Truth Aquatics Aug. 2016 Trip Report - California

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Truth Aquatics Limited Load Live-aboard Trip Report​

Recently got back from my 1st dive trip to California; while my decision process is written up in another thread, to sum it up, I wanted to dive a new state, new ocean, kelp forest & see new wildlife (e.g.: seals, sea lions, torpedo rays, garibaldi). For a solo out-of-state traveler ‘strictly diving’ vacation, a multi-day live-aboard trip was the best value for overall cost & number of dives. The California Channel Islands are amongst the prime destinations, and of the 3 multi-day options I found (Truth Aquatics out of Santa Barbara, the Peace Dive Boat out of Ventura and Great Escape Dive Charters out of San Pedro), I saw the most reviews about Truth Aquatics, then the Peace. T.A. has overall excellent reviews and an informative website.

Truth Aquatics offers trips booked with them, with 3rd parties (e.g.: dive shops), or a mix. Calendar listings often start out ‘in the white’ (subject to cancellation if they don’t meet a minimum booking requirement) and later turn yellow (confirmed to go). They also offer non-diving trips (e.g.: snorkeling, kayaking). Trips to the Southern Channel Islands offer warmer water at a modest increased cost (due to distance), and some T.A. scuba trips are ‘limited load’ (higher cost, a smaller max. passenger load and ‘more refined’ meals). The longest single trip offerings were 5-day trips, and T.A. had a limited load Southern Channel Islands trip set for August 16-20, 2016. I read good things so I booked. California boats don’t tend to be ‘luxury’ operations, the water’s cold and exposure protection needs substantial (e.g.: wet or dry suit, hood, gloves), so 5 days of heavy diving is enough, and justifies the round trip airfare. In theory you could book consecutive trips.

T.A. multi-day trips include transportation & lodging (the boat), meals and snacks (we stood in line, were served a plate with entrée and side(s), 2nds were available whenever I asked, a big salad bowl or similar was often put out and there was a big bowl of fruit and one of varied candy. Some snacks were put out). They include air fills, but not tanks or weights, and nitrox is an up charge ($6/fill, or a 20 fill card for $100).

The Truth Aquatics boats mainly operate out of the marina at Santa Barbara, where they are involved with SEA Landing Dive Center. Here you can rent a tank, weights, & wet suit and pay the remainder of your trip cost (I paid a 50% deposit on booking, the rest when I arrived), and, after your trip, nitrox.

From Nashville, TN (BNA) I flew to Los Angeles (LAX) then Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) – a little airport with maybe 5 gates(?) in Goletta (~ 15 miles from the boats). LAX is a whopper; I had to ask directions and walk a lot, so allow at least a couple of hours layover (I changed airlines and had to go to different terminals, plus there was construction going on). I arrived early, taxi’d from SBA to the Santa Barbara marina, walked around to SEA Landing Dive Center, and they kept my luggage while I walked over to eat seafood at Brophy Bro.s Restaurant then ‘killed time’ hanging at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum ($8 entrance fee, surprising number of diverse exhibits, and a dark ‘theater’ playing documentary videos about the area - an air conditioned place to sit and hang out till closing time at 5 p.m.), then walked around snapping photos till evening boarding time.

T.A. has 3 boats; the largest is the Vision (80’ long (weather deck), overall length 88’, beam (max. width) 26’, 3 bathrooms (toilets really flush!), 600 GPD water maker, 13 double & 20 single bunks). Then the Conception (75’ long, 79’ overall length, 25’ beam, 3 heads, doesn’t list a water maker, 13 double and 20 single bunks) & the Truth (65’ long, 69’ overall length, 22’ beam, 2 heads, doesn’t list a water maker, 12 double and 20 single bunks). I was on the Vision, and had a look at the Truth, which looked very similar. These boats have a metal grate on back that’s let down so it’s mildly submerged; at the end of your dive you swim up and pull yourself onto it, and crew take your fins off. It can be a little hard on the knees/shins, but the Captain indicated it works better in California conditions than the dive ladders popular in the Caribbean.

