NWGratefulDiver:
Cheng and I are considering a trip to the Channel Islands for early/mid June. Having never been there, I'm wondering if I could get some advice from you "regulars" about how to get the most "experience" from a 4 or 5 day dive trip. We're thinking we might opt for one of the live-aboards.
So let's start with ...
- Which dive operations should we look at, and which ones should we avoid?
- Northern Channel Islands or Catalina?
- Anybody care to join us?
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
OhBoyOhBoyOhBoy!!! The fun you will have!!!
Strictly my opinion based on my personal experiences:
My favorites:
Live-aboards: I've had a great times on the
Great Escape (Long Beach) and The
Peace (Ventura.) The bunk rooms are nicely separated from the galleys, and you can get some great sleep. Good compressors, deck is easy to work from day after day. Food is excellent. Sundecks.
The others:
The
Pacific Star (Redondo Beach) has a great bunkroom, excellent galley, camera table, sundeck.... and had slow compressors the last time I was on it in 2006. Sweet boat. I hope the compressors have improved.
The
Explorer (Ventura, so Anacapa/Santa Cruz etc) has a
very cramped bunkroom, and an excellent captain and wonderful DM. (Don) Tough for a live-aboard.
The
BottomScratcher (Long Beach, so Catalina) has a cramped deck space, and the bunkroom is practically IN the galley. Six bunks in the stern are better, but cramped. Really good captain. I've done only day trips. I would struggle committing to a live-aboard.
:-(
The
SandDollar (San Pedro) is the same cramped layout as the BottomScratcher... and I would not choose it for a liveaboard. I haven't dived off this boat, but wasn't impressed with it the one time I was on it for a few hours. Perhaps someone else can contribute actual experiences.
Day Trippin'
The
Spectre and the
Peace visit Anacapa and Santa Cruz a couple of times a week, for 4-dive days.
Both run GREAT day-trips. It's only a 1'15" trip, so you can get 4 full dives if the conditions allow it. (Catalina Day trips are 3 dives, since it takes 2.5 hours each way.) You are welcome to sleep on these boats the night before.
I think the
Peace does Thursday trips that are mostly experienced divers and can go to more challenging and interesting spots. The weekend day-boats often have OW students.
The
Sundiver (Long Beach) is the cleanest boat I've experienced in the SoCal fleet, has highly skilled and engaged captains, and finds excellent dive spots. Bunks are all doubles. I haven't done a liveaboard on the Sundiver.
A day at the
Casino Point dive park is always fun for kelp and fish in the "Preserve". The compressor at the site fills Friday: 12-4, Sat/Sun: 8-4. Full info on the SoCal sticky about Catalina.
You can combine it with a day or two of boat diving out of Avalon. ScubaLuv and Catalina Divers Supply run day boats on weekends. Call them for info.
Beach Divin'
If you have days between boats, post 'em up and let the locals tour you around. From
Ventura, to
Malibu, through
Redondo Canyon and around the
Palos Verdes Peninsula, down through OCal and
Laguna, wrapping up in
La Jolla and San Diego... Knowledgeable locals are everywhere.
And many of us have tanks you can use for the duration of your trip.
Friends don't let friends dive Al80s.
Just say when!
Water temps will still be in the mid fifties, but that's tropical on your PNW scale
.
See you in June!
Claudette
P.S.
San Clemente and
Santa Barbara Islands are great diving, but each is a 5 hour boat trip. Best done as part of a live-aboard. GREAT diving. Just VERY LONG days if doing it as a one-day dive trip.
