Avalon and other Peninsula Wrecks

[gimewater]

Hello,
I live in the area and am starting to get into wreck diving. I have taken the wreck certification and dove wreck alley but would really like to get around to the local wrecks. I know they aren't in as good a shape as wreck alley but I live in the area and would love to dive my local shipwrecks. If anyone can help me out with some gps coordinates of wrecks I would really appreciate it and if you'd like we could go for a dive on the wreck in my RIB. It would have to be in PV or San Pedro since I only have a 14ft RIB. I intend to join CA Wreck Divers group soon but am working on my Teaching Credentials and my Student Teaching so cant afford the fees right now since I will not be working for the next 6 months.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Bloodydecks.com - View Single Post - GPS numbers
There are dozens, if not hundreds of wrecks and offshore reefs between Long Beach and Santa Monica Bay. You can start with these numbers and once you join the CWD there will be more available.

 

[Blackwood]

Note that a lot of the wrecks in this area are deepish and in areas of heavy boat traffic (particularly those in the San Pedro bay).


The Palawan ([SIZE=-1]33° 49.42'N. x 118° 24.88'W) is probably my favorite local dive. It's on the redondo side of the peninsula, so you'll have light boat traffic from King Harbor, but nothing like Long Beach/San Pedro (in other words: it's not a concern). She sits on 130' of sand with the highest structure reaching 100-110 (depending on tides... was about 105 last weekend).

I'm not sure about the logistics of diving off a RIB. How much chain do you have? Do you leave someone on board to man the boat?


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[gimewater]

I have dove off the RIB a lot actually just never on a wreck. I have on my anchor I believe 3 or four feet of chain and as for someone on it I try to always make sure I have someone on board though there has been once or twice when it was just me and my buddy and we went without someone on a boat. It was a little strange actually to come up and find a lifeguard on a paddle board sitting next to the boat waiting for us, said we didn't do anything wrong just wanted to check on us, said he loved the boat it was just like the one he has.

Thanks for the help guys and I am really interested in diving the Palawan too

 

[MaxBottomtime]

You might want to add about eleven feet of chain. It's good to have at least the minimum length of the boat in chain. I was diving the L.A. Breakwater one day from my twelve foot Achilles. I came up to find the boat had vanished. Less than ten seconds after I surfaced my buddy came around the lighthouse towing my boat. He saw it in the middle of the harbor with my dive flag. He knew it is illegal to dive inside, so he guessed the boat must have dragged anchor.
Dive the 70-80 foot pinnacles at Buchanan's Reef and you will find lots of new anchors and chain.
The most difficult task as far as wreck diving from an inflatable is missing the wreck. Without a good fishfinder you will make a lot of sand dives. Many of my favorite wrecks outside of L.A./Long Beach are only 40-60 feet long. Very easy to miss.