US divers - maybe more local diving due to the CV?

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I'd love to dive CA and the US west coast before I even dive Indonesia for sure. I think that it is "snobbish" to poo poo diving in location such as CA and Caribbean as you have done. There is so much variety, challenge, beauty and mystique diving the west coast to say the least.
I’m not going to give you a two hundred word essay on why I don’t like a place, instead I’m going to give you a bigger essay on why California has some absolutely great diving!
If you like dramatic structure, walls, lots of critters in camo, seals and sea lions, kelp forests, lots of fish, nudi’s, macro photography opportunities, then Northern California is for you. I know of places along the coast north of San Francisco with world class diving. Sheer walls, drop offs, swim throughs, structure and pinnacles like you can only imagine, walls loaded with plumose anemones, giant Puget Sound king crabs, wolf eels, giant pacific octopus’s.
A lot of it is only accessible by boat, but if things change and opportunity presents itself and we can generate more interest in local or at least US destination diving then I think Norcal has a legitimate chance of being a place people would come to dive. Not only is the diving great but there is a lot of topside attractions too like numerous quaint towns, B&B’s to rent, world class wineries and restaurants. Sonoma County is no slouch when it comes to attracting ‘A’ listers and VIP’s from around the world. There are many Illuminati that call this area home, there must be a reason?
Ever hear of Bohemian Grove?
There is no shortage of natural beauty.
Right now the area would be considered start up. There really is no diving infrastructure to speak of, but at one time every place had no diving infrastructure, they all started on a whim and a seed of hope.
The only thing is it’s cold water. Once you get over that and realize it’s not a big deal then that is when the fun begins.
The charm is unspoiled topside and U/W beauty. It’s also for the person seeking adventure. Some of the sites are not easy to get to. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it also means limited pressure. This place is for real divers. I’ll be honest, not everyone is cut out to dive this type of environment, but for those that are willing rise to the challenge, the rewards are awesome!
 
I’m not going to give you a two hundred word essay on why I don’t like a place, instead I’m going to give you a bigger essay on why California has some absolutely great diving!
If you like dramatic structure, walls, lots of critters in camo, seals and sea lions, kelp forests, lots of fish, nudi’s, macro photography opportunities, then Northern California is for you. I know of places along the coast north of San Francisco with world class diving. Sheer walls, drop offs, swim throughs, structure and pinnacles like you can only imagine, walls loaded with plumose anemones, giant Puget Sound king crabs, wolf eels, giant pacific octopus’s.
A lot of it is only accessible by boat, but if things change and opportunity presents itself and we can generate more interest in local or at least US destination diving then I think Norcal has a legitimate chance of being a place people would come to dive. Not only is the diving great but there is a lot of topside attractions too like numerous quaint towns, B&B’s to rent, world class wineries and restaurants. Sonoma County is no slouch when it comes to attracting ‘A’ listers and VIP’s from around the world. There are many Illuminati that call this area home, there must be a reason?
Ever hear of Bohemian Grove?
There is no shortage of natural beauty.
Right now the area would be considered start up. There really is no diving infrastructure to speak of, but at one time every place had no diving infrastructure, they all started on a whim and a seed of hope.
The only thing is it’s cold water. Once you get over that and realize it’s not a big deal then that is when the fun begins.
The charm is unspoiled topside and U/W beauty. It’s also for the person seeking adventure. Some of the sites are not easy to get to. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it also means limited pressure. This place is for real divers. I’ll be honest, not everyone is cut out to dive this type of environment, but for those that are willing rise to the challenge, the rewards are awesome!


Now you make me want to dive CA even more. How is diving in Southern CA different from northern CA or are they close?
 
I see no snobbery, I see a preference. The only thing being poo poo-ed is someone else's preference.

No, there is very clear degrading of diving in CA and Caribbean in a very snobbish way. The person making the comment could have just talked about why they liked diving in an "exotic" places without having to put down a local place where many people dive at and enjoy and many of them can't afford to dive in the "exotic" place. Subtle difference but important one.
 
No, there is very clear down grading diving in CA and Caribbean in a very snobbish way. The person making the comment could have just talked about why they liked diving in an "exotic" places without having to put down a local place where many people dive at and enjoy and many of them can't afford to dive in the "exotic" place. Subtle difference but important one.

At no point in this thread was it about whether people could afford to dive a particular "exotic" place or not. It was a thread asking what each of our own plans and preferences were. The original question was targeted at vacation divers with specific reference to international travel and what alternatives we would consider, if any. Given the context of this thread, I'm now also responsible for the potential hurt feelings of people who can't afford to travel internationally because they are participating in a thread about international travel?

This is primarily for divers in the US -

If international travel is still very limited, but you can travel within the US, do any of you vacation divers think you might take up more local/US diving? AKA - if you've gone to Coz, would you do Florida if you can't get out of the country? Or would you take a dip in your local quarry or lake?

I guess it comes down to: do you want to dive at all costs or if you can't get to warm water, you just won't dive?

I started replying in the thread by answering @Marie13 's question honestly.

