Wrinkles September Dive Catalina 9-18

[hermosadive]

I can't make the dive, but there is a popular hotel in Catalina for divers, the Hermosa Hotel. You can get Summer weekend rates for $50 if you don't mind a share bathroom down the hall. It's not the Hilton, but it's clean and affordable.

http://www.catalina.com/hermosa/

Roland

 

[headhunter]

I can't make the dive, but there is a popular hotel in Catalina for divers, the Hermosa Hotel. You can get Summer weekend rates for $50 if you don't mind a share bathroom down the hall. It's not the Hilton, but it's clean and affordable.

http://www.catalina.com/hermosa/

Roland

Roland brings to the table an interesting option.

Taking into account the 2 night minimum, it looks like you could leave on the Catalina Express from Long Beach at 7pm on Friday night and came back on Sunday night.

You could stay at the Hermosa and get one of their $155 C Housekeeping units with private bath, kitchen (rate for up to 6 persons). If 6 people stayed in that unit and split costs for the room, it would come out to about $52 per person for the weekend spent on lodging.

I have no idea how much space there would be for 6 people, but the math looks pretty good.

Maybe one of you out there knows how cramped this would be.

Exploring all of the other Hermosa options:

Their $110 A Cottage with private bath, kitchen (rate for 2) comes out to $55 ea.

Their $90 B Cottage with private bath (rate for 2) comes out to $45 ea.

Their $70 D Hotel room with semi-private bath (rate for 2) comes out to $35 ea.

Their $50 E Room near bath (rate for 2) comes out to $25 ea.

To top it off, it looks like they'll let you add extra bodies to any of the rooms for $10 a piece, which would save you even more money.

It sounds like if you really wanted to, you could do Catalina for the weekend "on the cheap". REAL CHEAP!

At these prices, it would be fun sometime to rent out the entire place for a big group of us. Not that there is enough time to put it together for this trip, but I'm thinking about the future. If we did that, I bet we could even get a discount for filling the place up. I can't imagine the deal we'd get in the winter. We could do this a couple of times per year.

Just a thought.

OK... this post just went way out of control. :11:

I'll stop now.

Christian

 

[drbill]

I must admit to never having stepped foot in the Hermosa despite living here on Catalina for 35 years. It is amusing to note that they sell t-shirts saying "I Survived the Hermosa." They are diver friendly. An old friend of mine who was V.P. of the Cousteau Society used to stay there on his birthday and loved it (before he started crashing on my couch!).

I might add that the Hermosa is the kind of place I'd look for if traveling to Catalina (and the kind of place I stay in when I travel internationally). But then I'm a starving marine biologist!

Wish I was going to be in town for this one.

Doc

 

[saf_25]

I've actually stayed at the Hermosa, and it was a very nice experience. No tvs or a/c / heat, but very clean and nice rooms.
My dive club took part in an activity last year with some other local dive clubs, where we all had groups of people spend the weekend in Avalon. My club all stayed at the Hermosa, while the other groups stayed in some of the other places that charged at least double (and some much more than that) what we paid. In comparing notes, our rooms were not any worse than anyone else's. The only part that was less desireable was that we didn't have our own, private bathroom, but the facilities were still nice and perfectly acceptable. I bought one of the "I survived the Hermosa Hotel" t-shirts and wear it proudly. Maybe if I was going over there for a dry weekend, I'd want the tv and other ammenities, but when you're diving all weekend long, who needs a tv and private shower? I wouldn't consider staying anywhere else for a weekend of diving.

The only thing is that they, too, have the 2-night minimum. So, the $50 rooms end up being $100, even if you're just staying the one night. And, I wouldn't recommend more than 2 to a room - the beds are twin and I don't remember there being much extra space for extra people. Even at $100 (so $50 per person) it's worth it for 2 to a room.

 

[Arnaud]

...when you're diving all weekend long, who needs a tv and private shower?...

Me, and a few others. If I want to share a bathroom or a bed room with 6 other fellows, I go on a multi day dive boat trip. I'll get a lot more diving for about the same amount of $$. And considering the night life in Avalon, a TV is a required amenity as far as I am concerned.

