Dive Report - AOW cert weekend Santa Catalina Island

[ScubaDoo83]

Boom! Earned my AOW last weekend (4/25). I took my OW with SSI but decided to go PADI for the remainder of my recreational certs. I dove with House of Scuba out of San Diego on the SunDiver charter vessel. A fantastic weekend with really great people.

Adventure dives:

- Peak Performance Buoyancy felt comfortable, did well. Tried oral inflation most of the time.
- Deep yeehaw! Didn't feel narc'ed, did some math. A bit lonely down there...
- Navigation Ahh, so thats what those marks mean on my digital compass This helped!
- Underwater Naturalist straightforward, Ironically I picked up a massive Abalone shell and put it in my BC pocket. I made my way over to my DM, gave her a tug on the leg and showed her my find. She very nicely communicated non verbally that this was protected and I should put it back. I have this moment on video, pretty cool for it to happen on my naturalist dive.
- Videography meh, had to substitute the night dive due to swell


Things I learned:

- California is cold diving. Time to get that dry suit cert.
- California is cold diving. Time to get an after dive blanket.
- Charter boat toilets dump right into the sea, I saw floating corn (we had corn the day previous)

Overall and excellent trip and I'm thrilled to take the next step in my diving career!

 

[Buoy_A]

Congrats! Are you in the military? Stationed in San Diego? You'll have to return to Catalina after the kelp has returned. And it is cold here. But all worth it, IMO.

 

[ScubaDoo83]

I am not in the military (authority issues) and am not stationed in Cali. I will however be returning as I found the environment to be much more varied and appealing than some of the warm water climates I've visited.

 

[drbill]

You should try diving our waters when it is really cold. Water temperatures have been unseasonably warm the past 12 months... perhaps as much as 10 degrees at times!

 

[ScubaDoo83]

You should try diving our waters when it is really cold. Water temperatures have been unseasonably warm the past 12 months... perhaps as much as 10 degrees at times!

I'll do just that drbill, right after I purchase my dry suit

 

[huxley_knew]

Boom! Earned my AOW last weekend (4/25). I took my OW with SSI but decided to go PADI for the remainder of my recreational certs. I dove with House of Scuba out of San Diego on the SunDiver charter vessel. A fantastic weekend with really great people.

Adventure dives:

- Peak Performance Buoyancy felt comfortable, did well. Tried oral inflation most of the time.
- Deep yeehaw! Didn't feel narc'ed, did some math. A bit lonely down there...
- Navigation Ahh, so thats what those marks mean on my digital compass This helped!
- Underwater Naturalist straightforward, Ironically I picked up a massive Abalone shell and put it in my BC pocket. I made my way over to my DM, gave her a tug on the leg and showed her my find. She very nicely communicated non verbally that this was protected and I should put it back. I have this moment on video, pretty cool for it to happen on my naturalist dive.
- Videography meh, had to substitute the night dive due to swell


Things I learned:

- California is cold diving. Time to get that dry suit cert.
- California is cold diving. Time to get an after dive blanket.
- Charter boat toilets dump right into the sea, I saw floating corn (we had corn the day previous)

Overall and excellent trip and I'm thrilled to take the next step in my diving career!

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Congrats!

Did my AOW at Casino point, so not quite as nice as a boat dive, but I can't think of a shore dive being easier than stepping off stairs into 10 feet of water.

In regards to the temperature, have you considered a 5ml hooded vest? Lots cheaper than a drysuit and it should keep you pretty toasty through the 'winter' we have here in Southern California. I'm usually pretty warm (sometimes uncomfortably so) in a 5ml skirted hood and 7ml wettie.

Come down to San Diego next! The LJ Canyon is nice this time of year.

---------- Post added May 8th, 2015 at 12:48 PM ----------

Congrats! Are you in the military? Stationed in San Diego? You'll have to return to Catalina after the kelp has returned. And it is cold here. But all worth it, IMO.

So I've been hearing that a lot lately (the disappearance of kelp from Casino)...I'm planning on piggybacking another AOW class in July sometime (just an excuse to dive Catalina again), and I'm hoping the loss of kelp isn't too bad.

How barren are we talking, here?

 

[ScubaDoo83]

Pretty barren..... Now this being my first time I'm no expert but I did not see nearly as much plant life as I had seen in other videos. Most of the plant life I saw was closer to the shore on the tops of rocks. I heard over and over again from locals on the boat about how shocked they were at the literal "disappearance" of the kelp. Still though, much more interesting and varied plant life than the Caribbean waters.

As for the drysuit I think I'd prefer the drysuit as it would allow me to experience a wider variety of diving without having to purchase multiple sets of gear. I already have a 5mil for warm water with a 3mm hood and gloves. I figure the drysuit will round out my gear collection nicely. That along with BP&W are my next purchases.