Fort Bragg/Mendocino

[Av8jen]

Hi, I’ll be moving to Fort Bragg next week and I’m looking for a diving buddy. I read on here that the local dive shop is sadly no more, so I’ll have to get tanks in Santa Rosa? I’m interested in diving anywhere along the California coast.

I’m new to diving (only 8 dives so far) but I have my own gear and can/will dive as much as possible during my 4 days off a week. Just got back from Hawaii and I’m hooked. I also love to travel so if anyone could share their most stellar diving trips, I’d love to know!! Thanks!

 

[drrich2]

Hello. I only made it out to California once, years ago, and really enjoyed diving the Channel Islands. The operator I dove with went out of business, and there've been changes in the local dive scene (both for the same reason - the Conception boat fire disaster that claimed over 30 lives), but some of the research I compiled and the trip report from back then might still be of some use.

My Notes For Researching My California Dive Trip - My Notes for Researching My California Dive Trip
Truth Aquatics Vision Trip Aug. 2016 - Truth Aquatics Aug. 2016 Trip Report - California

On the issue of dive trips, I think the biggest 'brand name' U.S. and Caribbean regional destinations are probably Cozumel, Roatan, Belize, Bonaire, the Cayman Islands and Key Largo/Florida Keys. I'll post you some resources:

Key Largo with Rainbow Reef Dive Center 2013 - http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/fl...iving-key-largo-rainbow-reef-dive-center.html
Tres Pelicanos & Casa Mexicana, Cozumel Sept. 2018 Report - Tres Pelicanos/Casa Mexican Trip Report Sept. 2018
My Research Notes from Planning Cozumel Trip - My Research Notes from Planning Cozumel Trip
CocoView Trip Report May 2021 - Trip Report - CocoView Resort May 8-15, 2021
My Research Notes from planning a Roatan Trip - My Research Notes from Planning Roatan Trip
My Research Notes for Bonaire - My Research Note For Bonaire
8 Day Trip Report: Sand Dollar, Dive Friends
2022 Trip Report Bonaire Trip Report - V.I.P. Divers/Aqua Viva Suites

I dove in the Caymans and Belize by liveaboard; if you're ready to commit to a week on a boat, I have trip reports for those. If not, there are plenty of trip reports for resorts at those destinations.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

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[js1221]

FayetteNam?? Best/worst 6 years of my life lol. Good luck!

Wrong Fort Bragg, she is in Fort Bragg, California.

 

[Thomas L Mcbride]

Hi, I’ll be moving to Fort Bragg next week and I’m looking for a diving buddy. I read on here that the local dive shop is sadly no more, so I’ll have to get tanks in Santa Rosa? I’m interested in diving anywhere along the California coast.

I’m new to diving (only 8 dives so far) but I have my own gear and can/will dive as much as possible during my 4 days off a week. Just got back from Hawaii and I’m hooked. I also love to travel so if anyone could share their most stellar diving trips, I’d love to know!! Thanks!

Diving here at fort bragg is not bad. We have a few rock quarrys within a hour or so. And the ocean is 1.5 hours away with great wreck dives. If you are interested and want a helping hand when you get to bragg, dont hesitate to message me. Ill show you and introduce you to everyone i know here. I been diving here for about 8 years now

 

[Chavodel8en]

You may want to post this on the NorCal regional subforum on this board

If you're on facebook Northern California Scuba Diving | Facebook this may be a good page for the Northern Cali scuba scene

 

[Akimbo]

Welcome to the Mendocino coast. The local dive shop couldn't survive the closing of abalone season.

Freedivers still outnumber Scuba divers up here, mostly spearfishing. Except for a few solo dives for testing, I travel to Monterey for Scuba.

 

[Thomas L Mcbride]

Lmao. Ft. Bragg and ft. Bragg is so far apart. Lol. Im on the right coast ft. Bragg. Enjoy and good luck

 

[wnissen]

Welcome, hope you find copacetic buddies. There are a number of folks on here from that area, despite the apparent indefinite closure of the abalone season. Fort Bragg is a beautiful town, named after a Confederate general who never visited.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Always awesome to see a new diver so excited about diving!

I moved up to WA 30 years ago but prior to that I spent many great years ab diving the North CA coast.... Also some SCUBA out of Pt Arena....... One of my all time favorite dive sites on the entire planet is Arena Rock.

Hope you find some good buddies that know the area... Maybe check to see if there are any dive clubs in Santa Rosa or Eureka...

PS..... As much as I like to see sharks.......I'd be careful about diving these areas at dusk or dawn and avoid spending much time on the surface if spearfishing. The "Landlord" doesn't collect rent very often........ but it's still best to not be there on rent day.

As for your love of travel, being a relatively new diver I think you'd really like Bonaire, Curacao or Little Cayman.. All three of those are great places to gain experience and the diving is pretty darn good. If you do some searching here on the board you'll find some great trip reports from folks like DRRICH who really take the time and effort to point out just about anything you'd need to know.

I don't really ever do detailed trip reports......but here's my video of a trip my wife and I did 10 years ago and pretty much what you can expect to see in Bonaire or Curacao


Curacao is going to be similar to Bonaire but with more topside and nightlife.

LCBR - (Little Cayman Beach Resort) is a great vacation and they make everything so easy. Consider it if you like more of an all inclusive scenario where you don't really have to do much other than relax and dive..... Not really much other than the dive op, airport and store that's about a mile bike ride from the LCBR...