Alternatives if Catalina is "closed"

[HBDiveGirl]

Thanks to all. I knew it wouldn't be long before I had to duck and cover to avoid the deluge of suggestions.

HA! Suggestions from only 5 people in 3 days?

Considering how passionate (some might say crazy) we all are about diving our little slice of paradise out here, this was modest!!!

• We never got around to the "SoCal is better than OCal which beats LoCal" discussions!
• No one's favorite sites were impugned!!
• No one's manhood was challenged based on whether or not his/her boat will "GO OUT" into the snaggly teeth of the angry Santa-Ana-churned sea!!!

This was no deluge!!
You haven't had to duck and cover until you hint that Laguna is either the best or worst diving in SoCal. Then I suggest you don the kevlar .

Hopefully you and your merry band of visiting divers will cruise smoothly to Avalon, spilling not a drop of beer as you cross the calm blue sea.

I did some homework before starting this thread. I have a list of boats that have open charters those days (Great Escape, Sundiver, and Bottom Scratcher for Saturday only) and will keep their contact info in my back pocket.

Good boats, all, with skilled captains.

The Ventura shore diving sounds like it could be a decent Plan B. I do hope I don't need it because the logistics can get a little more complicated with a group of eight than if it was just me and my wife.

Thanks, everyone. You've made hangin' out here worthwhile ... again.

--ECR

I'm tempting fate, I know, but Laguna shore diving is a lot closer to the Long Beach Catalina Express Terminal.
I'm not saying it's better ... just that it's closer and would keep you in the area and ready to clamber onto the Express and go as soon as the hypothetical and unlikely Santa Anas subsided.

Just saying.

Thanks, everyone. You've made hangin' out here worthwhile ... again.

--ECR

The only better place to hang is Underwater!!

Claudette

 

[SoCalAngel]

... I have a list of boats that have open charters those days (Great Escape, Sundiver, and Bottom Scratcher for Saturday only) and will keep their contact info in my back pocket.

The Ventura shore diving :no sounds like it could be a decent Plan B. I do hope I don't need it because the logistics can get a little more complicated with a group of eight than if it was just me and my wife.

Thanks, everyone. You've made hangin' out here worthwhile ... again.

--ECR

Hey There,


The Sundiver is my fav :14: , Great Escape a faarrr second, and the bottom scratcher is not on my list at all :shakehead , as far as those LA boats are concerned. If the SA winds are a howling, these boats may not go out to Catalina, but I know the Sundiver will take divers out to off mainland sites if at all possible. Capt. Ray has an amazing list of unknown reefs and lots of known wrecks he will take divers to during SA conditions.

As far as Ventura goes, I have been on two boats during SA conditions that couldn't make it out through the swell to the Northern Channel Islands, when the LA boats did make it to local mainland dive sites. The biggest problem with the Ventura boats having to cancel is they don't seem to have any backup mainland dive sites if they can't make it to the Islands. I don't know of many Beach/Shore dives in Ventura :huh: ...Laguna is closer to Long Beach...

For any of the boats, if the crossing isn't bad, they just head to parts of the islands that aren't getting hit by the wind surf. Of course, if the Cat can't make the crossing, you probably don't want to go out there, anyway

Jan was right on about Laguna being the best shore diving during Santa Ana conditions. I've had 50 ft vis off the beach in the fall Santa Ana conditions. Also, Laguna Sea Sports is really close for tank rentals and fills. In addition, there are many many places to stay in Laguna Beach that aren't usually filled up in the fall...

San Diego would be my second choice for shore diving during SA conditions...great vis, easy entries....lots of hotels in the area, many dive shops for tanks, fills, etc... Possibility of going out on the Lois Anne to wreck alley is a nice bonus, as well! :blinking:

...so, as HB divechica said, IF the Cat Express cancels, post here and the Super Awesome OCal shore divers will swoop in to help y'all out! :10:

 

[cys]

You should also consider the Sand Dollar out of San Pedro. I have never known the Sand Dollar to cancel a trip to Catalina. This past spring we braved a storm going over where there were 8-12 foot swells most of the way. The conditions were nice, however, once we got there.

Happy So Cal diving.