Casino Point Dive Park

[Kathleen Sea Hare]

Casino Point can have some great diving. As a new diver do know if you go straight out from the stairs it can get deep pretty fast. Your best bet is to go right at the bottom of the stairs and stay close to shore if you don't want to get deep. I've seen bat rays there, but what Casino Point is most famous for is Black Sea Bass. The water at least by California standards is relatively clear but even a small light can help for looking under ledges for lobsters and for macro life. From time to time there can be strong currents. Go slow and you will be OK. Enjoy.

It is a ways from the ferry over to the point. Do have wheels on your gear bags or pay for your gear to be moved. It will be worth it.

Oh I didn’t think of that, yes my travel bag has wheels. So after I get off ferry I’m supposed to meet up at The Park so it’s a far walk? Is the park easy to find? Sorry for all the questions I never been here.

 

[Kathleen Sea Hare]

The Park is great and if there is any significant current it’s pretty easy to dodge. Entry is down stairs and railing and is easy too, except at extremely low tides. Usually quite calm on this side of Island. If you have u/w light bring it and look in dark grottos, crevices for October, morays, lobsters etc..
It’s almost always fair to good viz. Almost never indictable. On rare occasions a Santa Ana wind blows waves in from mainland and that side of the island gets beat up.

Going to be 60-65F at depth so full wetsuit, booties, likely hood, gloves. That means weights increase. Again, a snorkel first is good acclimation.

You may also see giant sea bass, maybe around 70-80 ft near Sue Jac. That area seems to be where you have more animal encounters of size.

Maybe snorkel in kelp a bit to acclimate and learn how to de tangle or snap. Adjust gear so you don’t have dangles or unnecessary protruding stuff that would catch.

Yes, Park is a slog from ferry. You can rent weights/tanks at Park which is what I do. I still brought a dolly/ wheeled cart for rest of gear. Absent a lot of gear it’s a nice walk.

There are pay showers part way back to Avalon downtown. I like to eat at the Lobster Trap.

Too bad about Shark Cove. That and three tables nice North Shore spots conditions allowing.

Thanks for tips! Really appreciate I think I’ll try to get a fishing license ... do you know if am I allowed to get a lobster if I’m there and see one?

 

[Esprise Me]

The park is easy to find; just walk toward and then around the big round building with the columns. I've done the walk carrying full gear minus tank and weights; I agree wheels are an excellent idea but not an absolute necessity. It's a marine preserve, so don't bother with a fishing license.

 

[wnissen]

You can buy a waterproof Franko's map / fish ID card at Catalina Diver's Supply on Catalina Ave in Avalon, or buy one in advance. It has a map of the dive park, which is very handy for navigating. I will be the odd man out and say that I was there this February the day before a gale warning, and it was very unpleasant. We knew the tide was going out and we'd have to crawl over the rocks to get up the stairs, but the wind really kicked up and marginal conditions became poor. The current pulled us away from the stairs, past the buoys and almost into the harbor. I didn't have enough gas to make it back underwater, so we had to surface swim. The waves were over the top of my snorkel. My buddy helped tow me in, I'm super grateful for that. It really sucked. Obviously I made a lot of mistakes, probably shouldn't have gotten in the water. But the year before it was spectacular, way better than Kohala on the Big Island. Have you dived in cold water before?

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

this thread may help.....

Catalina Island trip report

Kelp likes to say, "wait a second." Sea lions know when you really really want to see them...and must love your frustration when they don't show.
The 1500 pound large polkadotty wreck fish is so laid back, we can all learn from her attitude. (The Seabass gets bigger every time I tell the story...just like a good fish story should)

Have fun,
Jay

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Jayfarmlaw
Ya got tha spirit of a true Casio Dive Park diver !
It must be the water or the tropical weather...

@kathleen2018
Be sure you have that old feller aka @drbill sign your log - maybe even a picture ? he is so old he had to wait for God to fill up the ocean--- and have him take you to the Dive museum and explain all the Old equipment- (the type he wears)

Katheen is a great Irish name-- I am wearing a ND sweat shirt as I type --remember
your Irish roots "Dive like a champion!"

SDM

 

[Kensei]

In my 50 years of diving Catalina, I've only seen leopard sharks twice in the dive park. There are other sites where they are much more common though.

And as for the "black sea bass" and "Giant black sea bass," they are spectacular... but should be called "fairly large polka-dotted wreckfish" since they don't belong to the sea bass family.

What exactly should a "black sea bass" be called... scientifically speaking?

 

[saxman242]

Oh I didn’t think of that, yes my travel bag has wheels. So after I get off ferry I’m supposed to meet up at The Park so it’s a far walk? Is the park easy to find? Sorry for all the questions I never been here.

It's about 3/4 of a mile

https://goo.gl/maps/W4Wp9oSpQESoKjky8

 

[Sam Miller III]

@Kensei
What exactly should a "black sea bass" be called... scientifically speaking?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scientifically it is a Stereolepis gigas

There have been two common names
F&G bulletin #68 , 1948 by Phil Rodel page 51 "Black Sea Bass"

F&G bulletin #157, by Miller & Lea page 149 "Giant Sea Bass"

Earlier in 1958 in F&G "Off shore fishes of California" by
John Fitch page 53 "Giant Sea Bass"
John Fitch was and still is considered the expert on the "Sea Bass" Therefore use "Giant Sea Bass"

However, there are those whom you will possibly encounter who's diving predates 1948 and they only knew them as "Black Sea Bass"

So it all depends who you speak to and their age and experinces

I suspect drbill has some additional information and I certainly invite @drbill to add to my very crude synopsis

SDM, III

 

[lamarpaulski]

Oh I didn’t think of that, yes my travel bag has wheels. So after I get off ferry I’m supposed to meet up at The Park so it’s a far walk? Is the park easy to find? Sorry for all the questions I never been here.

Can’t miss it.

Right next to huge round 1920s style Art Deco Casino. 15-20 min walk. Not sure if usual small suitcase wheels will cut the cobblestone and bumpy route.