Bulldog_Diver
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I just heard about the storm that hit Catalina at the end of December. I am planning a trip over next weekend, does anyone know if there was damage at the dive park?
Catalina Dive Park Damage?
- Thread starter Bulldog_Diver
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muzikbiz22
Contributor
The hand rail at the steps is basically gone, marker buoys tossed around, part of the sea wall at the Casino is gone.
fisheater
Contributor
Extensive damage.
The sea wall is mostly gone. The stair railings are mangled and, as I understand it, the stairs are closed.
There's a new wreck there, but it's unclear if diving on it is allowed.
Before you go, I would call either Catalina Divers Supply or Catalina Scuba Luv (be respectful there, as they lost two friends and their dive boat in the storm).
The sea wall is mostly gone. The stair railings are mangled and, as I understand it, the stairs are closed.
There's a new wreck there, but it's unclear if diving on it is allowed.
Before you go, I would call either Catalina Divers Supply or Catalina Scuba Luv (be respectful there, as they lost two friends and their dive boat in the storm).
The park has reopened. Ruth Harris posted photos of the damage here;
https://www.facebook.com/ruth.harri...ffset=0&total_comments=3¬if_t=feed_comment
https://www.facebook.com/ruth.harri...ffset=0&total_comments=3¬if_t=feed_comment
blue steal
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Dr. Bill has posted several pictures of the damage on his FB page.
I've been posting a series of images of the damage to the dive park and the boats in Avalon Bay plus a little tribute to SCUBA instructor Tim Mitchell who perished trying to save Scuba Luv's King Neptune as it ran aground. These images can be seen in my Facebook album https://www.facebook.com/bill.bushi...446207961.1073741869.11616&type=1&pnref=story
The park is open for diving. Eric Mahan of CDS and others have been working hard to remove as much of the debris from the park as they can. A sailboat anchored off Casino Point broke lose and entered the dive park the night of Dec 30th. It hit the lower railings on the dive park stairs and seriously damaged them making entries and exits more difficult. A piece of the mast and rigging were at the bottom of the stairs but have been removed. The sailboat then skidded along the rocks in shallow water, scraping them nearly clean of marine growth before the vessel sank. A large section of the hull rests out by the glassbottom boat (Pisces). About 2/3rds of the seawall between the stairs and the fill station was wiped out although the brick area adjacent to it is mostly fine.
The outer buoys delineating the boundary of the dive park were pushed far in toward shore, greatly restricting the protected area of the park. This has allowed boats to intrude into the legal boundaries of the park in somewhat shallow water (20-40 ft) creating a safety hazard that divers should be aware of.
I have not dived the park yet (nursing a cold) but hope to in the next day or two.
The park is open for diving. Eric Mahan of CDS and others have been working hard to remove as much of the debris from the park as they can. A sailboat anchored off Casino Point broke lose and entered the dive park the night of Dec 30th. It hit the lower railings on the dive park stairs and seriously damaged them making entries and exits more difficult. A piece of the mast and rigging were at the bottom of the stairs but have been removed. The sailboat then skidded along the rocks in shallow water, scraping them nearly clean of marine growth before the vessel sank. A large section of the hull rests out by the glassbottom boat (Pisces). About 2/3rds of the seawall between the stairs and the fill station was wiped out although the brick area adjacent to it is mostly fine.
The outer buoys delineating the boundary of the dive park were pushed far in toward shore, greatly restricting the protected area of the park. This has allowed boats to intrude into the legal boundaries of the park in somewhat shallow water (20-40 ft) creating a safety hazard that divers should be aware of.
I have not dived the park yet (nursing a cold) but hope to in the next day or two.
blue steal
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Will they be able to move the buoys back to their original position? And who is responsible for doing this?
I'm sure the city will repair the stair rails. How about the wall? any plans for a rebuild?
I'm sure the city will repair the stair rails. How about the wall? any plans for a rebuild?
The mooring service has its work cut out for it inside the harbor so I'm not sure when the buoys at the dive park can be re-chained and re-anchored. It may take a little time.
I doubt any plans are even in the process yet for the wall. Since this happened over the holidays, today is the first work day for the Island Company which owns the property. We'll have to give them time to get planning in motion.
Eric Mahan of CDS cut the railings so they no longer pose a hazard, although entries and exits will be more difficult without them for a while.
I doubt any plans are even in the process yet for the wall. Since this happened over the holidays, today is the first work day for the Island Company which owns the property. We'll have to give them time to get planning in motion.
Eric Mahan of CDS cut the railings so they no longer pose a hazard, although entries and exits will be more difficult without them for a while.
fnfalman
Contributor
I didn't realize the extend of the damage. Crazy.
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