Business trip to Santa Barbara, might try to squeeze in a dive

[Mr.Bigg]

I may be going to Santa Barbara for business this month and was wondering if it would be feasible to fit in a dive, perhaps to the channel islands. I've only been diving in the caribbean so I guess I am used to one stop shops were I can show up a shop with a mask and fins and be out on a boat that morning for a quick two tank dive for like $80-100 gear included.

From a bit of googling, the only diving I've seen seems to be on a grander scale (big, slow boats with showers, amenties, no gear included and costs lots of money). While I am not opposed to spending a bit more than I'm used to, perhaps you guys can help me out whether or not what I am looking for is even feasible:

I'd like to:
Show up at a dive shop Wednesday morning, July 21st. Most notice I could give would be the night before.
Do at least two dives.
Be back by at most 5 in the afternoon.
Rent any gear I need past mask and fins. (I have a 3mm suit, but I am guessing that won't cut it)
Come out for under $120 w/ gear (I can budge a bit on this)

Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

[JMdiver]

The only boat in the area & it's about 30 min south of you that can do that is the Raptor out of Ventura. Here's a link:Welcome to the Raptor Dive Charters Website located in Ventura Harbor, California

John

 

[Mr.Bigg]

Ventura would work. Really, anything between Santa Barbara and LAX would be fine. I found this website in another thread California Diving News - Dive Boats - Directory. It looks like my best option is Spectre to Anacapa for a 3 tank dive on the 21st. Would come in around $130 with gear, which looks pretty good compared to other outfits in the area. (I guess the colder temps necessitate the seeming larger scale and greater cost of diving)

Anyone have anything good/bad to say about spectre or Anacapa? I am pysched about possibly diving with sea lions, are they around/active year round? Or do you have to catch them during breeding or as pups or something?

 

[diverrex]

The cost isn't really more than the tropics, and maybe less. Because of the length of the ride to the islands most So Cal boats do 3 tank dives. $130 for three tanks is $43 per dive, just about the same as the $80 two tank tropical dive. Plus you will get a full lunch plus snacks and non alcoholic drinks all day long. Besides the cold and visibility differences a big difference is most often So Cal boats are filled exclusively by local divers, not tourist divers like the tropics. So the infrastructure of how trips run is different.

 

[JMdiver]

The Spectre is an awesome boat I dive it all the time, you'll have a great time. Go for the tri tip at lunch. You can go the night before & stay on the boat so you don't have to make an early trip & try to locate the boat half asleep. I would have suggested that boat but you said you wanted to be back before 5 & they get in anywhere between 4:30 & 5:30.

John

 

[donhealy]

I lived in Santa Barbara for 12 years and still miss it.

The Spectre is about 45 mins south on the 101 with no traffic. On Wed. its a 3/4 day dive with 3 tanks. It usually goes to Anacapa during the week but will cruise across to Santa Cruz for better diving. Call Ted. The phone number is on the Caldiving web site. He's also the captain.

He can set you up with gear or you can go to Anacapa Dive (downtown
SB) or Aquatics (in Goleta right by the airport) and get all the gear. Both are great shops.

drive down the night before and sleep on the boat (for free). Its in the Ventura harbor and there are plenty of places to eat. There is also a restroom about 2 minutes from the boat and you have access to it at all times.

The trip to Anacapa is about an hour and a half; maybe less or more depending on the swell. The Spectre has a full galley for breakfast and lunch.

The only other option for a day dive out of SB is possibly the Truth out of SB harbor. Its usually out on 3 and 4 day live aboards but sometimes offers a single day of diving. The Truth boat is way good if you can get on.

Be ready for 63F water and an 8 mil wetsuit with hood. Its not the caribbean! but the northern Channel Islands are some of the best temperate diving in the world.

Oh, I forgot, if you want to do shore dives instead there is always Refugio (State beach) about 20 mins North on the 101. Both Anacapa and Aquatics dive shops can hook you up for this and give you the local tips. Do not bother try to do a shore dive off Goleta beach. Save your money and air.

 

[drbill]

63 F sounds overly optimistic unless you are referring to surface temp. Temps up at Santa Cruz Island (admittedly a bit colder) were as low as 52 F a few weeks ago. Here in Catalina's dive park, among the warmest dive sites in the Channel Islands, temps yesterday were 56 and 58 F.

 

[natew]

Nothing wrong with goleta beach if you want a quick dive local in town. There is a sewage pipe to the right of the pier that you can follow quite a ways out that typically has some interesting aquatic life around/attached, basically creating an artificial reef. Also makes navigation incredibly simple.

The downside is that the visibility in the area can vary widely almost day by day. I've seen it go from 5-10ft one day to 6 inches the next. Though it should be clearing up consistently now, especially since they have stopped dumping dirt into the ocean there.