Heading to Catalina for 2nd OW dives, any tips or suggestions?

[trsills]

Figured I'd reach out to the board on any last minute tips or suggestions for Catalina. We'll be heading over early Sat, and I'm told we'll do 3 dives on Sat. My daughter and I are going, and we'll be getting tanks/weights there.

It sounds like after the beating at Veteran's park last week this should be relatively easy ;-)

TIA

 

[drbill]

Not much to worry about diving here now that the surge has subsided. As long as the tide is not too low, you'll be walking into the water on a series of steps! Visibility will be better than at Vets. Enjoy.

 

[trsills]

Thanks drbill, what do you do on the island?

 

[fnfalman]

Don't drink the water.

 

[bshmerlie]

Are you going off a boat or are you walking in at Casino point?

Also....isn't the surf supposed to pick back up again this weekend due to another storm off baja?

 

[freewillie]

Casino Point at Avalon is one of my favorite Southern California dive spots. It's an easy 1 hour ferry from downtown Long Beach. I would recommend getting the taxi from the landing to casino point. I know some divers like to make the walk but that's quite a walk with the gear. You can get your tank and weights right at the dive site. One of the local dive shops operates a trailer where you pick up the gear. I've seen as much or more in the park compared to some of the other dive boats that can take you to other areas of Catalina.

The location of the island blocks the east side in Avalon from most of the Pacific south swells. The dive conditions are usually better and you can dive there even when local beaches have surf warnings. I did take the trip over to Catalina once when my daughter was doing her AOW certifications. Surf in Laguna was running close to 6 feet. We did have a bit of a time table and didn't want to delay the dives because we were leaving for Cancun in a few weeks and wanted to complete the dives before the vacation. The only option we had to complete her training on time was to go over to Catalina. Worked out just fine.

The location itself is some of the easiest entry/exits you can do for shore dives. A set of steps leads you down to the water's edge. Not really a giant stride but sort of fall forward onto your belly and you're in the water. As you come back you swim up to the stairs and it's pretty simple to get up on your knees then exit the water. Due to the severity of the storms the visibility may not be as clear but will definitely be better than local beaches. There used to be some lockers there but I'm not sure how many are still working. Most divers simply leave their gear along the wall somewhere. Your valuables are still fairly safe. I wouldn't keep a whole lot of cash and would limit the credit cards I bring but I put my wallet and phone in a pelican case at the bottom of my dive bag. Most divers do the same. There are nearby bathrooms as well. Right next to the Casino is a waterfront restaurant overlooking the harbor. Good place for lunch after the dives or a snack. We ate there after last dive and had a beer as well.

I had better time there than on the dive boat and now prefer the Casino for Catalina diving.

 

[trsills]

Thanks for the details freewillie. I wasn't sure of what to do with our gear like the phone, wallet, etc so I'll look to probably secure them in a small case.

 

[drbill]

I'm a semi-retired marine biologist and underwater videographer.

Dove last night and the surge kicked my butt making it hard to film. I wonder if Hurricane Norbert has already hit us.

 

[trsills]

Thanks for the info Dr. Bill. I was just at the shop and mentioning your posts, and learned that Casey has known you a long time. He mentioned he was waiting to hear from you about the conditions. It sounds like it'll be pushed to another weekend.

 

[drbill]

Forecast I heard said Norbert will be impacting us until Sun or Mon. These darned storms are really affecting my summer diving. Give Casey my best.