This trip report to Catalina Island is geared towards divers, such as myself, who do not know the region well. This was my first experience diving in California and in the Pacific Ocean.
Travel
I flew into Long Beach Airport which is nice due its small size and proximity to the Catalina Express. A 15 minute Uber from LGB to the ferry, including tip, was $27. In actuality, I took an Uber to Mosher’s Gourmet Roast Beef a restaurant about a half mile from the ferry since I landed at 9:30AM and my ferry wasn’t until 2:00PM. This gave me a chance to have a bite to eat and relax while I waited a few hours.
The ferry ride is about 75 minutes and pleasant. Right after the breaker, I saw several dolphins and what I think was a Dall’s Porpoise. It basically looked like a small orca. Pretty cool way to start the trip.
My return trip was also rather uneventful. I was on the 10:15AM ferry out of Catalina to catch a 1:10 PM flight. I was a bit nervous as to whether or not this would cut things too close for my flight, but I arrived at LGB by 12:00 and while my flight was delayed, I’m confident that I would have gotten my bags checked in prior to the 60 minute cut off had it been on time.
Avalon is a cool little island town that reminded me a bit of Estes Park, Colorado without the saltwater taffy being made in the window. Shops and restaurants concentrated on a few downtown streets. A mix of couples and families who are either day tripping or on a short getaway. There’s an abundance of golf carts on the island which is fun, due to the 30 year waiting list to get a permit to have a car. Very walkable downtown and I did do some exploring one afternoon away from town and uphill to the southwest. Catalina is a very hilly island and for the most part Avalon goes steeply uphill within a couple of blocks downtown in most places. Keep this in mind as you book accommodations. A VRBO and a golf cart rental would make for a nice way to go about things.
Hotel
I stayed at the Catalina Island Inn. This was fine for me as a solo traveler, but I doubt I’d stay again unless I am solo again. Even then I would consider other options. The location is excellent and a 10 minute walk to the Dive Park. I could walk anywhere downtown in less than 10 minutes, as well. The room (and hallways) were musty, I think due to the carpet. I kept the window open in my room a lot to allow for fresh air. The shower was good and the maid service average. YMMV depending on what is important to you. Again, as a solo traveler I was OK with most things, other than the nasty carpet. My room was quite small with a bunk bed with no where to really sit and relax other than on the bottom bunk.
Diving
I have never been diving in the Pacific Ocean and never in cold salt water. My only cold water experience had been in a couple of reservoirs in Colorado. I have wanted to go to Catalina for several years, but did not want to dive in a wetsuit. Plenty of people do and are fine, but 58/60 degree water would keep me from diving much after just a few dives. Plus, I have wanted to learn to dive a dry suit for a while, as well.
I certainly wanted to try drysuit diving before dropping the big bucks to buy one, so I looked for a place that rents dry suits. The dry suits Catalina Divers Supply rent are Scuba Pro neoprene drysuits. I wore ski socks and other ski/ice climbing base layers as undergarments and had plenty of warmth. The course is one day of some classroom work, a “confined dive” in the park, and then two OW dives. Chelsea, my instructor, was excellent. She was patient and really good at anticipating what I would need to do to transition from wet to dry diving. What I really like is that after the confined dive, she understood that the best thing for me was to do a normal dive so I could just work on getting comfortable and hone skills. We did the required skills along the way during the two OW dives and I really enjoyed myself.
After figuring out what to anticipate when wearing a dry suit and what adjustments to my body positioning I needed to make, my comfort level greatly increased. I loved diving dry and being able to be in cold water. Other divers in wetsuits were really cold between dives and I felt warmer during the SI than I often do after days of repetitive diving in Cozumel water.
I did three guided dives in the park the next day and then two on my last. I really wanted to include a boat dive to see something different, but it was still low season and there just weren’t enough divers. I wouldn’t mind seeing CDS be a bit more proactive in getting a boat dive together during the off season.