If I can’t leave the country, I’m not diving. There might be one exception in the summer for 1-2 tanks at Lake Tahoe for crayfish, but that’s it.

Oh come on Barb, there’s great diving both North and South of you. Drive up to Sonoma County, it’s great?

Someone apparently thought my answer was incredulous, stated that there was great diving near me so I offered some honest thoughts on what diving I thought was great, which clearly differed from their idea (and others) of great. Am I supposed to apologize for that? That's ridiculous. It's not for me, but have at it if it's for you. I didn't put down anyone for their decision to dive it or their lifelong dream to dive it, or if they love it and regularly dive it, I didn't in any way suggest that they were wrong or challenge their opinions and experiences, which is what it feels like people have been trying to communicate to me. I didn't even reference anyone else's post about what they like or don't like. In fact, if you have dived the coral triangle and hated it and stated this, that's your prerogative. It's no skin off my back. I answered the question as I read the OP's post and then responded to a few replies directed at me. It's one thing if I made a statement about not liking my local or California diving or even the Caribbean if I haven't dived it at all or have barely dived it to get a good representation of what it's like. That is not the case. My filter set is relative to other places that I have dived and I have developed a personal preference.

Someone else then said that I haven't been looking in the right places.

Youve been looking in the wrong places. I'd rather dive in California than anywhere.

I'd love to dive CA and the US west coast before I even dive Indonesia for sure. I think that it is "snobbish" to poo poo diving in location such as CA and Caribbean as you have done. There is so much variety, challenge, beauty and mystique diving the west coast to say the least.

Even better...Are you saying you haven’t dived either Indo/coral triangle or the local diving/CA diving I’m referencing and are telling me my experiences and opinions of both after having dived these regions are invalid/wrong or can’t be shared only if I feel a particular way?

Clearly, these people disagree. Fine.

There are clearly people who can't grasp and understand that there are other people that do not enjoying the same type of diving that they themselves enjoy so much and are taking it personally. Should I apologize and just say that I like a place based on what the majority opinion and experience of a place is? When did this thread only allow posts that only express love for local/CA or even Caribbean diving and shunned anything else but?

While I have my own thoughts on local/CA and Caribbean diving, I've not dived Florida and @Trailboss123 suggested I try it and I'm willing to do this, especially if he says it's better than the Caribbean. I'm open to his suggestion because I know we have both dived in the same place overseas and we both liked it so I at least have that as a litmus test. He understands my filter set from a "relative" standpoint. I'm not going to write Florida off and develop an opinion of a dive destination until I have had the chance to dive it. I'm also not going to scoff at someone for saying they prefer FL diving to CA/local diving if I did happen to love local/CA diving but have never dived FL myself. "I don't know what I don't know."

I'm not sure how much a trip to FL would cost as it hasn't been on my radar. Does anyone have any estimates on what it would be for guided boat dives and how many days would you suggest in order to see the highlights? I think @Dan has a trip there soon. What months are best?

When it comes to affording something for myself, it doesn't come down to how much I make but at the end of the day, it's how much I spend and save. My "vice" is dive travel. I budget most other aspects of my life in favor of it (mostly by accident) as I value experiences more. I hardly go out to eat, I don't go out drinking or partying, I don't spend much at all on typical "girl" things like jewelry, clothing, cosmetics, hair/skin/nails. I always brew coffee at home. It isn't a burden or a painful task for me to do; it comes natural to me because I don't feel like any of those things that many other people spend their money on are really sacrifices to me when I don't have the strong desire to spend it in that way anyway.

For what it's worth, I'm also not sure what you would deem exotic but in the context of the original post and vacation diving...A week long jaunt to dive Cozumel costs me more than flying somewhere over the Pacific that is "exotic" and I even get way more dives in for the same price or less assuming the resorts are similar. (Controversial opinion coming: Plus, I find the diving better and I enjoy it more.) The flight costs are pretty much the same from California ($650-$700) and once I land, food + lodging + diving is cheaper, especially when broken down on a per-tank basis. As an example, a week of diving in the Philippines that is considered on the higher end/expensive side ran me $1,200 with private transfers, 3 really good meals per day, lodging, nitrox, and guided boat dives (4 divers to 1 guide ratio) 5 times a day (4 day, 1 night). Less than $2K...On a per tank cost basis with all costs considered, that's really darn good.
 
I have not seen any snobbish replies from @outofofficebrb . I love wrecks. They are a passion of mine. Many people have told me that they hate wreck dives, find them boring and that there is nothing to see like you have on a reef. Is that snobbish? No, it is their opinion based on what type of diving they enjoy.

In the dive industry we have people who love cold water (@Marie13 I am looking at you), warm water divers, ice divers, etc. They are just like people who dislike a certain kind of cuisine. It is an opinion based on their own tastes. It is what makes diving and the community so great if you ask me.
 
Yes, the following is just a snippet and somewhat taken out of context - but welcome to the internet - that's how it goes.

Given this, I pretty much only dive when I go away. My idea of “great” is Raja Ampat or something in the coral triangle and even in the Red Sea; there’s nothing in the Caribbean and definitely not local.