Quick Note on SEA Landing Dive Center: from what I was told, the biggest tanks they rent are steel 95’s (mine was a Worthington, not a Faber) and they don’t rent pony bottles. With that in mind I packed my Spare Air 3 (knowing it’s a very limited gas supply in an emergency; it was light, the regulator came on & off easily, I use a button pressure gauge since I read claims some lose pressure over time) for solo diving, and saw at least one more on the boat. Packed the Spare Air 3 in its travel pack; got no flack about it from TSA, etc…

 

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Truth Aquatics Vision trip vs. Sun Dancer 2 (Belize) & Cayman Aggressor IV​

My perspective was that of a mainly warm water ocean diver of the southeast Florida & Caribbean region who’d been on 2 prior live-aboards, the Sun Dancer 2 (renamed Belize Aggressor IV) and Cayman Aggressor IV, so let’s look at the Truth Aquatics boats and Channel Islands from that.

1.) The boats are smaller; the Vision is 80’ (or 88’?) long, the Cayman Aggressor 110’ (22’ beam), the Sun Dancer 2 138’ (beam 26’). Both Aggressors had a big sun deck up top with a bunch of lounge chairs and a shaded section; the C.A. IV had a hot tub (which maybe one person used much). The Vision didn’t have any of that. The top deck had a long bench, plus some flat surfaces atop which I’m guessing are storage, where you can lay or put gear out to dry. The wheelhouse is forward of that.

2.) At night and in transit between islands or the mainland, there’s more ‘motion of the ocean’ (though we had good weather). Seas on our trip weren’t bad, and if you’re not prone to seasickness, sleeping sometimes felt like a waterbed. If prone, you’d better have med.s that work!

3.) The interior ‘living area’ was comfortable and serviceable; perhaps a bit less upscale in feel, but fine. Bunk beds offered a vinyl-covered mattress and mine (the one under the stairs, with much more headroom) 2 blankets and 2 thin but decent pillows. I slept fine, but Aggressor bedding is plusher and you may get the occasional towel animal.

I’m told my room may be the best.

4.) The Aggressor boat dive decks offered individual stations with personal storage space. On the Vision, you put your BCD & reg. on your tank in a spot on the ground beside the central platform. When you’re ready to gear up, you carry it over to a bench at either side of the dive deck. So a bit more work (you’ve got more lead to counter more exposure suit buoyancy) and you lack dedicated personal gear space (except your tank station).

5.) All the Aggressor entries were off the stern, a short drop. Most Vision entries were out a ‘gate’ on either side of the dive deck, or you could use the stern. Sometimes a bow entry was recommended (mainly to find and follow an anchor line in current and/or lower viz.).

 

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6.) Climate – All 3 locations were sunny. Belize and the Caymans are tropical; mainland Santa Barbara is arid, but on the water there’s a constant cool (sometimes cold) breeze/wind that causes evaporative cooling on divers emerging from cold water. The Channel Islands offer nice structural photo opportunities, but they’re stark, somewhat barren-looking (don’t expect palm trees).

7.) Staff Personality/Style. We had Captain Glen Fritzler, the owner, and he was a very approachable, enjoyable-to-talk with fellow who asked about dives and factored feedback into whether to stay or change location. Crew were friendly, supportive and efficient. That said, the general ‘feel’ is a dive trip with a little more ‘mature adult diver’ ambience. The Aggressor crew uniforms were more formal looking, and their enthusiastic manner made me think of the old ‘fun ship’ t.v. ads for Carnival Cruiseline.

8.) Staff Expectations. The dive schedule is not as tightly structured. There’s no guide, people can go in & out of the water more at their own initiative, no one dictates you have a buddy or if you can solo dive, and staff don’t try to buddy people up. Nobody checks your max. depth or end gas pressure after a dive. How many dive opportunities you’re offered/day varies with conditions. Minor exception; they took note of who went on the night dive, and divers by choice did that as a small, informal group, stayed fairly close, and typically didn’t stay down long. Dive briefings were brief, practical and didn’t involve drawings of the sites.

