Southern California Brain-storm'in...

[drrich2]

Hi:

I tend to go nuts if I'm not at least plotting a potential scuba trip, and I've made my 2 trips for 2015. So I'm looking ahead to 2016, Lord willing & providing that I get to dive as I hope to. I'd like one trip to be a high dive count warm water place I've dove little (Cozumel) or Roatan. Don't know if that will happen.

But what I really want to do is come dive California for about 5 days around September or thereabouts. And probably one kind of diving to 'really' do it; not 2 dives of this, 2 of that, head up state for 2 more… Could be alone, or might have 3 landlubbers (wife, toddler, mother-in-law) to send off to sight-see, zoos, etc...

But California has a lot of diverse offerings. Shore vs. boat, day boat vs. live-aboard, north vs. south, a number of different 'home base' city options, diving through a club or not, etc… And tends to be colder water diving, boats don't provide guides by default & rental gear availability (mainly tanks) isn't always clear (like option to my beloved 120 cf steel tanks…). And I'm not dry suit trained, or likely to pursue it for one trip.

So, I'm tentatively trying to work through the options & maybe start building some good info. So far, my plotting looks like this:

1.) I'm told north of Point Conception, it's cold. I don't see the need for that. So, southern California dream'n...

2.) Shore diving - an option, but in more adverse conditions than I'm used to, likely to be more work for fewer dives, can be dangerous & one would be well-advised to seek some guidance. And I'm an introvert. Boat diving it is.

3.) San Diego is a destination with good diving, but you can get 'blown out.' Doesn't seem to be the main place dive tourists are heading, unless I'm missing something.

4.) You can shore dive off Casino Point at Catalina Island, but that doesn't sound like a 5 day plan, especially since it might be the only trip to California I ever make. And people do boat trips to Catalina Island from the mainland. At least to start with, not the plan.

5.) There are a number of sites boats hit, but what I keep seeing articles about, & seeing boat trips targeting are…the Channel Islands! Seems to be a big regional draw for the dive tourist, I'm thinking?

6.) So, you got your northern Channel Islands where the water's cooler, yet they seem to get more attention in the articles I've run across.

7.) And you got your southern Channel Islands, a tad warmer but not warm, and I would think these would have more appeal?

8.) And you've got day boats (e.g.: the Specter, maybe with a 3 tank trip?) & live-aboards (e.g.: Truth Aquatics offerings). Not a lot of 5 day trips on Truth, but some 'limited load' 4 or 5 day trips. What kind of ride out time do the day boats have? How much of the day gets taken up? If it's just me, avoiding hotel costs by live-aboard might appeal. Anybody got any thoughts on how day boat vs. live-aboard options stack up?

9.) Anybody know a good way to wrangle up some rental 120 cf tanks?

10.) California Diver Magazine online was a help; lots of articles. That's where I saw the ad for Channel Island Dive Adventures; is that a good outfit to go with?

Richard.

 

[Lopez116]

Richard -

you've definitely done good research already. Renting steel tanks is really easy, but 80's and 100's seem to be more of the norm. The dive boats down here that make day trips to Catalina will let you bring your own tank onboard or you can use one of theirs. They refill for you between dives. I know the Sundiver/Sundiver Express has 100's available if you'd like right there at the boat in Alamitos Bay. I like the Sundiver Express because it's a fast 1 hr + ride to the island (versus 2.5 - 3 hrs). Boat diving in SoCal is an all day affair.

But, other bigger boats are more spacious and have creature comforts like bunks, large galleys with great food, etc. To each his own. All of these boats (including Sundiver) will make runs to Catalina most weekends and also to San Clemente Island and Santa Barbara Island. When they do that, they usually leave the night before.

That time of year is very nice. Water is pretty warm (high 60's to low 70's) and viz is usually pretty good. My personal favorite time of year is Oct/Nov. Water hasn't cooled down yet and viz can be epic. You definitely don't need a dry suit and I usually dive without a hood then, but everyone's cold tolerance is different. A 7mm with boots, gloves, and a hood is standard attire, though.

