Anyone else like shore dives?

[MXGratefulDiver]

Furthermore, my wife and I are 60 (average age of both). Our ability to perform long surface swims and then pack gear up stairs, up beaches, or to a parking lot has become an issue. We both exercise and try to stay reasonably fit. Age and mileage have taken its toll.

Cheng's 66 and her answer to that is to ask me to carry her weights back to the car after the dive ... after all, I'm only 62 ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[markmud]

Cheng's 66 and her answer to that is to ask me to carry her weights back to the car after the dive ... after all, I'm only 62 ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Hey Bob,

I have been packing my gear and her gear for a while now. She is worth it. She is really cool. She is lots of fun. She SCUBA dives!

markm

 

[hsinhai]

Truth be told, I wouldn't travel to Kenting from outside Taiwan if I could instead go to some better diving destinations in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, etc., but it's a good destination for folks who are already here.

Yes, makes a good diving destination if you happen to be in Taiwan for a trade show or on business if thats the case you shouldn't miss the opportunity, rental costs are cheap here.

Kenting is better than north coast of Taiwan, but the north still some good sites if you can get away from the crowds.. long dong in the summer is like 'diver soup'... though it is a nice easy dive.. viz never seems to be exceptional..

All diving up north is shore diving, that luxury is reserved for down south or the islands.. So 95% of my diving is done from shore.. as others say, the low cost, and freedom of being able to go where you want and at your own pace is great.

 

[Dane@Scuba-Now]

If I was going to be diving, I'd like to enjoy my time under the water long enough to go through a tank. If I was going to go on a short "dive," I'd take my hand at free diving.

 

[geoff w]

I did a couple of shore dives this past weekend, and since the OP is close by me, figured I share some thoughts and experiences. The weekend before we went out on the Peace dive boat to Santa Cruz and Anacapa; conditions were OK but less that stellar, as in 25 to 40 ft viz. It was a whole day affair, on the boat before 6:30 AM, back at the dock around 7 PM after 3 dives. Some buddies and I decided to go out on Saturday at Leo Carrillo state beach, met around 9 AM, geared up, and had a nice 70 minute dive. We probably saw as much interesting stuff as on any boat dive the weekend before. Enjoyed showers at the beach to lightly rinse off salt, then each took off on our merry way around noon (I spent the afternoon running around doing errands). I've got an annual state parking pass, since I enjoy the state beaches, so the only out of pocket expense was the cost of an air fill, compared to $120/person for the dive boat.

Conditions for our beach dive were at least as good as we expected, so one buddy and I tentatively talked about another beach dive Sunday morning. The plan was for me to check out conditions and call him, with several different spots as potential dive sites. Conditions looked about the same, so we decided to meet up at 10 at Leo Carrillo for another dive. We got in another easy 70 minute dive, saw a lot more different critters (the highlight - 5 bat rays Sunday, compared to 4 octopus on Saturday), and were on our respective way a little after noon. Again, the only cost was an air fill (less gas than diving to a boat dive, so I'm not counting that) - and no worries about a wet fill from a dive boat. When I got home, I washed up dive gear and me, grabbed lunch, and still had time to go out and play golf with my wife

Was the shore diving this past weekend as good as a day on a boat? Probably not, and much more limited as far as possible dive spots, even though there are probably around 20 good shore dive spots nearby. Certainly much more affordable on a weekly basis compared to a dive boat. If I had friends visiting on vacation who wanted to dive a bunch, I'd probably take them out on one or two shore dives on days we had other activities planned, and the rest of the time we'd plan boat dives to experience the better spots and conditions, unless cost became a major deterrent

If you never do shore dives, it's intimidating, lots of work, and potentially problematic if there is much surf. When you go all the time, and have the right equipment and technique, it's generally as easy as diving from a boat in comparable conditions

 

[Makhno]

Kinda late on this thread, but here is my Riyals worth

When I lived in Saudi not so long ago, boat dives were rare and expensive.

Shore dives on the other hand were plentiful and for many years more varied with cost being as little at less than one US$ for a tank of air, plus fuel costs, which back in the 90s was negligible, even now fuel in Saudi is 18 cents a litre.

Never been there, but heard that the Saudi coast of the Red Sea is as good as (or even better than) Egypt's and Sudan's most famous dive destinations were a decade ago. (In other words: almost-pristine reefs, loads of marine reef fish & critter diversity; loads of pelagic fish & critter diversity; some good wrecks, too . . . )

The advantage of shore diving for me is;

1. The ability to dive more or less in my own time.
2. No rush to catch a boat.
3. Solo diving always an option
4. Early morning dives if camping or staying at a private resort.
5. Proper night dives if camping or staying at a private resort, although sometimes we did night dives off the north corniche in Jeddah itself with the added thrill of avoiding the coastguard.

One of my criteria for choosing a dive location on holiday is the option to shore dive

Yup!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Cheng's 66 and her answer to that is to ask me to carry her weights back to the car after the dive ... after all, I'm only 62 ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Before we bought our boat it was my job to pull two sets of gear including cameras up and down the long trail at Marineland in the Bottomtime Buggy.

Empty bin and bags while we dive

Trail during construction of Terranea Resort

Don Robarge pulling his weight...and more

 

[Trexmdr]

Any books or threads or websites that describe southern California shore dive sites.
What level, entry exit points, points of interest........?
Thanks in advance. This thread makes me want to do shore dives as the weather warms up.
RT

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Diving the Palos Verdes Peninsula

A Guide to Southern California's Best Beach Dives

Shore Diving California

California Diving News dive sites

Pacific Wilderness dive site list

 

[undrwater]

Phil, I remember you hauling up rocks (boulders?) that Merry had found when it was still old marineland. I think that was pre-buggy.