Near-shore So.Cal Boat Dives?

[bkotheimer]

I have a mid-sized power boat based in MDR that I would love to start using for diving, but it's by no means Catalina-ready (or even Anacapa-ready). Although I've now done 1 (yeah 1) beach dive and plan to do more, I really appreciate the ease and immediacy of boat diving, and I'd like to do it close to home.

So I'm wondering if there are any near-shore sites between, say, Leo Carillo and Old Marineland that are boat-friendly. These could be shore dive sites that are also approachable from off-shore, or they could be sites only accessible by boat (or maybe kayak). My point is, I don't want to just pull up outside Vets and drop anchor or stake any new territory, anything like that. I want to go somewhere that boat diving is already established and accepted.

Any tips on this would be greatly appreciated. I have one buddy and one non-diving boat operator anxiously waiting with me to do this.

 

[JMdiver]

Anywhere around the Palos Verde Peninsula especially around kelp. If you have a depth gauge that would help. Again going north to Malibu anywhere there's kelp also you can go to any beach site that you have dove & just anchor outside of the reef & dive from there. If you need a guide or dive buddy I'm available most weekends.

John

 

[bkotheimer]

If you need a guide or dive buddy I'm available most weekends.

John

Thanks! I may actually take you up on that. So are there any private boat owner/divers reading this that can recommend specific areas that they like? Or would that be like giving away your favorite fishing spot?

 

[Teamcasa]

Anywhere around the Palos Verde Peninsula especially around kelp. If you have a depth gauge that would help. Again going north to Malibu anywhere there's kelp also you can go to any beach site that you have dove & just anchor outside of the reef & dive from there.

My brother and I do exactly that from time to time. Have fun and dive safe. BTW, Leaving someone on the boat while you dive is a good idea. DAMHIKT!

 

[orangelion03]

John and I are a buddy team so I'm the third guy =)

PVP is great for in-close boat dives...Xmas Tree Cove, Hawthorne Reef, Marineland, Abalone. At least two diveable wrecks off PVP as well.

 

[saintsfan]

Go buy Frankos map, you can pretty much count the coves and get where you want to go really without using a gps, and it gives a pretty good description of the sites. There are a few sites around PV that you cant get too by trail anymore like christmas tree cove, I am like you and after diving on my own boat am just too lazy to beach dive much even though its a lot cheaper.
BTW you can dive any site you want with a boat just stay the required distance from swim areas, anchor away from the main dive area and pay close attention to bubbles.
What size boat do you have and why isnt it ready for catalina thats by far the main reason to dive your own boat, I just down sized from a 26' to a 22.5 for fuel economy, I went from 1 mpg to 3 mpg, so I can get over a little more often. If you would like we can two boat it over sometime, I usually go in the morning and come back the next morning just shoot me a pm

 

[bkotheimer]

Great advice. I can't wait to try some of these sites, and I will check with you guys to see who might want to go along on a trip.

My boat's "not ready" for the islands in the sense that she's only running about 50% of the speed she's rated at. She runs very reliably, just not too quick. I have a few theories about it, I've been doing some work on it and I have plans for more improvements down the road. But for now, it's coastal only.

Back to the dive sites.... Yeah, it looks like Franko's LA coast map really spells them out. And it sounds like Xmas Tree Cove is a great first choice. It would be great to have an experienced guide/buddy as well. BTW, what's the average depth where you tend to drop anchor for these dives? I only have about 100' of anchor line at the moment, which is a max depth of about 15' with a 7:1 scope.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The first thing I recommend is Vessel Assist. If there are any mechanical issues you will definately need help getting back in. At over $500 for a tow without VA or about $100 a year and free towing, I'd get the insurance. I'd also get a chart book from West Marine. Franko's maps are not very accurate.
If the conditions warrant 7:1 scope, that's not a day to be diving. Get a good anchor and a minimum length of chain equal to the length of your boat. If you dive Buchanan's Reef next to Marineland you can find lots of anchors, chain and line. Normally I use enough scope that once the chain hits the bottom I let out more line until I feel comfortable. If the line becomes taut I let out more or abort the dive.
There are more than 200 diveable wrecks around Palos Verdes. The Palawan and Avalon are OK, but not great. Many of the ones I dive are covered in large Metridiums with Wolfeels, huge fish and no Garibaldis.
I would not go out without a VHF radio, GPS and fishfinder. There are too many shallow submerged rocks along the shoreline.
Check out some of the maps my buddy Ross Overstreet made. Ross-O's Diving GIS Page

 

[bkotheimer]

You've obviously done this before and I really appreciate the advice. However, I have to respond or get clarification on a few comments below.

