California Diving

[TBrowe]

Hello Fellow Divers,

My girlfriend and I are traveling to Los Angeles area the first week of July. We're looking to dive while we are there but would like some references on good sites to try in that area. We're from Florida so we are not going to be use to the colder water and deeper depths but still want to be adventurous without heightened safety issues. We do not have our advanced open water cert. and don't really want to dive deeper than 100'. I know this is limiting are selves but want to be conservative. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Terry

 

[mccabejc]

Terry,
The most popular diving options are these:

Beach diving
Boat diving
Catalina Island (Avalon) diving

Most of the diving is at less than 60 ft., so that shouldn't be a problem.

The most popular beach dive sites are in and around Laguna Beach, Palos Verdes, and Malibu. Each has different levels of difficulty, and conditions may vary from location to location.

Or you can take a boat from Long Beach to one of the Channel Islands off the coast (such as Catalina Island). Typically you will get visibility significantly better than off the beach.

Or you can take a high speed ferry to Catalina Island and dive at a dive park. Nice easy dive, and you can make a day of it and also enjoy one of the most popular tourist areas in SoCal. Do a search in this forum for Catalina and you'll find some threads with a lot of info. Here's one thread with a lot of good photos to whet your appetite:

www.scubaboard.com/t87507-catalina-island--a-top-to-bottom-from-a-first-timer's-perspective.html

Since you'll be here in July, keep in mind that everywhere associated with the ocean gets really crowded, so you need to do everything early (ie, make reservations ASAP, get to the beach early, etc.)

Give us some more info on what you're looking for and we can make some more tailored recommendations.

 

[SoCalOffshore]

Dont forget the northern channel islands!! You can do a boat dive out of ventura harbor.

 

[EricJ]

My two cents....
Book a dive boat to Catalina. The Great Escape goes out of Long Beach. Their Website is www.diveboat.com.

About a 90 minute drive north of LA is Ventura. They have a couple of good dive boats. They can be booked out through Cal Boat Diving. I like their weekday trips. They're cheaper and often NOT very crowded. Weekends usually seem to booked to capacity.

Many disagree with me, but I personally haven't found shore diving off the So. Cal mainland very rewarding (I do realize many people LOVE it, and I respect that. So please don't flame me; that's just my opinion).

Catalina Island itself has a GREAT shore dive at Casino Point. Catalina is also a nice vacation destination in itself, and they have a couple of dive operations that leave from Avalon. Personally, I prefer booking a spot on a dive boat out of Long Beach or San Pedro (once again, it's just my opinion. I realize others prefer to actually go to Catalina and do their dives from there.

Diving the kelp beds here is very enjoyable although the visibility isn't always so great. I believe the water temperature will range from the low to mid sixties in July, so bring or rent a 5 to 7 mil full wetsuit.

 

[Mo2vation]

Many disagree with me, but I personally haven't found shore diving off the So. Cal mainland very rewarding (I do realize many people LOVE it, and I respect that. So please don't flame me; that's just my opinion).

How right you are. We are not alone. We need T-Shirts.

Shore Diving blows.

---
Ken

 

[scottfiji]

How right you are. We are not alone. We need T-Shirts.

Shore Diving blows.

---
Ken

Ken is right, many people have found that they are out of shape and can't walk with their tanks more than a few feet. Not to worry! If this is you and you have the money to blow, then do not attempt to shore dive, just go on the boat.

On some boats you don't even have to stand up with your tank, you put it on in a seated position and the staff just rolls you off the boat. No effort required to dive!

I like www.calboatdiving.com if you don't have all your own equipment, because you can rent it from them, and they will bring it right on the boat for you, and after the dives you just leave it there.

 

[HBDiveGirl]

Ken is right, many people have found that they are out of shape and can't walk with their tanks more than a few feet. Not to worry! If this is you and you have the money to blow, then do not attempt to shore dive, just go on the boat.

On some boats you don't even have to stand up with your tank, you put it on in a seated position and the staff just rolls you off the boat. No effort required to dive!

I like www.calboatdiving.com if you don't have all your own equipment, because you can rent it from them, and they will bring it right on the boat for you, and after the dives you just leave it there.

Now, Scott, don't go poking sticks :1poke: through the bars around the boat diver enclosure.... they're easily aggravated and they can't help being what they are. Try to live and let live! Look at the bright side...more parking spaces at shore sites for us, and fewer beach rescues of these more delicate creatures.
PHD's ought to be role models of compassionate tolerance, eh?

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

Great points Claudette!

Thanks for the laugh too

Sean

 

[ChrisA]

As others have said, you will have to make the basic decision to dive from a boat, the shore or take the ferry to Catlina to dive at Avalon. Most of us locals do all three.

Most diving is well above 100ft. A few wrecks are lower but you can see a lot (including much of the kelp forest) from 40 feet.

One thing, Boats and the Ferry cost in terms of money and time. I would ssuggest doing some easy shore dives so you can get used to your 7mm wetsuit, hood, thick gloves and so on. You may discover you need even more insulation and want to pick up a hooded vest. Next you will discover you need some weights. People here use up to 30 pounds of weight although I use 21 pounds and a steel tank. So,... use some shore dives to tune up you exposure suit and weighting

Bring your 3mm shorty tropical wetsuit. You may want to wear it under your 7mm rental suit. I think 7mmis enough but people from FL gt cold easy and retals never fit all that well.

If you want to do some shore diving on a weekend you will have no trouble finding local divers to go with you. A little harder on weekdays.

I recommend Palos Verdes or Avalon or after tunning up you gear/weights a boat if you have the time and $$. Boats here do fill up. You would need to reserve the spots a number of
weeks before.

Be sure and posthere and/or PM people as you get closer to July.

Hello Fellow Divers,

My girlfriend and I are traveling to Los Angeles area the first week of July. We're looking to dive while we are there but would like some references on good sites to try in that area. We're from Florida so we are not going to be use to the colder water and deeper depths but still want to be adventurous without heightened safety issues. We do not have our advanced open water cert. and don't really want to dive deeper than 100'. I know this is limiting are selves but want to be conservative. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Terry

 

[EricJ]

...more parking spaces at shore sites for us, and fewer beach rescues of these more delicate creatures.

I'm north of most of you, so maybe I just haven't experienced the "right" shore dive locations, but I was greatly disappointed with the visibility on most of the Central Coast and Southern California shore diving I've done. I have enjoyed Casino Point and plan on checking out La Jolla. I'd still recommend getting out there on a boat for the best chance at some great diving.

I got a good laugh from the "delicate" comment though.

BTW, does HB stand for Hermosa Beach? I grew up in Manhattan Beach. I now live in San Luis Obispo and am amazed at how much the South Bay area has changed.