Laguna Beach dive ordinance---experiences

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Sam Miller III

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I read the post by IrnBear and the many responses from locals as well as distant areas and all levels of experience from a few dives to a veteran (antique ?) diver Dead dog.

What about experiences with Laguna Beach and the Laguna Beach dive ordinance?

SDM
 
Havent had any issues in last few years..parking gets more and more difficult as residents expand homes and curbs get painted red. I avoid busy Summer weekends and nite dive quite a bit which minimizes hassles at all ends. The MPA has absolutely restored population of larger Sheephead and Calicos and increased lobsters. Actually, you see many more spear-fish target fish than in the past and their skiitishness is way less. I do think that once an MPA always an MPA as government seldom shrinks esp in CA. I used to spearfish/lobster/get abs ..so Im not a tree hugger but clearly many species, once common, were almost wiped out. I have been diving there...46 years...damn.
 
The city actually has a Dive Safety Officer now. That person determines whether to close the beaches or not during high surf and a few years ago informed the lifeguards not to enforce the snorkel law, although it is still on the books. I used to duct tape a snorkel to the back of my tank when diving Laguna Beach. The law doesn't state where you have to keep a snorkel, only that it must be with your gear.
I was diving with my then wife during one of the hottest days I can remember. I wanted to get in the water as quickly as possible to cool off while she finished gearing up. A lifeguard stopped me and refused to let me in the water without my buddy unless I removed my gear. I tried explaining that I was not going to dive without her but the lifeguard would have none of that.
One day I took a chance and dived solo. I entered at Boat Canyon where there are no lifeguards. I exited at Divers Cove where a lifeguard was on me before I got both feet on dry sand. He wanted to know where my buddy was. I said she was at work. :)
I used to dive Laguna Beach at least 2-4 times per month, but haven't been more than twice in the past eight years.
 
I've been diving Laguna Beach for many years and have never had a bad experience with a lifeguard. I don't mind it when they close the beach to diving as the viz is pretty much always going to be lousy then and I can understand not wanting to have to try and and rescue a diver in gear floundering in high surf. I've worn and used a snorkel for over 40 years of diving and have always dove with a buddy, so the ordinance has never been an issue for me. To the extent that the ordinance causes people to dive elsewhere, it is probably a good thing as parking in Laguna Beach is always a problem.

Despite the ordinance and the occasional closure of the beach, I suspect there are more people diving in Laguna on a given day than in most other parts of Los Angeles Count (excluding Catalina).
 
Scuba police you say I thought they were a myth.
 
Scuba police you say I thought they were a myth.
Two words, kali fornia.
 
The three SoCal divers who have responded apparently have no issues with diving in Laguna Beach.

Two out of state respondents apparently take issue with the "restrictions"

Interesting ? One can only question why responses from other states?

SDM
 
The truth is in the middle - I had the same over-heating experience in Laguna Beach as Max Bottom time did several years ago. Got very angry. Teenage Lifeguard just following orders..he was a non-diver. I took some deep breaths and cooled off. I pointed out that he was not enhancing my safety by giving me heat stroke and suggested the lifeguards learn something about diving. (i just dove the other cove) They generally are surfers and swimmers so they looked at scuba divers as kind of alien and hard to rescue. Surfers and swimmers, like them, of course don't need snorkels or a buddy. When divers die the interest in regulations and fear of creative liability heat up. (California has an over-supply of starving lawyers.) After awhile lifeguards kind of recognized me (I was local) and problems seemed to fade. I still only dive good days, for my own reasons, and avoid crowds and actually prefer the night-diving which is completely without crowds or lifeguards and is better diving. The anti-diving attitude has seemingly abated to some degree. I suspect it varies by lifeguard too. California has some big problems in over-enforcing petty, often stupid crap and utterly neglecting important public safety issues. We, in California, just let 18 self-important "protesters" bring the I-5 freeway to a screeching halt yesterday in San Diego, causing accidents, delaying thousands of people...not a ticket or an arrest resulted. Just asked them to leave. Compare that to the "crime" of diving without a snorkel.
 
Iamarpaulski,

Thank you for you reply and interest in Laguna Beach

I know nothing about you other than what is displayed in this board, Apparently you are some what new to diving

Are aware of the history of Laguna Beach and its relationship to divers?

Or the reasoning behind the "law."


Or the expenditure of time and finances relative to the "Law?"


SDM
 
No Sam, Im just a guy who has dived there for 46 years and lived in town off Mountain. I simply dive and dont like being hassled especially for ridiculous reasons. I don't cause trouble or seek conflict. I dive to get away from that. Im glad that petty hassle seems to have decreased. It shouldn't have occurred in first place. I haven't studied the diver-city history and my experience is just that, my experience. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would like to make LgBch a gated community with private beaches. I never have figured out the issue with divers...why don't you tell us...???
 
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