9.) With no guide, nobody will compose a trip video of everyone & offer you a copy for $65 +/- at trip’s end.

10.) No ‘en suite’ heads. I didn’t find it to be a problem. Hardly ever needed to wait for a rest room. The shower room had 2 showers, and a couple of sinks; it was ‘up the stairs, down the stairs’ beside the bunkroom.

11.) They don’t seem to have as much luggage storage room. A lot of (dive) bags are piled atop the central platform on the dive deck, some can be put in your room, and there’s room to the side of the walkway around the boat (if weather is not a big deal). For my 2 checked bags, I used a hard-sided suitcase (to protect dive gear) and a collapsible duffle bag.

12.) Space – on a ‘normal multi-day dive trip,’ the Vision can have up to 37 customers on regular trips, 26 on limited load, but our trip saw 6 cancellations and 1 no show, leaving 18 of us. Plenty of room, with some empty bunks for storage! I’m guessing double that might feel more crowded. The Vision had less camera table space.

13.) Overall I’d give it to the Aggressors on food, but I was happy with the food choices and quality we had on this trip. And I did love that candy bowl… Listed free beverage options were water, soda water, coke, diet coke, sprite, root bear, quanberry (not a misspelling) & lemonade.

 

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14.) My Truth Aquatics trip + tank, weights & nitrox had a base cost of $1,123 + $84 + $124, total $1,331 with 24 dives done. We got back in the evening and I couldn’t stay on the boat that night, so I checked into a hotel one night before flying back (the Aggressors I used came back in the afternoon, and we could stay on the boat that night). Hotels in Santa Barbara ain’t cheap; ignoring my Orbitz ‘Orbucks,’ a night at the Extended Stay America at Santa Barbara - Calle Real was close to $200. Ignoring parking, taxis, baggage fees, airfare, airport food, etc…, let’s call the base cost of my trip $1,531.

15.) The cheapest Belize Aggressor IV 7 day trip (no rental fees, flat rate nitrox extra) is ~ $2,800 (+ $95 port fee), figure 26 dives + island excursion if Blue Hole is done, or 27 dives offered otherwise). The cheapest Cayman Aggressor IV trip (if you can snag one of the twin-share rooms!) is ~ $2,700 (+ $45 port fee), no rental fees, flat rate nitrox probably still $100?, and when I did it May 2016, 25 dives were offered (it hit all 3 Cayman Islands). We could call the base costs with nitrox $3,000 & $2,850.

16.) Airfare for all 3 trips was remarkably close; $600 & something.

17.) Truth Aquatic’s FAQ states you can bring your own, but alcohol isn’t included or available for purchase; both Aggressors offer ‘a limited selection of local beer and wine’ (per website).

18.) If you’re diving an island outside the protected areas (I believe Southern Channel Islands except Santa Barbara), you might can spear fish or get lobster. I don’t recall that option on the Aggressors. Our passenger group didn’t hunt, but I saw fishing off the dive deck. (T.A.’s Underwater Hunting and Fishing Page).

19.) If you want to compare the Truth Aquatics trip to Caribbean offerings, you probably ought to consider Blackbeard’s Cruises or the Juliet (maybe even the Bahama’s Aggressor or Explorer Venture’s Caribbean Explorer II (diving St. Kitts & Saba)?), but the California diving experience is very different from those. To me it’s not ‘which one’s better?’ It’s ‘Do both!’ (California & Caribbean).

20.) Bottom Line: I slept okay, had plenty of good food, found the crew helpful and friendly, enjoyed socializing with fellow dive enthusiasts, didn’t get bored and had a great time. Relative to my 2 Aggressor trips you get less handholding and less ‘luxury’ but more independence/freedom at a lot less cost.

