Flying to San Diego in 2 weeks, any diving suggestions?

[wolfen42]

Anybody out there in the San Diego area have suggestions on places to dive for a couple visitors with limited time and knowledge of the area? We'll be bringing nice warm wetsuits so water temp shouldn't be too much of a issue...

Any dive shops that are highly recommended? Any we should avoid like the plague?

 

[dpbishop]

Are you looking for Boat Dives or Shore Dives?

Dive Bums has a list of San Diego Dive sites with descriptions. Divebums - A San Diego Dive Website

Their links page will get you do the various dive shops & dive boats: Divebums - A San Diego Dive Website

I tend to use whichever shop is closest, I've never had a really bad experience.

I highly recommend La Jolla Cove for a shore dive; it's a marine preserve with lots of local fish & lobster to see. Parking can be a real issue there, but you can drop off you stuff with your buddy and find a spot somewhere not to far. If your big on slugs (nudis) La Jolla Shores is the place to see them, down about 50-70 ft.

If you like Sea Lions, there's a ton of them at Casa Cove in La Jolla.

(619) 221-8824 is the beach & surf report, it will give you a guestimate on visibility. Anything over 15 ft is considered good here, although it gets better the deeper you go. If you like wrecks the Yukon is a good dive, and wreck alley also. These are boat trips but if you leave from Mission Bay it's a short trip.

 

[wolfen42]

Thanks for the suggestion of La Jolla. I finally got the info on where we'll be staying and it looks like we'll be right next to the gas lamp quarter. Now I just need to figure out how to get us and our gear up to La Jolla... Without needing to find parking...

 

[David P]

I suggest wreck alley myself... but if you are not comfy with that, the boats are going down to the Coranods Islands. Its a nice easy dive, I was there a few months ago with hundreds of pup sea lions playing. Actually I will be diving there on the 24(25th?) if that is when you will be in town, and want to hook up shoot me a pm.

 

[shoturtle]

Get a warm wetsuit, the water is chilly. The thicker wetsuit will make you more buoyant. So do a proper weight check before you go down, it will help with the open water skills. Stay relax so you do not put extra air in your lungs making you more buoyant. Have fun and good luck.

 

[james223]

Lois Ann dive charters, Great boat nice staff, air and nitrox fills on boat and great snaks between dives. I dived with them in june of 06. rental tanks on boat and they had 100 cubic tanks. Their on line just google san diego diving.

 

[JMdiver]

Or you can go here & check out all the dive boats in S.D. & all over Ca.
California Dive Boats : The Official Page

John

 

[wolfen42]

I suggest wreck alley myself... but if you are not comfy with that, the boats are going down to the Coranods Islands. Its a nice easy dive, I was there a few months ago with hundreds of pup sea lions playing. Actually I will be diving there on the 24(25th?) if that is when you will be in town, and want to hook up shoot me a pm.

We're actually going to be flying out on the 24th and are hoping to get some diving in on the 22nd and 23rd. Since we're still pretty noobish we'll probably go to OE Xpress by La Jolla and do one of their familiarization dives then explore that area.

Not being from the area, that sound like a reasonable idea to us. Though taking a boat out sounds appealing too.... sigh... must... decide... soon....

 

[jellyfish66]

Hi

I am in San Diego,staying in Gaslamp at Hilton from 18th to 24th May. I am diving with a guy from Aquatech who was recommended on here. Not sure if with him all week so looking for experienced buddy. Will be just like diving in UK except lots of surf!!

 

[cninsd]

La Jolla is definitely a good place to start out. Visibility in the top 20 feet is quite bad right now (less than 5 at times), but the cold water is bringing 15-25 visibility when deeper than 40 feet a lot of the time. The water is pretty green this time of year so you will want to bring a light most of the time, it gets pretty dark down there.

Wreck alley is fun, but I would recommend doing a few dives in La Jolla or somewhere easy first if you haven't been diving in a while. Good buoyancy and keeping an eye on your computer/tables are important on places like the Yukon where interesting depths are 70-100 feet.