Moving to SoCal. Should we bring our boat?

[MaxBottomtime]

If you keep the boat on a trailer you have many options from the Northern Channel Islands to San Diego. If you decide to keep the boat in a slip you also have many choices. From Long Beach, you are within a half hour drive (depending on traffic) of Marina del Rey. From there you can dive Malibu or the wrecks and rockpiles in the north Santa Monica Bay. The Star of Scotland is a short ride from MDR. You could also reach the wrecks and rocky reefs of Palos Verdes to the south.

From Long Beach you can dive the reefs on the south side of Palos Verdes and the many wrecks of Huntington Flats, including the African Queen and Olympic II. There are several dozen diveable wrecks in the area. Catalina Island is only about a 70-80 minute ride from Long Beach/San Pedro. You could also motor south to Laguna Beach, although most sites there are nearshore and easily dived from the beach.

 

[geoff w]

Danny might have changed the name. Look up yellow charter boat on facebook and you will find him. There are others as well. Between the Marina and Pt. Dume are the wrecks of the American Boy and the Star of Scotland, both good dives as well as the Malibu artificial reefs and Long Wharf. But it still is a long way to go to get to the Pinnacles. But, point well taken, you don't have to swim all the way back against a current if you are out on a boat.

Hmmm, https://www.facebook.com/yellowcharterboat is in San Diego and looks very different from what I saw the Goby advertised as earlier. The Goby might be https://www.facebook.com/pages/Customized-Scuba/431655203547325 Both look like fun, although the yellow charter boat looks a lot more comfortable for covering any kind of distance, such as to the pinnacles.

Lots of spots to explore in Santa Monica bay between del Rey and Pt Dume like you mentioned, plus lots of coastline hard to reach between Channel Islands marina and Pt Dume. Everyone keeps talking about some deep holes about a mile off shore around county line swarming with lobster, white seabass and other critters

 

[mathauck0814]

Hmmm, https://www.facebook.com/yellowcharterboat is in San Diego and looks very different from what I saw the Goby advertised as earlier. The Goby might be https://www.facebook.com/pages/Customized-Scuba/431655203547325 Both look like fun, although the yellow charter boat looks a lot more comfortable for covering any kind of distance, such as to the pinnacles.

Lots of spots to explore in Santa Monica bay between del Rey and Pt Dume like you mentioned, plus lots of coastline hard to reach between Channel Islands marina and Pt Dume. Everyone keeps talking about some deep holes about a mile off shore around county line swarming with lobster, white seabass and other critters

Danny's boat is, above all else, very very fast. He can make San Clemente Island in ~3 hours from Dana Point which makes for a decent day trip if you want to hit the wrecks out there or get in a few hours of spearfishing. It's a small boat though, so you do sacrifice comfort for that speed. He's a great guy and a terrific captain though. Highly recommended.

 

[red_instead]

So how much does a boat like yours cost?

 

[scjoe]

Hmmm, https://www.facebook.com/yellowcharterboat is in San Diego and looks very different from what I saw the Goby advertised as earlier. The Goby might be https://www.facebook.com/pages/Customized-Scuba/431655203547325 Both look like fun, although the yellow charter boat looks a lot more comfortable for covering any kind of distance, such as to the pinnacles.

If memory serves me correctly, the San Diego boat is the original Goby and the one in Marina del Rey came along later. Looks like they changed names to prevent confusion.

 

[=C=]

there are a number of trailered charter boats here in So. Cal. See e.g. goby diving (the yellow boat on fb) The issue with Pt. Dume Pinnacles is that the nearest launch ramp is Marina Del Rey and that is a long haul. Having said that there is always room for more, but you might want to consider duel motors rather than your single. However I would start out with the single and see what the demand is. From Long Beach there are lots of great wreck sites close to the Cabrillo Marina and your boat would work great for that.

Single engine with a kicker works fine. I ran that setup out to the channel islands. I had a four Winns OB 18 center console that my friends and i took to the islands...

Deep V? Bring the boat.

 

[lamarpaulski]

Bring it. Good launching from Long Beach for Catalina and coastal diving. I used to take a 20 footer to Catalina and had some great diving near the Isthmus and also launched out of Ventura/Port Hueneme to Anacapa (always with good to great weather only !) October is probably the best dive month here too. With your boat you won't have trouble making dive friends.

 

[Hatul]

I vote yes. Having a boat here is great as one of the problems for divers here is high surf and diving from a boat gets around the surf. Swells are usually not bad. I'll be glad to be a customer.

 

[OldNSalty]

Would be costly to transport all that way-maybe 2 grand? Let me do you a solid, I'll give you the 2 grand, you leave the boat

 

[AAdiver69]

Would be costly to transport all that way-maybe 2 grand? Let me do you a solid, I'll give you the 2 grand, you leave the boat

I appreciate all the responses and information!!! I thought I would get an e-mail with each response so I thought my topic was dead... Guess I'm not a ScubaBoard expert yet.

We are looking very forward to making new dive/party friends in SoCal. My wife is a Physician Assistant in the US Coast Guard and I fly for American Airlines. No kids, no pets. Diving is our leisure time!!!! (We also teach diving, but we don't push that much since we are both game-fully employed. Usually just certify our friends and offer upgrades/specialty programs). I'm cheap AND easy.

The boat deal is still up in the air. We are considering living in the Seal Beach/Sunset beach area and maybe getting a place with a DOCK!. The wife wants a boat that we can go to Catalina on and stay on...party on...dive on. So, we probably will get a cruiser and keep it in the water somewhere between Cabrillo Marina and Huntington Beach....depending on where we find to live. Have not ruled out bringing our boat though. Either way, we will need divers to go dive with us on whatever boat we end up with...I probably won't run an actual charter, just share the gas and have fun diving!!!

If we don't keep it, it will be for sale. Asking price about $13,000. It's a 1980 Dusky with a new Black Scorpion Engine (inboard) in it. The engine has about 140 hours on it. It pushes the boat at about 30 mph comfortably. The boat is set up as a six-pack charter with a great tank set up and nice fin-dive ladder. It has a small cuddy up front, new Humminbird 898c High Definition Side Imaging Dual Beam sonar and GPS. It's got speargun racks and...for those so inclined...fishing rod holders. It's an "easy keeper" with a custom trailer. The boat runs great and rides like a Cadillac in the water.

Anyhow, thanks for all the input. Gotta get me a drysuit for SoCal... No more short sleave, T-Shirt diving huh?