Casino point???

[tombach]

Casino Point,Catalina
Diving casino point saturday (3/4/06) I'm renting my gear from scubaluv! My son and I just got certified in December, we are newbees. First dive I want to check out the sunken glass bottom boat (65') from there on will probably stay pretty shallow (20'-35')! Any input from you divers would be great.Scubaluv what do you think about them?Casino point what is *****en to explore there?Vis after this storm?
Let me know!

Thanks
Tom

 

[wetrat]

Hi Tom,

Welcome to the So Cal Board. Jim (mccabejc) put together the Great Catalina Island Sticky Thread here in this forum, just for guys like you. Also, here's a good article from California Diving News with some tips on diving at Casino Point. Have fun and post a report!

 

[drbill]

Conditions at the Park were great today despite the heavy rain. I think it is because we've gone a long time without significant rain and the ground soaked it up, reducing any runoff.

I may be a bit biased, but I think Scuba Luv is a great choice. I don't work for them but I do cooperative things with them frequently. Good people. Of course you will get a fair shake at either shop.

The glassbottom boat is the old Pisces which ended up on the breakwater in a storm during the 70's. It was owned by a friend of mine and we used to party on it and explore the coast way back when. The aluminium hull has been damaged quite a bit because one of the dive park boundary buoy chains rubbed against it for over a year, tearing some of the hull away. There are several other wrecks there.

Not sure what the *****en to explore there means in your post... censored?

 

[Jake]

I would pick up one of the inexpensive dive card maps of the park. That'll show you a few cool things to see. Although it's not much, I was touched by the plaque to Jaques Cousteau when I went there the first time. Careful of the rocks getting in!

 

[Archangel]

Tom, this is just a thought. . . .

If you could postpone your trip just one week. You will run into the kindest, warmest, most giving group of divers there. Saturday the 11th is the monthly scheduled Wrinkles dive. There are a plethora of HUGE EXPERIENCE seasoned divers (Im not one of them) who would be glad to have yourself and son tag along.

Just tap the thread:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=129725

Hope to see you there.

 

[drbill]

Careful of the rocks getting in!

Mainly a problem at low tide (like last weekend). Things should be fine this weekend as mid-day is the time of highest tides and lows are early AM and evening.

When the tide is very low, I almost always go around the large rock at the far right of the stairs (viewing from the water). There is a little channel behind it that allows me to get in safely with my camera housing. You do have to step across to the lowest stair step.

 

[Scuba Jerm]

Tom,

I just dove the park for the first time with my wife 2 weeks ago. The visibility was around 40 feet which is good enough. The kelp is amazing, the park is an awesome place to dive. For my full report check out this thread http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=130961. Have a great time, I'm certain you will love the diving.

 

[tombach]

Thanks for all the feedback!Nemesis Enforcer thank you for your offer but I'm pretty stuck on this weekend, maybe I'll catch with you in May at La Jolla Shores!
How can I find a compas heading from the steps to the (sunken) glass bottom boat?
Let me know.

Thanks
Tom

 

[drbill]

I don't use a compass heading to get there, but there is an easy way. You just head out towards the large mooring buoy that marks the boundary of the park and drop down. The chain used to rest right on the hull of the Pisces although it has moved a bit since.

 

[tombach]

Thank you Dr Bill!!!!!

Tom