Best places for leaning in SoCal

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HydroCaro

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Messages
7
Reaction score
10
Location
The Sloop John B
# of dives
0 - 24
Hi guys, I’m moving to California sort of soon for graduate school and want to continue my education as a diver. By then I will have my advanced open water cert, but I would say due to the inland area where I’m at, less than 50 dives. What shops/dive centers in SoCal are best for new learners like me?
 
Lots of great shops around here. Where exactly will you be? Do you want to do more boat or beach diving? Do you have any particular ambitions beyond AOW?
 
I'm up north, so I can't give you specific dive shops, but I would encourage you to also seek out any local dive clubs that should be able to provide you with buddies who will also be diving.

At 50 dives you should have a pretty good handle on the basics and I would think you will have plenty of opportunities for shore diving where, if you have your own gear, it's just a matter of renting some tanks, meeting up with your buddies and going diving. Generally, most clubs are welcoming of new members and will also have people who will be able to assist you learning things like surf entrances and exits if you haven't done shore diving before.

Interestingly, while I was writing this @runsongas gave you a reply as well. He's in my local club up here and we'll be diving with 6 other people on Friday.
 
I will be in Long Beach. I don’t really have a preference of beach/boat diving, and I eventually want to move into more deep diving and free diving.
 
I'm up north, so I can't give you specific dive shops, but I would encourage you to also seek out any local dive clubs that should be able to provide you with buddies who will also be diving.

At 50 dives you should have a pretty good handle on the basics and I would think you will have plenty of opportunities for shore diving where, if you have your own gear, it's just a matter of renting some tanks, meeting up with your buddies and going diving. Generally, most clubs are welcoming of new members and will also have people who will be able to assist you learning things like surf entrances and exits if you haven't done shore diving before.

Interestingly, while I was writing this @runsongas gave you a reply as well. He's in my local club up here and we'll be diving with 6 other people on Friday.
That’s awesome! Thanks for the replies from both of you guys. I made a mistake though and didn’t directly reply to his post.
 
That’s awesome! Thanks for the replies from both of you guys. I made a mistake though and didn’t directly reply to his post.

So I was a rescue diver and attended the Los Angeles County Advanced Diver program (ADP), totally worth it (oh and I did the drive up from San Diego every weekend for it). They really focus on getting you ready to handle Southern California diving, multiple shore entries, reading the available forecast models, just about everything. They also have a focus on skin (free diving) and give you a sample of it. There are few instructors that can offer a LaCo free diving course (but they are more one off affairs that you coordinate directly with an instructor). Sadly this year's ADP has been canceled due to COVID-19, here is hoping next year is more normal. Also unfortunately cancelled is this year's Rocks, Rips, & Reefs program, which the Los Angeles County underwater unit also hosts. They are mini sessions held at some of the county's most popular dive spots. They focus on that area's features, forecasting, etc. It is always on skin gear (so no scuba) to get used to the area. Though there is frequently a post class dive =).

Hollywood divers is one of the better tech shops in the region, so if you are interested in GUE fundamentals they'd be a good resource.

Occasionally the hyperbaric chamber on Catalina island hosts an AMAZING rescue diver course. But it's infrequent and kind of expensive.

Oh just to add Power Scuba is a large meetup group that while San Diego based does a lot of boat charters in LA/Ventura (so very discounted). West Coast Divers is a large Facebook group that does shore dives/boat dives, good group. There are some other smaller groups Facebook groups that are even more slightly niche.
 
You'll be close to Pacific Wilderness. I like them. They're a big shop, so you'll probably be able to find whatever you need equipment-wise. They offer some of the lowest prices on classes (and have their own pool inside the shop, which is handy). They organize a ton of free beach dives on weekends and on Wednesday nights, mostly in Redondo but occasionally in Laguna or Palos Verdes. They also organize regular boat dives. I took the night diver and equipment specialist courses with them and was happy with the quality of instruction. My one criticism is that they teach OW skills with students kneeling, which some other shops are starting to move away from in favor of teaching in trim and neutral buoyancy. But you'll be past that point anyway.

Hollywood Divers is probably a better shop if you want to go the tech route. (They're still great if you don't, but they're kind of far from you, when there are plenty of other options. They're my main shop, but they're also closest to me.)

Feel free to PM me if you want to meet some local divers when you get here.
 
Where are you going to grad school? I saw on your other post you were interested in scientific diving. There is a decent chance that your school will at least have an AAUS program, if not a full blown rec program as well. A university based class will always be more in depth than a shop based class (assuming it is a semester class) just due to the time available. With COVID though, university based programs are a challenge, so that might not be correct for the next year or so.

-Chris
 
@HydroCaro
1) Strongly suggest you heed the advice of @azstinger11
The program is the first, established in 1954 and also the most demanding civilian diving programs
LA Co creates divers , not people who just dive - you will be a diver upon completion

2) Good luck at Long Beach State -- Great university with world class instructors
FYI
*Son Sam IV, attended- now a practicing ER & Hyperbaric Doctor
*Daughter Randi attended, was selected "49er of the year" two times Aka , The Top Student in the university
- one of the few tines awarded to a female and only time awarded to the same student two consecutive years
She received doctorate at USC - Now very successful.

3) At ome time LBS offered a complete NAUI College program from skin diving to instructor- including Sceintic Diver
My last contact the instructor had retired and as far as can be determine no replacement has been established
I strongly suggest that you investigate the program

Good Luck
SDM111
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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