Welcome to the board. . . To find divers in your area to answer your questions look in the Forums. At the top of each page, click on the "Forums" button and watch a long list of topics open up in front of you. Scroll way down this list till you find "Regional travel and dive clubs". This is the spot to talk to divers anywhere in the world. Tropical resorts, or back yard dive sites. Click on the "United States. . . California" and look for dive clubs or divers close to your home.
Local laws, dive locations, dive charter boats. . . Information about what you can hunt, and equipment to hunt with, are all very localized topics, and there will be local divers who will help you start.