Channel islands or Catalina?

[Stacy Fish]

I found this forum through this same question asked several years ago:
Only one drive trip...Channel Islands or Catalina?

I have my Advanced diving certification and would like to dive in California for the first time this summer.

Is there a boat anyone recommends in late July to early August? I'm looking to book a round trip to LAX from July 29 - August 4 and I would love to be diving a lot of those days.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Unless there's a special mid-week multi-day boat charter through a local dive shop, the majority of single-day/multi-day Open Boat Charters and availability are scheduled around the weekend (your particular planned dates of arrival & departure are splitting two weekend advanced trips to Catalina and San Clemente Island on 28-29July and 04-05Aug on the Pacific Star and Magician Diveboats respectively).

Here are your Diveboat trip options for week of 29 July to 04 Aug:

San Diego offshore diving:
Marissa Charters | Charter Boat | Scuba Dive San Diego
Waterhorse Charters - Charter Boat Schedule

Catalina offshore:
Catalina Scuba Diving | Catalina Divers Supply
(Note: must take seperate Catalina Express ferry from mainland Long Beach at 6AM same day to Avalon, or have night before lodging accommodations on Catalina making this option the most expensive; staying on Catalina at Avalon though, you can also have multi-day access to the Casino Point Dive Park at your convenience).

North Channel Islands (embark from mainland up north in Santa Barbara):
calendar

North Channel Islands (embark from mainland up north in Ventura):
Explorer Diving Aventures - Dive Calendar
The Spectre Dive Boat | Diving Santa Cruz Islands on Spectre Dive Boat
Scheduled Raptor Dive Trip Calendar

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Keep an eye on the boat schedule from California Diving News as well. One caveat, they only list the boats that advertise with them.

 

[Trailboss123]

Hey there- Welcome to Scubaboard! Couple of questions: I see you are from Portland-- did you get OW and AOW certified up there and if so, with any particular dive shop? I only ask because I have lived a good deal of my life in Oregon and Portland, in particular and have lots of friends and connections there.
Also, are your travel dates fixed or is there some flexibility in them and lastly, is this a dive dedicated trip or are you doing other things and want to squeeze some diving in? Great feedback already from @Kevrumbo and @MaxBottomtime

 

[mbrownsen]

Ca boats are more less a dive platform and you and your buddy are on your own in the water.
San cemente is awesome but you never know if the military will close the island. Then the boats divert. Many boat will let you crash on board the night before. The water will most likely be in the mid 60s on the surface.

 

[azstinger11]

Check Sun Diver, I think they do mid week trips more frequently then others.

 

[drbill]

Catalina IS one of the eight Channel Islands although some snobs seem to ignore most of the southern group (Clemente, Nicolas, Catalina). Scientists have seen them all as one group. When I'm diving the northern Islands I almost always dive one of the Truth Aquatics boats or the Peace.

Diving Catalina you can do a day trip and dive our park to see the giant sea bass, or get a hotel room (or campsite) and dive the local boats to see other sites around the island.

Or you could mix and match... dive both Catalina and the northern islands. They are different, especially the colder outer islands like San Miguel and Santa Rosa.

 

[SoCalRich]

The Magician & Pacific Star are good choices. Close to LAX and both provide great service.
The Vis. has been kinda crappy this year, but boat diving will give the best shot at a day of good diving.
Good Divin
SoCalRich

 

[shucksun]

Best opportunity for that Fri. is the Specter Dive boat out of Ventura. Any Sat. or Sun. you could hook up with the Pacific Wilderness crew; see their FB site. Join my group on Sat.'s by PM me at 818-635-4408