The diving is a lot of fun in the Dive park and there is plenty to look at. The wildlife is very different compared to what I am used to in the Carribbean and Florida. Highlights were juvenile and adult garibaldi, goliath black sea bass, a variety of eels, and some very large crabs. I saw a fairly large California sheep head fish. That was cool. The two nudibranch varieties I saw are leopardjorunna and macfardlands. There were shark eggs and a variety of jelly fish to see, too. The famous kelp is really something. It’s big, it’s abundant, and it will grab your fins occasionally. I enjoyed portions of dives where we just meandered through the kelp forest. I couldn’t get enough.
I very much enjoyed diving with Catalina Divers Supply. They helped me with multiple aspects of the booking when I planned the trip and the shop was a fun spot to hang around during SIs. I found all the employees there friendly and knowledgeable. They were accommodating and helped make my stay a fun one.
Food
Be prepared for some sticker shock while in Avalon. For breakfast and lunch I shopped at Vons Market and made coffee with the Keurig in my hotel room. I did 3 dives/day for the first two days, so it was good to have lunch/snacks with me at the dive park anyway. For dinner I ate out. At Antonio’s Pizza I had pasta, salad, and bottled water (they will not serve you tap) for about $30-$35. Food was OK/average and I ended up eating my leftovers for dinner the next night. I had a slice at their takeout window one night and the slice was OK, not great.
One night I had a pretty good burger, beer, and onion rings at Coney Island West. About $25-$30 again. Quick service and not way over priced. I’d eat there again for sure.
Last, I ate at El Galleon and had a decent fish sandwich, beer, and salad. About $35. Their selection of beer on tap is good and I enjoyed myself sitting at the bar with a couple of games on the TVs and my magazine. The bartender overserved the young woman down the bar from me. Some kind locals came to her aid, trying to figure out how to help, which she clearly needed.
I wanted to go to the Naughty Fox, but they were closed for dinner. Plenty of places still on winter hours in May.
Overall, I enjoyed myself immensely and I plan to return to Catalina Island and to SoCal diving in general. The diving is a lot of fun and I enjoyed the vibe of the island and the people at the shop.
Travel
I flew into Long Beach Airport which is nice due its small size and proximity to the Catalina Express. A 15 minute Uber from LGB to the ferry, including tip, was $27. In actuality, I took an Uber to Mosher’s Gourmet Roast Beef a restaurant about a half mile from the ferry since I landed at 9:30AM and my ferry wasn’t until 2:00PM. This gave me a chance to have a bite to eat and relax while I waited a few hours.
The ferry ride is about 75 minutes and pleasant. Right after the breaker, I saw several dolphins and what I think was a Dall’s Porpoise. It basically looked like a small orca. Pretty cool way to start the trip.
My return trip was also rather uneventful. I was on the 10:15AM ferry out of Catalina to catch a 1:10 PM flight. I was a bit nervous as to whether or not this would cut things too close for my flight, but I arrived at LGB by 12:00 and while my flight was delayed, I’m confident that I would have gotten my bags checked in prior to the 60 minute cut off had it been on time.
Avalon is a cool little island town that reminded me a bit of Estes Park, Colorado without the saltwater taffy being made in the window. Shops and restaurants concentrated on a few downtown streets. A mix of couples and families who are either day tripping or on a short getaway. There’s an abundance of golf carts on the island which is fun, due to the 30 year waiting list to get a permit to have a car. Very walkable downtown and I did do some exploring one afternoon away from town and uphill to the southwest. Catalina is a very hilly island and for the most part Avalon goes steeply uphill within a couple of blocks downtown in most places. Keep this in mind as you book accommodations. A VRBO and a golf cart rental would make for a nice way to go about things.
Hotel
I stayed at the Catalina Island Inn. This was fine for me as a solo traveler, but I doubt I’d stay again unless I am solo again. Even then I would consider other options. The location is excellent and a 10 minute walk to the Dive Park. I could walk anywhere downtown in less than 10 minutes, as well. The room (and hallways) were musty, I think due to the carpet. I kept the window open in my room a lot to allow for fresh air. The shower was good and the maid service average. YMMV depending on what is important to you. Again, as a solo traveler I was OK with most things, other than the nasty carpet. My room was quite small with a bunk bed with no where to really sit and relax other than on the bottom bunk.
