Catalina After Labor Day: Dive Guide or Buddy for a Florida diver?

[Sam Miller III]

Guy
Entirely too short a visit....but that is the way with all visits ...never enough time!

While in Irvine may I suggest that you and your hoist trot over to Laguna Beach it is a beautiful beach and a lovely drive.through the canyon. Laguna is so rich in diving history ; so many first occurred at Laguna... Almost too many to list

Unfortunately I retired 240 miles north of my beloved Laguna beach and can only provide advise via e mail.

Good Luck and good California diving

SAM

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

CDS bought SCUBA Luv so they are now one shop.

Visibility in the dive park has not been good recently and due to the warm water, the kelp is dying (although still fairly abundant). I was up the coast at Howland's Landing on the West End yesterday and conditions were much better there. Hopefully you'll get a chance to do a boat dive while you're here and experience several other Catalina dive sites.

Hi Dr. Bill

Just heard from CDS that they are not going to run any boat trips while I am here. Same for Ron Moore's. So, am out of luck on that. Is there a way to drive up to Howland's Landing and shore dive from there?

 

[shucksun]

Since you will be in Irvine: if anything derails your Channel Island plans you can always beach dive in Laguna Beach. Check Southcoast Divers (webpage) and Pacific Wilderness (FB) for "meet us in the parking lot" hook ups. You can rent equipment in Laguna at Beach Cities Dive Shop (ask for "Chop").

 

[Sam Miller III]

GUY,
I would strongly suggest on your NEXT visit to California that you visit, dive and photograph La Jolla cove
This is ground zero for the genesis of recreational diving in the US and a large portion of the world

La Jolla Cove-- Where it all began

There are a number of vintage books devoted to spear fishing, the most desireable and rarest is of course Gilpatrics "Complete Goggler," published in 1938.

Equally rare, perhaps even rarer are vintage magazine articles. The 1949 National Geographic magazine artcle "Goggle fishing in California Waters," Vol ZCV #5,May 1949, is considered by most serious magliophile/bibliophile as the fountainhead of magazine articles devoted to spear fishing. And it all took place in LA Jolla Cove

Universally known as the "Bottom Scratcher issue," Pages 615 to 632 is jammed packed with with the photograpy of Lamar Boren, who later gained fame as the photgraher of the Sea Hunt series, there are 7 B&W photographs, 12 "natural color" photographs (in 1949 color photography was in it's infancy) and with a text written by professional National Geographic staff member. This issue should be on every collector/historian bucket list.

There is a historical significance of articles and books of this era that provide a glimpse in to a the genesis of the sport and should be cherished as great historical documents...The crude early Churchill fins; the homemade equipment; the masks, the jab sticks (pole spears) the lack of thermal protection...All these items were in the process of future development.

So by visiting and hopefully diving La Jolla Cove you are diving "where it all began" in California by the Bottom Scratchers spear fishing club - One of the most historical diving locations in the world.

LA Jolla Cove was also the location of the famous GWS attack during the summer of 1959 when skin diver Robert Pammerdin lost his life-

Only a few remain who were participants of that bygone era and they are rapidly dwindling in numbers, soon they all will be gone... The last member of the Bottom Scratchers Jim Stewart passed away just a year ago- they are no more

Enjoy California , don't be alarmed at paying $4.00 for a gallon of gas

Sam Miller, III
@Ducky diver FYI

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Two days of diving completed and one to go. Really amazing and beautiful. I have seen everything on my list. Garavaldi everywhere at Anacapa. 3 mins playing with a sea lion pup at Anacapa. Huge kelp and giant sea bass at Catalina dive park today. Big sheepshead here as well. Tomorrow rounding it out with a macro hunt. I will be back!!

 

[shucksun]

I'll be diving with South FL Dive HQ on Friday Nov. 9th if your in the area and want to hook up. Glad your Socal dive trip went well!

 

[drbill]

Hi Dr. Bill

Just heard from CDS that they are not going to run any boat trips while I am here. Same for Ron Moore's. So, am out of luck on that. Is there a way to drive up to Howland's Landing and shore dive from there?

Sorry I missed this earlier. Driving cars in the island's interior is limited to those with interior passes. I don't even have one any more. Since the majority of the coves are leased to various camp operations, they are not open for public access and a boat is required.