calicant
Contributor
Matteus, thank you for the encouraging report.
Dr Bill, thank you for the list - will be contacting them shortly.
Dr Bill, thank you for the list - will be contacting them shortly.
Catalina Island Info
- Thread starter Teamcasa
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Tessunderwater
Contributor
Hey everyone! I'm planning on going to the scuba show in Long Beach in June and I'm planning on doing a day of diving at casino point. I'll probably take the ferry to the island. What's better a dive off the steps with a local diver or one of the dive packages with the local dive shop? Also, where is the best place for parking to take the ferry?
dwaters
Contributor
Just say when and the week of the show there is always someone from SB willing to "swim at the park" with visiters!!!! Just be honest about your comfort level and skills.... Casino Point is a great place to experience So.Cal. underwater world.
Dive on in and enjoy.
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Just say when and the week of the show there is always someone from SB willing to "swim at the park" with visiters!!!!
Sounds like the makings of another annual "DWADD" (Ditch Work and Dive Day) - always a blast! Pick a day and start new thread in the SoCal Forum and you'll be amazed how many SBers join you for the day! Don't forget to share pics
.Here's 2009 & 2010 thread with photos
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/socal/333339-annual-catalina-dwadd-may-2010-thur-5-13-a.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/socal/282295-dwadd-casino-dive-park.html
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Hey people,
Im flying into LAX on 19th April. I want to go and do a dive or two in a kelp forest and have been told Catalina may be my best choice.
Reading through most of the info here it seems i may be best off getting a dive boat from LA? I am travelling with all my gear, ie a daypack, a rucksack and a dive bag and it seems it may be a bit much to get to Catalina, store and dive and then get back to mainland (or expensive to stay on the island).
As such, of the diveboats listed on the first page leaving from the mainland, any advice on which would be best, factoring in i need to find somewhere cheap (and safe) to stay in LA and get to the dive shop.
I will prob rent thick wet suit and regs but have everything else my own. I am an OWSI with 2k+ dives but only 40 dives in cold water (english channel) about 3 years ago.
Thanks for any help
Im flying into LAX on 19th April. I want to go and do a dive or two in a kelp forest and have been told Catalina may be my best choice.
Reading through most of the info here it seems i may be best off getting a dive boat from LA? I am travelling with all my gear, ie a daypack, a rucksack and a dive bag and it seems it may be a bit much to get to Catalina, store and dive and then get back to mainland (or expensive to stay on the island).
As such, of the diveboats listed on the first page leaving from the mainland, any advice on which would be best, factoring in i need to find somewhere cheap (and safe) to stay in LA and get to the dive shop.
I will prob rent thick wet suit and regs but have everything else my own. I am an OWSI with 2k+ dives but only 40 dives in cold water (english channel) about 3 years ago.
Thanks for any help
VooDooGasMan
Contributor
sometimes boat gets canceled from mainland, but you can dive other Islands near catalina.
a lot of divers go there and there is place to stay that are for divers rate. you also can rent your stuff right at the dive park and hand it in when done, and there is a charter at catalina.
Happy Diving
a lot of divers go there and there is place to stay that are for divers rate. you also can rent your stuff right at the dive park and hand it in when done, and there is a charter at catalina.
Happy Diving
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which place to stay is divers rate? i can only seem to find some very expensive ones so far!
If you are only planning a day of diving, a mainland boat is probably best. If you want to stay a few days, divers often book at the Hermosa (basic) or Seaport Village.
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Seems that $80 is about the cheapest rate on the island..
I checked the link on the first page of mainland dive boats but they only run once a week it seems!
If i stay on the mainland where is a nice cheap, safe place for a tourist to bed down before trying to get to a mainland dive boat?
I checked the link on the first page of mainland dive boats but they only run once a week it seems!
If i stay on the mainland where is a nice cheap, safe place for a tourist to bed down before trying to get to a mainland dive boat?
strobeless
Registered
Howdy. The boats are running mostly out of the LA harbor area, out of San Pedro and Long Beach, so It would be good to stay around there. They both have seedy areas and nice areas. Seedy will be cheaper. I'd feel better about locating a decent cheap motel in Long Beach, in San Pedro you really have to know your neighbor hoods and they change block by block. I don't know the motels to recommend around those areas.
Feeling a little safer, you can find some nice cheap motels in Torrance and Lomita, along the Pacific Coast Hwy (Hwy 1), Like the Driftwood in Torrance, and this is not too far from the Harbors. These areas might seem a little more comfortable and should not be too expensive.
Also the very southmost part of Redondo Beach along the Pacific Coast Hwy most of the motels, like the Budget 9 I think, are still fairly cheap I think, but this is getting farther from the harbors. You will want to avoid Hermosa and Manhattan Beach if you want cheap, and they're farther still from the harbors, but they are nice areas. The LAX area will be expensive unless you head east of the airport, which will _not_ be safe, and again even farther from the harbors.
From the Driftwood in Torrance you can head northbound on PCH towards Redondo for safe nightlife, and head southbound to the harbors for dive boats, and it will be inexpensive and safe. The motels in Lomita, just southbound of Torrance may be the same or cheaper than the Driftwood but are still safe.
Harbor city will be cheaper still and although it's safe enough it will seem like a pretty rough, seedy area, the rooms might be nasty. Skip Wilmington altogether.
Hope that helps.
Feeling a little safer, you can find some nice cheap motels in Torrance and Lomita, along the Pacific Coast Hwy (Hwy 1), Like the Driftwood in Torrance, and this is not too far from the Harbors. These areas might seem a little more comfortable and should not be too expensive.
Also the very southmost part of Redondo Beach along the Pacific Coast Hwy most of the motels, like the Budget 9 I think, are still fairly cheap I think, but this is getting farther from the harbors. You will want to avoid Hermosa and Manhattan Beach if you want cheap, and they're farther still from the harbors, but they are nice areas. The LAX area will be expensive unless you head east of the airport, which will _not_ be safe, and again even farther from the harbors.
From the Driftwood in Torrance you can head northbound on PCH towards Redondo for safe nightlife, and head southbound to the harbors for dive boats, and it will be inexpensive and safe. The motels in Lomita, just southbound of Torrance may be the same or cheaper than the Driftwood but are still safe.
Harbor city will be cheaper still and although it's safe enough it will seem like a pretty rough, seedy area, the rooms might be nasty. Skip Wilmington altogether.
Hope that helps.
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