Dive buddy around LA?

[jraitchi]

Hey everybody, just moved to LA, right around LAX. I'm looking for some dive partners, I'd like to do a lot of shore diving and maybe get into kayak diving. Reply here or shoot me an email if you're interested 2john dot aitchison at gmail dot com

And don't want to start a fight with this one but any opinions on which shop is best in LA? I'm looking to start divemaster training soon

 

[dwaters]

Welcome to SoCal. .... alot of diving going on here....make yourself at home and check the board here and on the "crabs" section and join in...
Link: Beach Crabs - ScubaBoard
There is a group going over the "park" (Casino Point, Avalon) this weekend and an upcoming group going over July 11th too. Great place to ge introduced to our waters.
Sorry, no help on divemaster training as I'm not there yet....I'm sure others will chime in.
Hope to see you in the water someday soon.

 

[bkotheimer]

Ocean Adventures is a nice shop, north of you in Venice. I did my Rescue cert. there and it was a great experience. I usually book Catalina or other Channel Island trips through them also. I'd like to try diving from my kayak as well... never tried it.

 

[ScottBuck]

Pretty much every dive shop that does scuba classes offers DM around here! I got my DM and AI Through sport chalet (I Know thats Blasphemy around Here) But thats where I got mine. There is a group that meets almost every friday around 8-ish at Crystal Cove reef point or somewhere in Laguna to dive, we can put you on the list and shoot you an email when we go!

 

[jraitchi]

Sounds good, thanks for all of the info

 

[fnfalman]

I like the shop Ocean Adventures in Venice. Friendly, competent people and also tech friendly. Eco Dive Center in Culver City has a couple of superhot babes as instructors. Also a good shop although tend to be the granola type: no hunting.

Hollywood Divers is pretty much a tech shop that dabbles into rec. Cheap nitrox fill. I like'em.

Down toward the Redondo Beach area, there are Dive & Surf and Sea D Sea. I never could jive with Dive & Surf but I like Sea D Sea. It's a tiny shop with the same owner for the last 40-years. Strictly rec diving with good instructors. The owner was a diver cum instructor until old age and ailment got the better of him. Pacific Wilderness in San Pedro is a big rec/tech shop and the owner had been around for a long time. Nitrox fill is expensive there and they do it the blending way so they demand O2 cleaned tank that are done by them and not by somebody else.

In Burbank, there's Acqua Adventures - another tiny shop. Its lead instructor is a highly competent Czech lady (she wrote an article in the latest DAN magazine) who just happen to be drop dead gorgeous too.

 

[Skunky]

Hey!!! I'm in El Segundo too... Such a small town I probably know you...

 

[DwayneJ]

+1 on what fnfalman said -

Hollywood Divers is probably one of the best dive stores around - They have a huge selection of dive components and helped me with a new computer and pony bottle setup - I will likely do my intro to tech with Hollywood. I had a few customer service issues at Sea 'd Sea so now stay away. I do all of my air fills at Dive N Surf and know everyone at the store well. I did my cert with ECO Dive and they were fine and certainly accommodated my schedule - I'm not a tattoo fan and like my meat rare 8)