Boat reviews

[headhunter]

I went out on the Island Time a few months ago.

The captain and crew were nice enough and the boat is fast.

We did a quick couple of dives in beginner conditions. As was mentioned by Kayak Diver, there are no creature comforts. It's well known as the Sport Chalet cattle boat.

It's docked right next to the Sun Diver, which I actually dove on 3 days prior to diving the Island Time. I found the Sun diver to be a slower boat, but much nicer.

I found the crew on the Sun Diver to be more helpful in that they were there make sure you have a great time. The crew on the Island Diver was there to "manage" people and keep things running quickly and efficiently. Nothing wrong with that and they didn't do anything to make me dislike them. It's just a different type of operation.

Keep in mind, I don't intend this to be taken as a black mark against the Island Time. If I wanted to take a quick jaunt out to Catalina and back and needed to do other things that afternoon, I would certainly go out again with them. They were quick and efficient and sometimes that fills the need for what we want.

Christian

 

[jenazah]

I went with them couple months ago. It's an OK boat, nothing special. It's fast and I think it's the only half day boat from LA to Catalina. Did 2 dives in the same spot. I don't know if it's always like that or not. If you just wanna do a quick 2 dives, it's perfect. My favorite boot is still the Great Escape. Best Food !!!!

 

[BrianS]

We actually went to two different spots when I went.

 

[Frank O]

Just to echo what's already been said ... I prefer to go on the Sundiver for three-tanker all-day trips to Catalina. It and other boats of its general size (Great Escape, etc) usually make on the order of 10-12 knots and do the crossing in a little over a couple of hours each way. The Island Time, on the other hand, makes upwards of 20 knots and hops over much more quickly. In the summer they'll do a morning two-tanker, and then turn around to do it again in the afternoon. Many are Sport Chalet charters (often with classes), whereas others are open boats or occasionally charters of other shops. As noted, it's a pretty no-frills operation. I take the Island Time once or twice a year when I want to hop over for some quick diving, but don't have a full day free. When I have the time, though, I like the atmosphere of other boats.

 

[Kayak Diver]

Kinda hard to Kayak from Los Alamitos bay to Catalina though

You could, but not sure that I would want to. You could take the express over and then rent a yak, but then you'd be paying about as much as you would for a trip on a dive boat. But there's places you can go that dive boat may not, like Little Farnsworth.

One of my kayak diver buddies recently went to Catalina with a dive club. It was a camping thing...people were shore diving and then paying a ton extra to get on the local dive boat. But the group had kayaks, so of coarse my friend went diving and had a great time. Claimed he had better dives than the boat people.