Best dive site in LA
- Thread starter apachemd
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L.A. is a big place- where are you going to be staying? We can give you some local sites closer to your location. If you have a full day, I would suggest either a day boat or a trip by ferry to Catalina. Hard to beat for a single days diving.
Leejnd
Contributor
If you're only planning on doing one dive, I assume that means you plan on a beach dive, correct? If so, given the fact that you just got certified, you might want to rethink this. Beach diving in SoCal is challenging, even for experienced divers, and I would not recommend it for someone who is newly certified, not familiar with the area or conditions, and not diving with someone more experienced. Challenges include very cold water (low 50's lately), potentially high surf, low visibility (especially on beach dives), and kelp (entanglement dangers).
Can you share with us your diving experience thus far? If you have little or no beach/cold water diving, I suspect most of my fellow SoCal divers will also warn you away from this.
As Mike stated above, your best bet is a boat dive or day out at Catalina. It's unfortunate that your schedule does not permit this.
Can you share with us your diving experience thus far? If you have little or no beach/cold water diving, I suspect most of my fellow SoCal divers will also warn you away from this.
As Mike stated above, your best bet is a boat dive or day out at Catalina. It's unfortunate that your schedule does not permit this.
Just got certified a few weeks ago, have about 10 dives under our belts -- all in Bonaire (i.e. easy, warm diving).
That is good info, I didn't consider the level of difficulty. Any easy lake dives?
yeah that kelp sound scary, and so does the high surf (I'm not the greatest swimmer)
That is good info, I didn't consider the level of difficulty. Any easy lake dives?
yeah that kelp sound scary, and so does the high surf (I'm not the greatest swimmer)
Leejnd
Contributor
Okay, well, given what you just disclosed, I will change my position to: do not even consider doing this dive. 
We do not have any easy lake dives around here that I know of.
SoCal diving is about as far away from warm-water Bonaire diving as you can get. The cold water in and of itself makes it a completely different type of diving. What were you planning on using for exposure protection? Around here we dive in full 7mm wetsuits with hoods and gloves (or dry suits). If you haven't experienced diving in that kind of suit, you might find it bulky and restrictive. And of course there is the level of difficulty. you are wise to reconsider.
On the other hand, SoCal offers some of the most spectacular diving in the world. Since you don't have the option of going out on a boat, one option you might consider is hiring an instructor or DM for the half-day. He/she could advise you as to what gear/exposure suits to rent, and get you out for a shallow beach dive, if conditions that day permit. The problem, of course, is we never know when conditions will permit! If it's a high-surf day, even the most experienced divers won't be doing any beach dives that day.
We do not have any easy lake dives around here that I know of.
SoCal diving is about as far away from warm-water Bonaire diving as you can get. The cold water in and of itself makes it a completely different type of diving. What were you planning on using for exposure protection? Around here we dive in full 7mm wetsuits with hoods and gloves (or dry suits). If you haven't experienced diving in that kind of suit, you might find it bulky and restrictive. And of course there is the level of difficulty. you are wise to reconsider.
On the other hand, SoCal offers some of the most spectacular diving in the world. Since you don't have the option of going out on a boat, one option you might consider is hiring an instructor or DM for the half-day. He/she could advise you as to what gear/exposure suits to rent, and get you out for a shallow beach dive, if conditions that day permit. The problem, of course, is we never know when conditions will permit! If it's a high-surf day, even the most experienced divers won't be doing any beach dives that day.
Leejnd
Contributor
Since you're going to be staying in Hollywood, I'm going to recommend Hollywood Divers. They could hook you up with a good instructor who could give you a primer on beach diving in SoCal before they take you out.
They could hook you up with a good instructor who could give you a primer on beach diving in SoCal before they take you out.
If you only have half a day and would like a DM to dive with you, i'd call a local shop like Hollywood Divers. On the other hand, enjoy yourself, take the whole day and go to Catalina and hire a DM there or better yet, ask around here on SB for someone who would be happy to dive with you at the Casino dive park.
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