Catalina Island Info

[Trailboss123]

I'm heading to Avalon in mid-September. Never been to Catalina before. What are the conditions like at that time of year? Water temp, visibility, etc.? I'm wondering which wetsuit I should bring. Is mid-September still peak diving season, or will the crowds have thinned out by then? I'll be there for a few days, so I'm hoping to do the dive park and boat dives. Which is better? I'll be bringing all my own gear, except tanks and weights. I welcome any tips/advice on how to make diving in Catalina easy and enjoyable. Thanks!

September and October are probably the 2 best months for diving. Water temp should be 70-72 degrees, so base your exposure protection accordingly. If I were you, I would do a combination of shore diving at Casino Point and some boat diving. Both are great.
You can check with http://www.catalinadiverssupply.com/ for info on boat diving.

 

[Dan]

I'll be back to Channel Islands again in this year Labor Day weekend. Here is last year: Anacapa Diving, Sep 8-9, 2017, Trip Report

 

[SlickDiver]

Catalina Divers Supply tells me they need at least 4 or 6 people for a boat to go out (4 for guided, 6 for non-guided). I'll be traveling alone in the middle of the week (September 11 to 13). What are my chances that there will be at least 3 other divers? Is mid-September still the busy season?

 

[drbill]

Things will have settled down a bit by then but weekends can still be busy here

 

[SlickDiver]

Things will have settled down a bit by then but weekends can still be busy here

So, would you say the chances of there being at least 3 other scratch divers to fill a charter are good or not good?

 

[Ojai Diver]

I wanted to solo dive the Valiant in April. When I seek permission to do so, will the harbor master inquire as to whether I have a buddy? Do they care?

Thanks.

 

[marginwalker]

My partner and I are headed to Catalina Island in a few weeks to shore dive at Casino Point Dive Park. This will be our first time visiting the island, and our first time hauling our gear onto a ferry and then dragging it for a mile or so to a dive site. This will be a one-day trip, and we're booked on the 6am ferry out of Long Beach and heading back on the 3:55pm. I have read various threads about making use of taxis or luggage service to get gear from the terminal to the park. And I have given Catalina Express luggage requirements (and exceptions for scuba) a good read. I'm hoping some of you may offer some insights that might help us get the most out of this trip.

Any advice/tips/tricks for making this trip for the uninitiated?

 

[Ulfhedinn]

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Weekends are busy. Weekdays not so much. Get a spot at the casino early on the weekend or you will not be as close to the stairs as you might like. The map at the stairs is.. wrong at least with depths. Don't bring your own tanks if you can. Tip the air monkeys and get inline as soon as you can. The water has been wonderfully clear as of late. Low tide at the steps is.... fun. Stay to your right... going in.. and coming out. Catalina Scuba is a great if you want to do some guided diving at the park. WELCOME TO CATALINA SCUBA | DIVE WITH THE BEST | DIVE | DIVING | SCUBA | PADI |

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[marginwalker]

Weekends are busy. Weekdays not so much. Get a spot at the casino early on the weekend or you will not be as close to the stairs as you might like. The map at the stairs is.. wrong at least with depths. Don't bring your own tanks if you can. Tip the air monkeys and get inline as soon as you can. The water has been wonderfully clear as of late. Low tide at the steps is.... fun. Stay to your right... going in.. and coming out. Catalina Scuba is a great if you want to do some guided diving at the park. WELCOME TO CATALINA SCUBA | DIVE WITH THE BEST | DIVE | DIVING | SCUBA | PADI |

Bei Facebook anmelden

Melde dich bei Facebook an, um dich mit deinen Freunden, deiner Familie und Personen, die du kennst, zu verbinden und Inhalte zu teilen.

www.facebook.com

Oh and have fun.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the photo of the menu at the filling station. Is that photo fairly recent? Nice to see they have HP steels on offer. Your suggestion to not bring our own tanks, is that due to the hassles of transport or the ease of exchanging rentals vs waiting for a refill or both? The map/depths inaccuracy, would you say it's actually deeper than depicted or shallower or both depending on where you look?
For our first time we'll probably want to swim out and descend and try to find the Jacques Cousteau Memorial. Is that a reasonable goal for a first time there on unguided dive?