them.:14:
Or you can spend a couple of hundred bucks on an Aero Mexico flight and go to Los Cabos, where they have some nice weeklong liveaboards.
Most of the dive sites around San Diego are either in Wreck Alley or the La Jolla or Point Loma kelpbeds, all easily within reach of a dayboat. Lunch is included. And you get to be back in San Diego for the night life.
Occasionally you'll get a boat going down to the Coronados Islands (Mexican waters, absolutely no hunting!), which is a 3-tank trip instead of the usual 2 tank trip. Here's a page of links to San Diego boats - http://www.heff.net/scuba/features/boats.shtml.
You can book several of the local boats through Dive Connections, unfortunately the link from this page is broken, or Sport Chalet.
Horizon Charters does the only liveaboards out of San Diego (that I know of, and I live here), they do the southernmost channel island, San Clemente, I think they're the only ones who do, but as it is a Navy gunnery target it is subject to closure with no notice. (In fact, the Coast Guard will sometimes try to tell them it's closed when it isn't- luckily when this happened on one of our trips one of the guys in the club was in the Navy and in the know, so he was able to give the captain the magic formula- the name of the Ordinance (I think that's what it was) officer! And that he should suggest to the Coast Guard that they should contact the OO regarding the current status. Worked like a charm!) Then they do the 3-4 hour trip up to Catalina or one of the other southern channel islands. Website is at http://horizoncharters.com.
Usually, aside from the great white shark trips they only run club charters, but often the clubs will sell spaces they haven't filled. They have two boats, one has two-bunk "staterooms" and bunks with curtains in a common area. The other just has the bunks.
The next closest island is Catalina, and you're better off driving 1-2 hours up the coast and going on one of the boats out of San Pedro or Long Beach if you want to dive there.
Basically, we don't have many liveaboards because we don't need them.:14:
Or you can spend a couple of hundred bucks on an Aero Mexico flight and go to Los Cabos, where they have some nice weeklong liveaboards.
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