Looking for SoCal dives / questions

[jvdb]

I'll be visiting family in Southern California (Carlsbad) at the end of May and would like to do a couple of dives while I'm visiting. I don't live near the ocean, so I don't get a lot of dive opportunities..

I already got a recommendation for Catalina island, which is pretty close to where I'll be staying. I'm tentatively planning on that, but I might want to do another day or two of diving at different locations, so any advice for specific dive shops/locations is appreciated. (preferably close to Carlsbad.)

I'm also curious about what water temps I should expect? My last dives were in Cozumel and it was warm enough we didn't wear wetsuits. I was thinking of buying full 3mm suits for me and my wife before the trip, but if 3mm isn't going to be warm enough, we'll just rent 7mm suits.

Thanks in advance,
Jake

 

[David P]

Catalina will be great. How man dives do you have? Forgive my lack of knowledge with geography, but where is carlsbad? I think its near San Diego (?) there is some great diving down that way, If you want to come to LA area (where catalina is) a bit further north are the Channel Islands, more great diving. If you want to do some beach diving, there are plenty of options for that as well. Redondo is a nice beach dive, not a whole lot to see during the day, but at night it can be beautiful with the animals coming up from the canyon to feed. Temp in two months should be high 50s to low 60s. 7mm is a minimum! I personally dive dry, and have no dreams of returning to a wetsuit. If you want to talk in depth pm me with your number and we'll talk.

 

[jvdb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11694002#post11694002 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by David P
Catalina will be great. How man dives do you have? Forgive my lack of knowledge with geography, but where is carlsbad? I think its near San Diego (?) there is some great diving down that way, If you want to come to LA area (where catalina is) a bit further north are the Channel Islands, more great diving. If you want to do some beach diving, there are plenty of options for that as well. Redondo is a nice beach dive, not a whole lot to see during the day, but at night it can be beautiful with the animals coming up from the canyon to feed. Temp in two months should be high 50s to low 60s. 7mm is a minimum! I personally dive dry, and have no dreams of returning to a wetsuit. If you want to talk in depth pm me with your number and we'll talk.

Carlsbad is about 30 miles north of San Diego. I only have 12 dives so far (just got certified last year). We will be there last week of May (4 months away not 2), so maybe it'll be a bit warmer if we're lucky.

Thanks for the dive recommendations, do you have any recommendations for dive shops?
-Jake

 

[David P]

www.sduadivers.com they are more of a tech shop, so they dont have the pretty color tanks, or all the fluorescent pocketed bcs... but they have good gear.

http://www.oceanenterprises.com/ is a big shop with lots of pretty colors, but they don't do nitrox

http://www.divecenter.com/ Ive heard good things, but no first hand knowledge.

There are basically 2 dive boats in SD. (plus some privately owned 6 packs) There is the big http://www.loisann.com/ , big red boat, cattle boat. Its there.... there is also the Dn'D from http://www.gottadive.com/ its a much smaller boat, just goes local to wrech alley and Scripps canyon. The boat is kinda a POS, but the crew (if you can get past their personalities) are really nice people. I have seen new divers on the boat (I myself made my first post certification dive about the DND) but I would advise to be a self reliant diver... In all honesty, please give me a holler before you come out. My wife loves going to the indian casinos down there, and I would be more than happy to hook up with you and we go go do a dive! This is exactly how I met a good friend here on RC, CoralineDream. He was coming out here for a business trip and we hooked up. We have met several times, he crashed at my place, he even attended (and saved the presentation with his laptop) my aquarium society meeting once. Heck he's coming out in two weeks, and we're planning on diving Redondo Canyon, Channel Islands, and Cornados Islands all in one weekend! He may look at me strange in my drysuit and double tanks, but I can give him crap for mis navigating the wreck Yukon and having us come up on the wrong end (down current!).

 

[coral diver]

Since you will be in San Diego try La Jolla shore (the canyon) and Pm me the exact date you'll be here and i'll see with the guys at work about thier dive schedule we can prob. help you out since your in SD (So. Cal).
BTW What geografic area of SD will you be NEWS.
Or some of the guys from www.sdreefs.com many posibilities dive and meet some reefers from SD.