Conditions, Catalina's Casino Point Dive Park

[drbill]

Although I didn't dive today at the Casino Point Dive Park, I did check with several divers including some of our local instructors to see what conditions were like following three days of strong winds.

Surge is still present, although diminishing. Vis was estimated at 20-25 feet from the surface down to 100 ft.

Good enough for me, but I'm diving the King Neptune the next three days so we may find sites with better vis than that.

 

[LLKZ16]

Vis was estimated at 20-25 feet from the surface down to 100 ft.

Damn!! :dropmouth

I think I need to move to Catalina. We had 1-2 foot vis today with 3-5 foot surf. The surge was like getting bounced around in a sand storm.

 

[drbill]

Yep, out here we consider 20-25' marginal at best. Hopefully it will be better wherever we dive on the King Neptune this weekend. If it isn't, I'd even be tempted to finish my income taxes.

 

[all4scuba05]

Water temps?

 

[drbill]

I haven't dived since a week ago, but the minimum temps I was getting on dives above 100 ft was 58 degrees.

 

[scubacalifornia]

I did 3 dives on the Pacific Star today. We wound up at Catalina in lieu of the planned trip to Santa Barbara Island due to conditions. Water temp ranged from 54 - 57 degrees, viz was running about 30-40' on average, but down to 20' in spots. We were at Blue Caverns, Eagle Reef, and Yellowtail Point.
Kevin

 

[TSandM]

Fifty-EIGHT? Oh, I am so looking forward to my trip down there next month. We're seeing fifty every once in a while now . . .

 

[drbill]

Kevin, wonder if you had the ripping current at Eagle Reef that we encountered. I stuck within the reef to try to find some areas I could actually plant firmly enough to film. There were a number of "assists" for divers who couldn't swim, back against the current.

I heard "good" reports from the park for yesterday. Out on the King Neptune we encountered everything from 10' vis at Torqua Springs (my #0 dive site here) to an unexpected 60' at Isthmus Reef. Water had definitely cooled down since last weekend as I felt chilled even though all my dives were above 85 ft.

 

[riguerin]

The winds are on it again today (another local NW system passing through). We punted on our planned trip to the island this weekend due to the wind forecasts. Good thing.

 

[drbill]

Yep, correctimundo.

King Neptune couldn't go out today. 10-15 ft. swells mid Channel. Catalina Express boats cancelled for a few days. No one diving the park when I drove down there.

Yet, the groups that had planned to go out on the King Neptune had a good time. I spent the afternoon with groups from Haven's Reef and Malibu Divers conversing with them and having a great time. Of course this was another way of procreastinating before finally dealing with my income taxes.

King Neptune should be going out tomorrow with both groups. Should be a good day!