How much is a room at the Atwater right now? $100-120? If you split it with your buddy, it's really not so bad. Now, there's a diver friendly hotel. Free luggage transportation, huge storage area, good people, cheap and clean, with private shower and...a TV

 

[wrinkles]

Well looks like I can not make it this day.....I am so so so bummed. I wish I can join you guys....

Since I can't make it this weekend I will most likely be looking to dive another weekend this month so maybe we can get together somewhere another weekend....perhaps I can do a return to San Deigo dive if I do this dive then I am thinking I may stay the night over there so I can dive Sat. and Sun avoiding the long drive back and forth or I have never been diving in PV so that would be kinda interesting too.

You guys going to catalina have to make sure you take pictures and think of me lol.....

Ana

 

[headhunter]

Well looks like I can not make it this day.....I am so so so bummed. I wish I can join you guys....

Since I can't make it this weekend I will most likely be looking to dive another weekend this month so maybe we can get together somewhere another weekend....perhaps I can do a return to San Deigo dive if I do this dive then I am thinking I may stay the night over there so I can dive Sat. and Sun avoiding the long drive back and forth or I have never been diving in PV so that would be kinda interesting too.

You guys going to catalina have to make sure you take pictures and think of me lol.....

Ana

How can it be a "Wrinkles dive" WITHOUT "Wrinkles"?! :11:

What's up with that!

Christian

 

[drbill]

Vis in the dive park was quite good today... much better than yesterday, especially deep (60+ feet). Nice day to dive. Hopefully tomorrow and the rest of the season will be good!!

Did see Arnaud and Ken today as I was doing my Rescue Diver skills with my instructor. Funny thing... after towing my victim in and carrying him up the stairs, I swam out to the class float to retrieve my gear. As I approached the float there was a woman nearby who liked like she was having trouble. I got her to the float and had her rest a bit, but she said she couldn't make it in so I towed her half way. At that point her buddy (who my buddy/instructor said had been "lurking about 10-15 feet behind me) said he's take over. Chalk up an assist for Dr. Bill on the first day of water activities!

I was sure Karen had 'planted' this 'victim' or one of the other instructors in the area, but it was real.

Dr. Bill

 

[headhunter]

Chalk up an assist for Dr. Bill on the first day of water activities!

Dr. Bill

It's a boat! It's a seaplane! No... it's Dr. Bill!

Sung to the tune of the Mighty Mouse theme song: :dazzler1: Here he comes to save the day! Dr. Bill is on his way! Dr. Bill! :dazzler1:

Good job Dr. Bill!

Christian

 

[Mo2vation]

Vis in the dive park was quite good today... much better than yesterday, especially deep (60+ feet). Nice day to dive. Hopefully tomorrow and the rest of the season will be good!!

Did see Arnaud and Ken today as I was doing my Rescue Diver skills with my instructor. Funny thing... after towing my victim in and carrying him up the stairs, I swam out to the class float to retrieve my gear. As I approached the float there was a woman nearby who liked like she was having trouble. I got her to the float and had her rest a bit, but she said she couldn't make it in so I towed her half way. At that point her buddy (who my buddy/instructor said had been "lurking about 10-15 feet behind me) said he's take over. Chalk up an assist for Dr. Bill on the first day of water activities!

I was sure Karen had 'planted' this 'victim' or one of the other instructors in the area, but it was real.

Dr. Bill

Three unreal dives. Giant black seabass getting all up in my grill (one time the pair about 12" in my grill - eyeballin' me) huge bat rays, schools of barracuda, breezing yellowtail, 3 eels on ONE DIVE, an octopus the size of a volleyball (no kidding...) lobsters the size of Volkswagons, and schools of thousands of silver mackerel - like sihining silver rivers... rolling by in tight narrow streams, bowing in unison around imaginary rocks, only to come together on the other side.

Jaye and I watched one of the 4 or 5 schools for about 7 minutes. Sitting on our backs looking up as they went around our bubbles.

Exceptional summertime rototiller student viz. Great weather, cool breeze... just an amazing day. No lines for tank fills (got ours filled twice in about 20 minutes each time) and people actually going around people at the bottom of the steps - so things moved right along (bof in and out.)

It was 68 degrees from the top to about 55', then the 'cline dropped it to about 64 to about 90'. First dives in my dry gloves - more on that in another thread later.

Good to see DrB. Retire that shortie to the diving hall of fame, my friend.

What a day.

K