 

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The Diving Landscape​

When is a reef not a reef (as we usually understand it)? How about when the only regional hard coral is purple hydrocoral that mainly occurs deep and we only saw at one dive site? Or when the bottom is covered with varied forms of colorful vegetation, or there’s a giant kelp forest? Perhaps bare rocky structure with a sea urchin in most every crevice? Over 24 dives I saw all this. What I didn’t see where the typical hard corals of the Caribbean (e.g.: brain corals, staghorn or elkhorn corals), barrel or tube sponges, or the lush gorgonian ‘forests’ of some Caribbean sites. Alternating vegetation in various forms and bare rocky structure dominated.

Viz. our trip varied from about 30 – 50’; plenty good enough, but not up there with Bonaire or Belize. There were a few thermoclines, not severe. Water temp. lows per Oceanic VT3 (which I suspect may read a degree low) ran from 54 to 79 (the latter with a max. temp. so high I don’t consider it reliable); the Atomic Aquatics Cobalt 2 gave a range of 59 – 72. Cobalt’s are notorious for ‘reading high’ on temp.s, and mine reads 5 – 6 degrees warmer than the VT3. I suspect actual temp.s are 4 – 5 degrees cooler than the Cobalt, so I’d say our bottom temp.s ran from 54 – 67 degrees. I saw a decent mix of wet vs. dry suits. Current was usually mild and seldom problematic our trip.

When you come out of the water, evaporative cooling via cool wind on a wetsuit can make you colder than you felt in the water. JScan1 & Fnfalman warned me about that, and a Veterinarian told me for cooling dogs with heat stroke, wetting with water or alcohol and applying a fan can work better than ice packs. I sometimes saw crew (who weren’t diving) in jackets. SCJoe told me to avoid surface interval chill you can use a full-length heavy-duty boat coat, but they take up room in luggage.

 

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Animal Life​

In terms of general ‘fishiness,’ California didn’t take a back seat to anywhere I’ve been. Blacksmiths, calico bass, California sheepshead (the more distinctly-colored males are striking), overall plenty of fish and variety. I’d give the Caribbean the edge in colorful tropicals but California surprised me. Garibaldi alone bring so much color to the reef.

I saw a lifetime supply of sea stars, especially those thick ‘bat stars.’ The bottom at one site was coated with a mat of vast numbers of brittle stars. I saw several shelled mollusks; fellow diver Chris pointed out a nudibranch and Gary showed me an octopus. I found 2 California sea hares; the 1st, most colorful, had a softball-diameter main body and moved so slowly it took awhile to discern it was alive.

 

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I saw a couple of bat rays and a torpedo ray (which didn’t act intimidated by us). I saw no sharks; Chris saw a ~ 3 foot leopard shark, and 2 horn sharks were seen by divers.

I saw many California sea lions from the boat, perhaps 2 in the water, one of which ‘buzzed’ me a few times.

I was heading up to look for the boat when something off Santa Cruz Island bumped my fin; didn’t feel quite like kelp. I was blessed with a Harbor Sea encounter, another bucket list experience (saw 2 on that dive and this trip).

Note: the water was cold; no sea turtles!

 

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What about Jaws?​

Diving in Great White territory (some at night) with a wet suit giving one that ‘seal look,’ has to raise at least a little concern, though attacks on humans in the region are astoundingly rare considering the vast legions of people engaged in water sports in the region. So I asked our Captain Fritzler how many he’d seen in all his years diving the region.

One. His wife spotted it while he was after lobster, pointed it out, it was quite large and made a couple of passes though it never behaved aggressively, and from his ‘about from where we are to that’ description on the boat, I’m guessing it was maybe a bit over 20 feet from them? They stayed put till it left, then made their way back to the boat.

Bottom Line: they’re out there, but they didn’t bother us.

What Do You Need To Do This?​

What level of training, experience and natural aptitude one needs to dive a place is a matter of opinion. I’m no dive professional so take mine with a grain of salt, considering we had good weather and didn’t see the worst they get. If you’re a product of mainstream scuba training (e.g.: learned in a quarry or benign tropical conditions), I suggest:

1.) AOW Level cert. or competency.

2.) Have a good comfort level with viz. down to 30’.