If you decide to go to Catalina and stay on island, you should use a local boat like Catalina Diver's Supply or Scuba Luv and see some of Catalina's nicer sites. Diving the casino will get boring. And, if there's no kelp, don't bother IMO. If it's a family affair, they might get bored of Catalina for more than a couple days, depending on what they like to do for fun. If it is a fam affair, staying in SoCal and having access to Disney parks, Knott's, zoos, museums, sporting events, etc + good diving would make for a good vacation for everyone. Unless you shore dive, though, count on being away from the family for most of the day.

Shore diving can also be good that time of year as well, so don't rule it out. Most clubs down here dive every weekend and if you post on here, you might be able to find a buddy to take you out midweek.

 

[tsuyoshi]

I dove Casino point last Wednesday w 2 buddies. (My 1st time in CA water. We were totally spoiled by tropical resort diving but were having a dry spell so made the trip for a quench).

There are some Kelp at the South Point of the park). We spotted 4 Giant sea bass around 60ft hiding amongst kelp on the first dive along with many local variety that I dont recognize.

On 2nd dive, it got a little chilly with the 19C water at 70-80ft. I had a 2mm farmer john inside a 5mm semidry suit.

Catalina Diver supply has rental trailer just next to the park with a fill station literally in walking distance to the water.

It was kind of crowded even on a week day w many divers & snorkelers.

Just my encounter & hope that helps.

 

[drrich2]

With colder water & more exposure protection, and many people diving dry suits, I don't understand why steel 120's don't seem easier to get ahold of as rentals.

So Catalina is a destination for shore diving Casino Point but also doing boat trips to other sites on it? Interesting.

The reason I wasn't aiming for shore diving is because it sounds like some training/acclimating is involved, and in my experience elsewhere even with boat diving day 1 is spent in part learning the workflow/routine. After that, smoother sailing, so to speak. If I try different places/kinds of things, I figure I buy into more hassles.

I dove Casino point last Wednesday w 2 buddies. (My 1st time in CA water. We were totally spoiled by tropical resort diving but were having a dry spell so made the trip for a quench).

What made you choose Catalina Island/Casino Point? Local to you?

Richard.

 

[muzikbiz22]

With colder water & more exposure protection, and many people diving dry suits, I don't understand why steel 120's don't seem easier to get ahold of as rentals. So Catalina is a destination for shore diving Casino Point but also doing boat trips to other sites on it? Interesting. The reason I wasn't aiming for shore diving is because it sounds like some training/acclimating is involved, and in my experience elsewhere even with boat diving day 1 is spent in part learning the workflow/routine. After that, smoother sailing, so to speak. If I try different places/kinds of things, I figure I buy into more hassles. What made you choose Catalina Island/Casino Point? Local to you? Richard.

drrich2, Your best bet (my opinion) is to do one of 2 things; 1 - Go to Catalina and stay there, do a combination of Casino Point (shore) and do some boat dives around the island with Scuba Luv or one of the other dive op's on the island. You really need to get to other sites. Check with them to see what tank rentals they offer. I will tell you, steel 120's are an "odd duck" rental-wise in SoCal. 2 - The fastest dive boat coming off the mainland is the Sundiver Express in Long Beach. Push off at 7am, back by 3 pm, tanks, weights, food included. The trip each way is about 1 hr & 10 minutes on this boat. Nearly ALL of the other boats in in LA/ Long Beach are big & slow and take 3 hours to get to the island , require you bring your own tank, and are more expensive. For me, it's all about "get me to the island, get me in the water and get me home so I can enjoy the rest of the day". I could care less about "wonderfully prepared meals, confy bunks, etc. Again, that's just me. As far as exposure protection, 2 days ago it was 72 degrees on the surface, and 62/63 at depth, at 2 different sites. This is/was done in a 7mil with a hooded vest, on a rebreather. I dive Catalina in the same config year round. A drysuit is probably not necessary. Just my opinion, as you will hear many. I would be clear as to the style/type of diving that you will want to do, such as pretty rocks & kelp, or slopey deep drops, or walls (there's a few), or the fun & challenging Farnsworth Bank. or more "tech oriented" dives, etc.

 

[drrich2]

Interesting. I just got back from diving out of North Carolina; 1 1/2 - 2 hour boat rides out to the offshore wrecks were the norm, unless the weather confined the boat to inshore wrecks instead. I wonder how venturing out into the west coast Pacific for over an hour's ride compares? And how prone a trip is to get 'blown out?' Especially in the Fall; I'm tentatively thinking maybe Sept. 2016.

