La Jolla Cove Dive Tips?

[vimaldude]

Me and my son are planning on going diving in La Jolla Cove next week. This will be our first time diving that place. We are both experienced divers (~ 100 dives) from N. California and we are familiar with cold water diving.

1. Should we hire a guide for the first dive? Where can I find a guide in La Jolla?
2. If not a guided dive, then where can we get some orientation to the site?
3. Where do I find the ocean conditions for La Jolla Cove?
4. Any other tips or guidance would be helpful.

Thanks.

 

[blkirk91]

Contact the SDG's (Scuba Diver Girls). They know that Cove like the back of their hands and they all just rock.

Scuba Diver Girls

 

[mdb]

vimaldude: You picked a great dive site for you and your son to enjoy SD diving. I was first certified in La Jolla cove many years ago. It is a great dive site with easy access, showers etc. If you don't hook up with the very special Scuba Diver Girls, just make sure to arrive early. Parking does get to be a bit of a problem, since La Jolla is such a popular destination for divers and non divers alike.

 

[Narcist21]

1. Should we hire a guide for the first dive? Where can I find a guide in La Jolla? Not necessary at all, La Jolla Cove is probably the easiest to navigate around. However, as a Northern California diver I'm sure you're well versed in our visibility issues
2. If not a guided dive, then where can we get some orientation to the site? Surface swim out to the yellow bouy and drop down there, several small cold water reefs in the area, once you think you've worn the area out go ahead and surface and get a bearing back to shore and then drop down and enjoy a shallow leisurely swim back on the bottom. Plenty of life in the kelp on the trip back and you never know what you're going to see out there from sharks, big black sea bass, seals, and of course the Garibaldi!
3. Where do I find the ocean conditions for La Jolla Cove? La Jolla Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report has a breakdown of the surf/weather
4. Any other tips or guidance would be helpful. As mdb pointed out get there early as parking stinks after 7 or 8 in the morning! Also, the cove gets closed down quite often for events so it's a good idea to google events for the days you plan on being there.

 

[vimaldude]

Thanks to all who replied.
Your tips are very helpful.

Looking forward to diving the 'cove.

 

[geoff w]

Check out the Power Scuba meetup. They have informal organized groups diving the area several times a week and it's easy to hook up and join experienced divers in the area

 

[Bubbletrubble]

My recommendation is to prepare to do a dive at LJ Cove. If the Cove lifeguard tower sign says that conditions are poor, I'd recommend doing a dive over at La Jolla Shores instead -- visibility conditions are usually better there. The underwater topography is different. Entry and exit are easier. There isn't much kelp to speak of, but there's a great deal of macro-life (nudibranchs, peculiar fish) if you know where to look. Any local should be able to show you a bunch of neat stuff.

On the other hand, the Cove has the potential for putting on quite a show when the conditions are good. As Narcist21 mentioned, a good first dive at the Cove is to swim out to Buoy A (first yellow buoy you can see straight out from the beach area), descend into the kelp, and explore the area there. Keep a wary eye halfway up the kelp stalks since that's where you'll find the giant sea bass hanging out. They tend to congregate in small groups, but they're easy to miss if the vis is less than 10 ft. If you're really lucky, you might see a sevengill shark. (Keep your distance if you do.)
This video was shot by a local diver on May 6, 2011:


In the summer time, there are gangs of topes which patrol rocky areas nearby. Every now and then, a playful seal or sea lion will wander into the area.

There's also a good chance that you won't see any of these critters.

You might want to consider joining the Divebums.com email list. Locals post dive reports many times a day to the list-serv.

Have a great time!