Boat Diving

[mccabejc]

Since shore diving blows, I'm starting to consider doing some boat dives to the front side of Catalina. Maybe even this weekend. I've only been on one, during my OW certification, so I have some questions:

Since the Great Escape seems to be usually booked with Sport Chalet, I assume that if I go solo I'll be buddied with a student. 'Zat so?

The sites on the front side of Catalina are generally pretty easy, right? I'm not into any deep dives right now. Do you know beforehand what type of site (ie, skill level) they're going to?

Anyone know if they accept last minute reservations? I suppose I could call and ask them, but that's too easy.

 

[Frank O]

Hey Jim,

Looks like, as far as the Great Escape is concerned, their schedule shows a Reef Seekers trip to backside/Farnsworth Bank on Saturday, and a Sport Chalet charter to Catalina (almost certainly frontside) Sunday.

I think it would be very unusual for you to be buddied with a student who is doing class dives. Usually if you request a buddy, the boat tries to pair you up with any other single diver, or splice you as a third diver with a pair of buddies. Of course, caveat emptor. Some of my friends' stories of their worst diving experiences begin with "I showed up by myself on the boat, and got buddied with this person ..."

There are some places on frontside Catalina that are not easy, but the Great Escape wouldn't be going there on a general charter. If there are classes onboard you're just about guaranteed of having a shallow dive nearby.

If you want to try for Sunday, just call Sport Chalet's 800 number today and check it out.

 

[ShakaZulu]

I need to do some boat dives too, just to clean out the sand in my regs.........

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

Jim, I think you should go WITH a class since you don't like to dive deeper than 60 feet. I would also suggest you get a buddy of yours to go with you on the boat. It's a lot more fun if you have a friend with you. You'd hate to get on a boat with "Advanced" divers that's doing deeper dives, ALONE...

 

[California Diver]

i heard the doria is good this time of year....

 

[scottfiji]

Jim , you should try to get on a boat with a class. That way you know they will stay in shallow sites. They won't pair you with a student, but if I were you, I'd try to get someone to go with you, maybe talk Christian into it?

Another option is to sign up with a dive shop, such as reefseekers, ocean adventures, hollywood divers, etc. They will tell you in advance if the sites are shallow enough for you, and they might even be able to hook you up with a buddy ahead of time.

Except for a place like farnsworth, (which is a pinnacle in the middle of the ocean), I find it hard to believe that any dive site at catalina or anacapa (out of ventura) would have NO diving under 60ft, but I could be wrong, I've never done a boat at catalina. My six dives at anacapa were all under 60ft, unless you went out of your way to swim past 60ft.

Scott

 

[Mo2vation]

I need to do some boat dives too, just to clean out the sand in my regs.........

That's what I'm talking about....

Nice.

---
Ken

 

[Frank O]

Another option is to sign up with a dive shop, such as reefseekers, ocean adventures, hollywood divers, etc. They will tell you in advance if the sites are shallow enough for you, and they might even be able to hook you up with a buddy ahead of time.

If Jim wants to ease into boat diving, Reef Seekers could be a good way to go, as they go out of their way to watch out for divers. I wouldn't place any bets on tomorrow, though -- I'd be surprised if they get to Farnsworth, and the Navy wave model is predicting a pretty wild afternoon even in the channel. (But you know what some people say -- models, schmodels -- and the unexpected has been known to happen.)

Except for a place like farnsworth, (which is a pinnacle in the middle of the ocean), I find it hard to believe that any dive site at catalina or anacapa (out of ventura) would have NO diving under 60ft, but I could be wrong, I've never done a boat at catalina.

On the trips I've been on (~30 locals in past three years), the plan often has been to do the first dive of the day on an offshore reef with depth around 60-70 ft, then move to shallower sites for the later dives. Sometimes these reefs are out in the middle of the water and you can't really swim to anything shallower. If there are OW classes onboard, on some boats I've been on the instructor has chosen to skip the first dive and work through academics or let the students sleep in. But usually the boat will choose a "shallow-and-deep" site (like Ship Rock -- take your pick from 20 ft to 80-100 ft to tech depths). They try to find something that works for everybody.

 

[Frank O]

Reef Seekers could be a good way to go, as they go out of their way to watch out for divers. I wouldn't place any bets on tomorrow, though -- I'd be surprised if they get to Farnsworth, and the Navy wave model is predicting a pretty wild afternoon even in the channel.

In fact I just heard they cancelled. Looks like a good weekend for working on tanks and Photoshop ... not to mention jr. diver's science fair project ...

 

[EricJ]

I dove The Great Escape on Feb. 13th. Of the approx. 30 divers, only three or four of us were not in an OW class. Deepest dive was about 60'. I dove solo, and none of the Sport Chalet DM's seemed to mind. They did offer to buddy people up though, and I know they wouldn't buddy someone up with a student.

I prefer diving with a buddy but will dive solo if the conditions are right and I just don't find the right buddy.

Most of the boat dives I've done in Catalina have been fairly shallow.