Night dive in Catalina Island

[Bubbles below]

Scheduled for an am dives on 8/27 w Scuba Luv and 8/28 with Catalina Diver Supply. Im bringing two 7mm wetsuits w hoods and gloves so I will be comfortable in the brisk cold water temperature. I just bought a wetsuit dryer and I'm thinking of adding another dive, night dive. If I do a night dive will my wetsuit be ready for the next morning, nice and dry? Has anyone used a wetsuit dryer? I don't want it still be damp when I haven't hit the water yet. I always try to do a night dive in every locations i been too. Also, i probably have to hire a guide since my buddy wants to sit out on this one. Do you think im a bad person if i leave him alone that night to do a night dive? Our anniversary is on 8/28, so if i do a night dive on 8/27 he shouldn't be mad? How is the night dive there anyway? Is it worth it if i get in trouble w him?

 

[SKMoss]

Diving at the dive park has been in the mid 70s at the surface the last couple of weeks. I was pumping water into my semi dry just to cool off a little. I would think that a night dive there with a moist wet suit to start with would be fine. Ought to warm up enough before you hit the water.

As to being a bad person for leaving your hubby on the shore during you're anniversary trip. Na, not at all.... His choice!!!

 

[drbill]

I do night dives almost exclusively here on Catalina during the summer when billions of snorkelers may be present during the day. Although temperatures at depths of about 50 fsw have varied from 70-73 F over the last few weeks, there was a recent stream of colder water that entered the park probably from the deeper water off the harbor mouth. The thermocline has been reported at 50-60 fsw during the day and temperatures below it have been as low as the lower 60s.

Night dives at Casino Point are usually full of action. Many of the species seen during the day (sheephead and other wrasses, opaleye, halfmoon) shelter at night when the "night shift" (lobster, black or Coronado urchins, large kelp bass, morays) come out. There's a whole lot of "munching" going on at night as well as a bit of "mating" too.

For some reason this season has been different from the past couple of years. It could be the elevated water temperature or the greater frequency of storms off Mexico with the resultant surge. Last night's dive was not 100% pleasant (but always worth doing!) because of the surge and a strong current that kicked up about 8:00 pm. If you are trying to take pictures that could affect things both due to water motion and resuspended sediment (vis was not good last night). Of course by the time of your visit, things could be just peachy.

 

[Bubbles below]

Everything is all packed and heading out tomorrow, see you down below!

 

[fnfalman]

Good luck!!!

 

[AZTinman]

My wife doesn't dive, but sometimes accompanies me on trips. We're headed for La Paz in October and Hawaii in December. She's sat on the wall at the dive park in Avalon numerous times while I've been in the water.

The key element for avoiding disruption of our marital bliss has been pretty simple. I really make an effort to pay attention to her when I'm not in the water. It's really not that hard; I enjoy being with her.

In late June, I returned from a quick trip to Mexico that she decided not to join me on and she surprised me. She had booked a December trip to Hawaii. When she gave me the itinerary, she told that the priority was for me to dive as much as I wanted. I've no doubt she'll find ways to enjoy herself while I'm in the water and we'll have a blast when I'm not diving.

Hopefully, your spouse will be supportive of you doing what you want to do instead of suffering from 'nose out-of-joint' syndrome. Are you a bad person for wanting to do a night dive without your spouse? Nope, but it's always a good thing to make sure your spouse is on-board with your plan. It's that communication thing and there's no magic to that.

Hope you guys have a great trip!

-AZTinman

 

[drbill]

Gulp... I hope conditions change today. Dive park was closed yesterday afternoon due to very strong surge and 5-10 ft visibility. I cancelled my night dive and went to see the movie "Lucy" in the Casino theater. Conditions are expected to get worse today. This has been one heck of a summer for monsoons off Mexico and surge off Catalina. I have heard that conditions are better further north (west) on the island's leeward coast so your boat trips may be much better.

 

[Bubbles below]

As a common courtesy, I would think the dive shop would call us to cancel the dives! We carried our gears down to the shop and they said we are not doing any shore dives. We even visited the shop about the dives when we arrived in Catalina yesterday. We do not like to dive in bad weather, but Please call us! Tina just said, "We just opened and you're coming anyway". MAYBE, it is because we are the Sun Devils. It was a bad sign when we saw the U of A flag! At least the sun is out, so we will just hangout on the beach. Had a wonderful day yesterday and a nice dinner at Bluewaters.

 

[AZTinman]

ASU???? Sun Devils on Catalina?????? Well... that explains the weather issues we've been hearing about!!!!!! It's all you guys fault!!!! (lol)

It probably has more to do with the storm surge that's hitting Southern Cali from that hurricane that's off the coast of Northern Baja.

It really sucks to make the trip to Cali from Arizona to dive and get hit with a cancellation after you get there. My dive partner and I got surprised with one of those in San Diego a couple of years ago. We were sitting on the dock waiting for a dive boat that never showed-up. When we contacted the operator, the response was we notified you via e-mail last night. A phone call would've been nice as neither of us had access to our e-mail while we were traveling. We 'bit the bullet', returned to the hotel and took my wife out to breakfast. The following morning we made the ferry crossing from Dana Point to Catalina and went diving.

Make the most of the anniversary despite foul weather!

-AZTinman

 

[Buttons]

Please keep posting the conditions. My husband and I are booked for Avalon this Friday thru Monday and we want to dive every day.