3.) Be able to run at least a crude reciprocal straight line course; you don’t have to be a master navigator, but pack a SMB (in case you get too far away) and have a comfort level with going to the surface to find the boat when lost, grab a compass bearing and head in. Bring a compass you’re comfortable with.

4.) I’m told you can snap kelp if necessary; if you get entangled, don’t just pull trying to rip it. Pack at least one cutting tool – I’ve got a Trilobyte and a rustproof H1 steel Spyderco knife.

5.) Get some cold water experience with full wet (or dry) suit, hood and gloves (deep quarry diving will do) and a steel tank. Try to get at least a very rough estimate of your weight needs.

6.) If you’re gonna solo (I mostly did), considering getting SDI Solo or PADI Self-Reliant trained and equipped. My Spare Air isn’t ‘rule of 3rds’ compliant, but it’s still a backup gas supply in case my main fails at depth.

7.) ‘If it’s not on the boat, it’s not on the boat,’ as a post by RJP taught. A razor, toothpaste, medications, triple antibiotic ointment for scrapes, an extra mask, a backup computer, be prepared.

8.) Lycra socks can prevent painful chafing from frequent diving, and swimmer’s eardrops can save some pain.

Miscellaneous Notes​

With my old iPhone 5s in an Otterbox case on AT&T service, I had cell service part of the time around Santa Catalina Island, but not San Clemente, Santa Barbara or Santa Cruz.

On my trip, we spent 2 days diving San Clemente, 1 day at Santa Catalina, 1 day at Santa Barbara and 1 at Santa Cruz. One evening we didn’t do a night dive because we couldn’t secure good anchorage. I dove with the group on the 3 night dives, with a buddy on 2 day dives, solo the other 19 dives.

Day 1 – 5 dives.

Day 2 – 6 dives.

Day 3 – 4 dives.

Day 4 – 6 dives.

Day 5 – 3 dives.

My dive times ran from 31.5 min. to 1:14, mainly clustering around 40+ min., but the need to get back to the boat without great navigation skill limited me. You can dive your tank. My max. depths ran from 40.31’ to 105.78’, and overall depths were moderate. I usually dove over a flat bottom, not a vertical drop-off.

Time course for planning my August 2016 trip:

Sept. 2015.

1.) Noticed trip posted on Truth Aquatic’s calendar. E-mailed to learn more. Trip was ‘in the white,’ but I was told is one of their ‘featured trips,’ which is why it went on-calendar so far in advance. Trip’s run many years & never been cancelled for lack of participation. At least 13 passengers need to guarantee trip. It’s one of the few trips the T.A. founder/owner runs. I was told I’d likely find great conditions from late July to late October, usually warmer water towards Oct., but I wouldn’t be disappointed with summer dive conditions.

2.) Asked about hiring a guide. Was referred to a seasoned guide familiar with the area and able to do guided spear fishing if desired; the service is $240/day & comes with 3 dives/day. Guide service would’ve cost more than the trip; I declined.

Oct. 2015.

1.) Booked my reservation by phone with 50% deposit.

Jan. 2016.

Jan. 6th: 5 people booked so far. Jan. 20th: 7 so far, with a block of 6 expected to confirm by mid. Feb.

I booked airfare.

Aug. 2016.

Trip was in the yellow (guaranteed to go; I don’t recall when that happened), and nearly sold out as of Aug. 9th. Was told bottom temp.s were already in the high 60’s touching low 70’s right now.

Bottom Line

I had a great trip. Be ready before you try California diving, but when you’re ready, go. It’s worth it.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Outstanding!
Great to hear you had a nice trip.
Socal isn't really my backyard but it's within driving distance for me, about 7 hrs from Norcal.
I've been known to drive down the day we leave and when the boat returns several days later, loading my truck and driving home that evening.
No motel fees, just gas. Reading your report got me all excited to do that again.
I think I'll look for a lobster trip!

 

[Rainer]

Always like hearing the experiences of those from elsewhere who come to dive here. Great report. Really enjoyed the photos as well. Thanks for taking the time to post.