Catalina Island Dive Report

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

socaldiver

Contributor
Messages
1,022
Reaction score
1
Location
Maui
# of dives
100 - 199
Finally had a chance to get wet again, these 3 week surface intervals are brutal!!

The old saying, "A Bad Day Diving is better than ........" can surely hold true for yesterday at Casino Point.

My dive buddy and I took the 10 AM express from Long Beach(because I had to work until 2AM Saturday night) to Avalon. Nice ride over with only 2 foot seas. Got to the island around 11 and took the stroll to the Point. Avalon was an absolute ZOO!!. People everywhere. When we got to Casino Point there was hardly anyplace left to drop our gear there were so many divers there. We suited up and stuck our toes in the water a little after the noon hour, did a surface swim out to the first buoy and descended to the floor (about 35 fsw). We had preplanned to explore the northwest side of the park and so began our swim in that direction. It was as bad as being on the LA freeways during rush hour!! We had to stop while one group went one way and another group was going another way. Then there was the group of about 5 students who decided to literally drop in on us. We got out of the area in deeper water so that we could keep our sanity. Vis was really poor, probably the worse I have experienced there, only about 25 feet but the water temp was a balmy 66. My dive buddy tried out her new 3 mil that I got her last week and for being a freeze bug she was quite comfy in it. We got to see 2 bat rays speeding by like something was chasing them but never saw anything else. We did a 90 degree turn and headed back toward the shore and when we got to 15 fsw we did another 90 degree to swim back toward our exit point and this gave us plenty of time doing our safety stop. The swim back was in the kelp and we came across some fish we never have seen before. When I get pics developed I will post them and try to identify them. First dive ended, 56 fsw at depth, 35 minutes, 750 psi remaining in tank.

We took our tanks over to get refilled and was told it would take about 1 1/2 hours before they would be ready OUCH!! We went and had lunch, walked around the point and observed the many students struggling with everything (we have all been there) and also took a nap. 2 hours surface interval and finally our tanks are ready. So we geared up and entered the water, did the surface swim to the first buoy and descended again. Vis was really bad now, probably 15 to 29 feet in that area. We went on an easterly course towards Avalon harbor at 40 fsw. It appears someone knocked over the Cousteau plaque because we couldn't locate it. There were reports the giant sea bass were in that area also so we were keeping an eye out for them I wanted to get a better pic of them. We got to the "wall" near the end of the park and made our turnaround and again ascended to 15 feet for the swimback. Swimming in and out of the kelp. didn't see anything out of the ordinary though. Finished our dive with a little over 700 psi, 46 fsw at depth, temp was still 66 (although we did hit a thermocline) and 35 minutes.

In exiting it was getting near low tide and with a little surge it was a little chaotic in exiting at the steps, we waited our turn, got out, changed real quick and headed for the dock to catch the 6:30 PM express back.

Beautiful sunset as we were cruising at 35 knots going back.

Like I said, it wasn't a good day diving but it wasn't bad either. We at least were able to get wet so we are not complaining.
 
Socaldiver,

One thing for sure: you do not work for the Santa Catalina Is. Chamber of Commerce! 66 water temp deg in August! Is that (to quote Jack Nicholson) as good as it gets? I keep telling Barbara that we ought to go out to Catalina--on a weekday--and hunt for the horned sharks. She keeps pointing to her 3mm wet suit with the 2.5mm vest and saying, "74 deg!" (The lowest temp she has been at in that gear and she was cool, not cold, but definitely cool.). I keep hearing about 70-72 deg near Catalina--mid-August, maybe???????????????

Nice report, though! Remember when there were not a whole lot of folks in SoCal? I was raised there in the 40's, 50's and 60's...the Route 66 era. Santa Catalina Is. was not a place we ever associated with the word, "crowded". Ah, memories....

Joewr
 
I guess it's true Socal. That dive report sounds like a dream compared to what we land-locked Texas Swamp Divers usually dip our fins in.

"only" 25ft vis? LOL

 
Joe, I have seen it as warm as 68 in some areas around island but I have been told it does get a little warmer later in the month and into Sept. I sort of like it like that though. It is very refreshing and after the 55 degree water in the winter (donning the old 7 mil) quite balmy if you ask me :D

Speaking of horn sharks, we did come across an egg of a horn shark. My dive buddy had never seen one before so that was pretty cool. She thought I was showing her a piece of kelp, lol. Didn't see mama though and wasn't about to stick the noggin into the hole in the wall to explore either.

BLTN, what can I say. I have only been at this for 7+ months and the worse I have seen it was around 35+ off the island. Yesterday there was just so much sand stirred up that it made for ugly conditions.
 
I'm use to: Is it a log or an alligator? Log? alligator? alligator? Log? Log Yep Pee? In the rivers I get 10'Max most of the time its 4-5'. Yea I'm going in the saltwater one day to SEE.
Good report I like hearing about other places.
 

Back
Top Bottom