Good to hear another person speak well of Sundiver, which I wasn't previously aware of. Their website mentions multi-day trips, but I don't see any, just the day trips. I'm guessing maybe one needs to charter the boat to do 'live-aboard style,' or by multi-day do they mean you buy a multi-day package, but come back to the mainland every day?

I have no tech. training or present inclinations in that direction. The main 2 things I'd like to do are dive with sea lions & dive a kelp forest. Plus of course see plenty of marine life. A variety would be good.

Looking at maps online, I see the northern & southern Channel Islands are farther apart than I realized; so much so that if going via day boat rather than live-aboard, it would make sense to choose a mainland base to operate out of based on where one wanted to go (or Catalina Island for diving Catalina, of course).

I'll have the check out the offerings of Scuba Luv & see what they've got.

Anybody else think those options - Catalina-based Casino Point + boat trips or mainland-based day trips via SunDiver Express sounds like the best way to go? I'd heard enough good reports of Truth Aquatics I figured someone would recommend them as best, particularly the live-aboard option, although I see they offer day boat trips, too. And the Spectre (out of Ventura harbor I think) I keep hearing about as a day boat option.

At some point, I have to think not just about where to dive, but where it might be best to stay (e.g.: Santa Barbara, Ventura harbor, Long Beach or Catalina Island. Although a live-aboard would remove that from the equation for a few days, if I travel alone.

Is 'just' diving around Catalina Island a better plan than trying to make it out to San Clemente (boat can leave early for that one! Leaves at midnight!)?

Richard.

P.S.: Scuba Luv just caught my eye with this:

[h=3]DIVE PACKAGES[/h][h=4]Let us customize a dive package for your holiday that includes:[/h]

• [h=5]Roundtrip Transportation From The Mainland (Via Channel)[/h]
• [h=5]Hotel Accommodations On The Island[/h]
• [h=5]Boat Diving And/Or Shore Diving[/h]

They'd come get me, take care of everything, show me a good time & deliver me back to the airport? I was just thinking how nice it was to use Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire for similar reasons, and now I see this... Thanks again.

 

[Buoy_A]

They'd come get me, take care of everything, show me a good time & deliver me back to the airport? I was just thinking how nice it was to use Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire for similar reasons, and now I see this... Thanks again.

Almost certainly they just pay for your Catalina Express ticket, which costs about $75 roundtrip from one of three harbors; not an Airport. You get two "legs" - one from the mainland to the island, then one back to the mainland. You get to choose when each leg occurs. Catalina Express is pretty much the way to get to Catalina Island. They're cheap, fast, flexible and efficient. There's also the Catalina Flyer which can be cheaper but less flexible. Just as fast and efficient though. A little less convenient though as they only work out of Newport Beach, while Catalina Express works out of 3 mainland locations.

If you're going to use Scuba Luv (Avalon) as your home base, you'll want to make sure that they're going to dive more than just the same local sites over and over again. Here are some Catalina sites that are really cool but less traveled by Avalon outfits:

Farnsworth Banks (a great dive!)
Pedestal Rock (the deeper the better here. Look out for angel sharks in the sand off the rock; they're hard to spot)
Eagle Reef (I've seen the most Giant Sea Basses here than anywhere else)
Ship Rock (a classic dive off Two Harbors)
Isthmus (Harbor) Reef (another great dive RIGHT outside Two Harbors)
Bird Rock (Right next to the site above)
Cape Cortes (backside of Catalina)

If Scuba Luv isn't going to the aforementioned locations, they're probably not really interested in giving clients the "full" Catalina experience. I'd call them and get a feel for whether or not they do these longer range trips. If they don't, you might end up feeling like you've only gotten to know a few dive sites and only part of the island.

If I were you and wasn't traveling with non-divers, I'd be booking the Truth Aquatic VISION trip to San Clemente from the 18th-22nd. *But* if you're traveling w. non-divers, I can't imagine they'd like to be on a boat that long after traveling to So Cal. They'd be dreaming of Disneyland while getting slightly queasy. No fun.

 

[drrich2]

Almost certainly they just pay for your Catalina Express ticket, which costs about $75 roundtrip from one of three harbors; not an Airport. You get two "legs" - one from the mainland to the island, then one back to the mainland. You get to choose when each leg occurs. Catalina Express is pretty much the way to get to Catalina Island. They're cheap, fast, flexible and efficient.