Diving
I have never been diving in the Pacific Ocean and never in cold salt water. My only cold water experience had been in a couple of reservoirs in Colorado. I have wanted to go to Catalina for several years, but did not want to dive in a wetsuit. Plenty of people do and are fine, but 58/60 degree water would keep me from diving much after just a few dives. Plus, I have wanted to learn to dive a dry suit for a while, as well.
I certainly wanted to try drysuit diving before dropping the big bucks to buy one, so I looked for a place that rents dry suits. The dry suits Catalina Divers Supply rent are Scuba Pro neoprene drysuits. I wore ski socks and other ski/ice climbing base layers as undergarments and had plenty of warmth. The course is one day of some classroom work, a “confined dive” in the park, and then two OW dives. Chelsea, my instructor, was excellent. She was patient and really good at anticipating what I would need to do to transition from wet to dry diving. What I really like is that after the confined dive, she understood that the best thing for me was to do a normal dive so I could just work on getting comfortable and hone skills. We did the required skills along the way during the two OW dives and I really enjoyed myself.
After figuring out what to anticipate when wearing a dry suit and what adjustments to my body positioning I needed to make, my comfort level greatly increased. I loved diving dry and being able to be in cold water. Other divers in wetsuits were really cold between dives and I felt warmer during the SI than I often do after days of repetitive diving in Cozumel water.
I did three guided dives in the park the next day and then two on my last. I really wanted to include a boat dive to see something different, but it was still low season and there just weren’t enough divers. I wouldn’t mind seeing CDS be a bit more proactive in getting a boat dive together during the off season.
The diving is a lot of fun in the Dive park and there is plenty to look at. The wildlife is very different compared to what I am used to in the Carribbean and Florida. Highlights were juvenile and adult garibaldi, goliath black sea bass, a variety of eels, and some very large crabs. I saw a fairly large California sheep head fish. That was cool. The two nudibranch varieties I saw are leopardjorunna and macfardlands. There were shark eggs and a variety of jelly fish to see, too. The famous kelp is really something. It’s big, it’s abundant, and it will grab your fins occasionally. I enjoyed portions of dives where we just meandered through the kelp forest. I couldn’t get enough.
I very much enjoyed diving with Catalina Divers Supply. They helped me with multiple aspects of the booking when I planned the trip and the shop was a fun spot to hang around during SIs. I found all the employees there friendly and knowledgeable. They were accommodating and helped make my stay a fun one.
Food
Be prepared for some sticker shock while in Avalon. For breakfast and lunch I shopped at Vons Market and made coffee with the Keurig in my hotel room. I did 3 dives/day for the first two days, so it was good to have lunch/snacks with me at the dive park anyway. For dinner I ate out. At Antonio’s Pizza I had pasta, salad, and bottled water (they will not serve you tap) for about $30-$35. Food was OK/average and I ended up eating my leftovers for dinner the next night. I had a slice at their takeout window one night and the slice was OK, not great.
One night I had a pretty good burger, beer, and onion rings at Coney Island West. About $25-$30 again. Quick service and not way over priced. I’d eat there again for sure.
Last, I ate at El Galleon and had a decent fish sandwich, beer, and salad. About $35. Their selection of beer on tap is good and I enjoyed myself sitting at the bar with a couple of games on the TVs and my magazine. The bartender overserved the young woman down the bar from me. Some kind locals came to her aid, trying to figure out how to help, which she clearly needed.
I wanted to go to the Naughty Fox, but they were closed for dinner. Plenty of places still on winter hours in May.
Overall, I enjoyed myself immensely and I plan to return to Catalina Island and to SoCal diving in general. The diving is a lot of fun and I enjoyed the vibe of the island and the people at the shop.