So, I'm just saying, unless you don't care how you're perceived, be careful how you say things on the internet. I don't think I need to say what word came to mind when I read just that one sentence above.
 
Geography and location are definitely variables for where and when I travel. Going to Florida and the Caribbean is quicker and less expensive from where I am now, but if I lived in California I would definitely be going to Hawaii and beyond much more frequently. The nature of my work preclude me from taking more than a week off at a time, so that definitely puts a hard limit on travel.
 
No, there is very clear down grading diving in CA and Caribbean in a very snobbish way. The person making the comment could have just talked about why they liked diving in an "exotic" places without having to put down a local place where many people dive at and enjoy and many of them can't afford to dive in the "exotic" place. Subtle difference but important one.

I don't see it that way. She just got the Raja Ampat bug. :D

That place is the best underwater world I have ever been to (California, Caribbean, Cocos, Florida, Galapagos, Great Barrier Reef, Indonesia, Maldives, Mexico, North Carolina, Oman, Palau, Pemba, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia, Texas, UAE, Zanzibar). Check out my last trip report: Raja Ampat Jan 2020 Trip Report

If I would rank the diving destination based on how many times I have been diving in those 4 places mentioned in earlier posts (Indonesia, Florida, Caribbean, and California), after digging through my logbook and summing up the numbers, I have the following:
Indonesia: 422 dives
Florida: 70 dives
Caribbean: 62 dives
California: 12 dives

There are some interesting fish & critters in California, as @MaxBottomtime posted. However, that place is so dang cold and poor visibility most of the time, it is just no for me.
 
I'm not sure how much a trip to FL would cost as it hasn't been on my radar. Does anyone have any estimates on what it would be for guided boat dives and how many days would you suggest in order to see the highlights? I think @Dan has a trip there soon. What months are best

September would be my preference to see Goliath Grouper spawning (see the link below for the cost). Then you can do the muck diving under the Blue Heron Bridge, for $16 (tank rental + dive weight). One of your dive buddy needs to rent the dive flag.

Diving & Snorkeling Pricing | Guides, Trips, Charters, Rentals | Florida Keys Dive Center | Florida Keys Dive Center

If the coast is clear for diving by summer time, I'll be there by end of August since I'll be in Cocos (Costa Rica) in September. I'll be back again in October/November, but not to dive in Florida, but I'll be going to Tiger Beach, Bahamas with Dolphin Dream (which is leaving from West Palm Beach), Tiger Shark Expedition on November 2020 with $895 (30%) off. Then in November/December, I'll be back to Raja Ampat again for the 9th time. :)
 
This is primarily for divers in the US -

If international travel is still very limited, but you can travel within the US, do any of you vacation divers think you might take up more local/US diving? AKA - if you've gone to Coz, would you do Florida if you can't get out of the country? Or would you take a dip in your local quarry or lake?

I guess it comes down to: do you want to dive at all costs or if you can't get to warm water, you just won't dive?

I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open this season to see if there are more Great Lakes virgins because they can't dive elsewhere. It's a lot easier diving if you can just drive there, especially under these conditions.

EDIT: I am not talking about this weekend. I'm talking summer.

Hi Marie13,

Yes, I will do more US continental diving. I checked the Ohio Department of Health COVID 19 (19) website. We seem to have an anomaly appearing. For the moment, our new case numbers have flattened. I am an optimist; therefore, I am hopeful, that this is a trend. It probably won't be, but you know...

My point is this: Gilboa quarry may be dive-able this spring. Southern Ohio has very few cases of 19 relative to our population. The counties around Gilboa have a very few or no cases of 19. Hopefully, Bierstadt and you will make a trip to Gilboa again--hopefully you will let me know so I can go and meet you both there.

California is anomalous. By population they should have twice the numbers that New York has. If its numbers improve , I would travel to Cali to dive again. The diving is beautiful there. I love the Channel Islands.

I have a friend who owns a ranch in northern Florida. I would enjoy diving the springs and caverns of N. FL. Maybe he will let me pitch a tent and camp-out on the south 40 of his ranch. Fully self contained of course. Not even a hand shake. Of course, the numbers have to get better and the proverbial road blocks need to be removed.

I have a SB acquaintance who dives Tobermory. When the numbers improve and the Canadian Border is re-opened, maybe I can go there. It is still the same continent and it is south of the UP (latitude wise), and due east of the lower peninsula, which makes it close enough to the US for this discussion (I think).

North Carolina is calling me. North Carolinians just don't know it. I am ready when they are ready.

The continental US is local to me. So many places to see and so many viruses and bacteria to conquer.

I will get on a jetliner when restrictions are eased and getting stranded somewhere is no longer a possibility.

I am ready to go as soon as things open up. Flattening the curve means postponing the date that "you" are acquainted with 19. When the acute care crisis caused by 19 is over, I will get on with my life.

And besides, I "may" have the antibodies already. Dunno…. I can't wait for the antibody test.

cheers,
m²v2
 

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