Thanks. So I imagine a cab ride to & from the airport to board/disembark from the ferry would get factored in, too. Shouldn't be too much added hassle. Judging from TripAdvisor Catalina Island has some 'non-diver things to do' that might occupy a toddler, wife & mother-in-law.

*But* if you're traveling w. non-divers, I can't imagine they'd like to be on a boat that long after traveling to So Cal. They'd be dreaming of Disneyland while getting slightly queasy.

Wife & mother-in-law are both really prone to motion sickness. I would not take them on a live-aboard! Someone just posted a Truth Vision report from the southern Channel Islands on Undercurrent that was quite complimentary.

If I were you and wasn't traveling with non-divers...

Good point; this may well end up guided the final decision.

Richard.

 

[Lopez116]

drrich2, Your best bet (my opinion) is to do one of 2 things; 1 - Go to Catalina and stay there, do a combination of Casino Point (shore) and do some boat dives around the island with Scuba Luv or one of the other dive op's on the island. You really need to get to other sites. Check with them to see what tank rentals they offer. I will tell you, steel 120's are an "odd duck" rental-wise in SoCal. 2 - The fastest dive boat coming off the mainland is the Sundiver Express in Long Beach. Push off at 7am, back by 3 pm, tanks, weights, food included. The trip each way is about 1 hr & 10 minutes on this boat. Nearly ALL of the other boats in in LA/ Long Beach are big & slow and take 3 hours to get to the island , require you bring your own tank, and are more expensive. For me, it's all about "get me to the island, get me in the water and get me home so I can enjoy the rest of the day". I could care less about "wonderfully prepared meals, confy bunks, etc. Again, that's just me. As far as exposure protection, 2 days ago it was 72 degrees on the surface, and 62/63 at depth, at 2 different sites. This is/was done in a 7mil with a hooded vest, on a rebreather. I dive Catalina in the same config year round. A drysuit is probably not necessary. Just my opinion, as you will hear many. I would be clear as to the style/type of diving that you will want to do, such as pretty rocks & kelp, or slopey deep drops, or walls (there's a few), or the fun & challenging Farnsworth Bank. or more "tech oriented" dives, etc.

Solid advice from everyone so far.

Muzic - I think I need to dive with you on the Sundiver express. My preference is also that boat for the speed and I also don't care about bunks, etc. Just get me to the dive site and take me home.

Rich - yes, there are other things to do at Catalina besides dive. It's a small beach community where 99% of the cars on island are golf carts. It's fun to rent one and drive all around the island. There are buffalo in the countryside and I've seen quite a few bald eagles there as well. They have glass bottom boat tours, kayaks, and small boats for rent. Also fun restaurants and even a zip line now.

It's very unlikely that you will get blown out. Although it does happen, I would consider the risk pretty much negligible. As far as the ride over, I've been lucky enough to have a pretty smooth ride most trips. Swells can creep up to the 3-4-5 foot range. For me anyway, going on a fast boat helps a lot.

Kyaa (usually the easiest point of contact at Sundiver) will also arrange custom trips on her 33' crystaliner. It's a six pack, but really hauls. She can do an oil rigs/Catalina trip, or a Santa Barbara Island trip because of the boat's speed assuming everyone is up for it. Otherwise, she has the Sundiver Express (second fastest boat), which takes about 20 or so divers, or the Sundiver (the slowest of the three), which has bunks, etc for multi day trips.

 

[Buoy_A]

Good point; this may well end up guided the final decision.

Richard.

Whoops. Just realized the 18-22nd trip is in August, not September.

If you do decide to just go alone, I highly recommend Truth Aquatics over something like Scuba Luv. Truth Aquatics is more geared toward, for lack of a better word, "serious" divers who are more intent on exploring lesser seen dive spots. And when you're on the Truth Aquatics calendar, keep in mind that these trips are one of three things:

1. Private - cannot be booked by anyone anyhow
2. Chartered - Another operation has already chartered the boat and you need to contact them to buy a spot on the boat
3. Open - You buy your spot directly through Truth Aquatics

I'm sure others can chime in about other quality liveaboard operations that are available. I'd also suggest Horizon Charters out of San Diego but they're going to be on Guadalupe Island doing great white dives for the next few months.