The first thing I recommend is Vessel Assist. If there are any mechanical issues you will definately need help getting back in.

That goes without saying, yup. I have unlimited coverage within 40 mi. of MDR. I haven't been boating that long, but I didn't start yesterday.

If the conditions warrant 7:1 scope, that's not a day to be diving. Get a good anchor and a minimum length of chain equal to the length of your boat.

I have the right anchor for my boat, a good length of chain, plus 100 ft. of line. So I guess in fishing/diving situations (vs. overnighting, for instance), folks tend to be a bit stingier on scope, right? More like 4:1 or even 3:1 ??

Normally I use enough scope that once the chain hits the bottom I let out more line until I feel comfortable. If the line becomes taut I let out more or abort the dive.

You mean if it goes taut right away, right? I mean, I'm a relatively new boater like I said before, but any size boat will drift to the end of its rode eventually in any conditions, won't it?

That said, you're the one who's done this before. It sounds like you're recommending that if my smallish (29') boat doesn't just more-or-less float above where I dropped anchor, it isn't a good day or place to dive. I just hadn't really pictured that, I guess. I just envisioned the boat drifting naturally toward the end of its rode like it would in an average mooring situation.

I would not go out without a VHF radio, GPS and fishfinder.

Neither would I. Ever. But what I'm more worried about would be dropping anchor on a wreck, reef or other structure where I shouldn't, or in the middle of a damn kelp forest. Another reason why I think I should bring someone with SoCal boat-diving experience.

Check out some of the maps my buddy Ross Overstreet made. Ross-O's Diving GIS Page

Those are really cool. Very hi-rez and clear. Please don't take my other comments the wrong way. I'm really looking to learn from those with more experience than myself.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I have the right anchor for my boat, a good length of chain, plus 100 ft. of line. So I guess in fishing/diving situations (vs. overnighting, for instance), folks tend to be a bit stingier on scope, right? More like 4:1 or even 3:1 ??
You mean if it goes taut right away, right? I mean, I'm a relatively new boater like I said before, but any size boat will drift to the end of its rode eventually in any conditions, won't it?
That said, you're the one who's done this before. It sounds like you're recommending that if my smallish (29') boat doesn't just more-or-less float above where I dropped anchor, it isn't a good day or place to dive. I just hadn't really pictured that, I guess. I just envisioned the boat drifting naturally toward the end of its rode like it would in an average mooring situation.

If I was overnighting I would let out as much scope as I could within a radius of anything near me. For an hour or so underwater I usually would drop the anchor, wait for the boat to drift a bit in the wind or current and then play out about 20-30 feet of line. If it got to the point that the line was like a piano string I would pull it in and dive elsewhere. When diving shipwrecks or rocky reefs I always set the hook where I could find it easily at the end of the dive and in a place that wouldn't come loose if the boat swung around 180 degrees. On some wreck dives letting out a lot of scope makes the descent take forever. Unless the conditions warranted it, I usually used about 1 1/2:1. If I was anchoring in a place like the frontside of Catalina where the bottom drops off quickly I would use a lot of scope, maybe 3:1. I never used more than that.
Another thing I did was rather than replace the faulty winch I had on my boat, I clipped a liftbag to my anchor. At the end of the dive I would put enough air in the bag to get the anchor a few feet off the bottom, keeping most of the chain in the sand. I had forty feet of chain on my 22 foot boat. When we pulled up the line it would only take a minute or so before the air expanded in the liftbag, shooting the anchor and chain to the surface. It made it much easier to pull it back aboard. Make sure you never do this in wind or strong currents though. You don't want the chain dragging along the bottom while you're hanging on the line.