Dive recommendations for Fri eve/Sat morning

[ColinB]

Hello all,

I've got a last-minute work trip to Carlsbad on Friday, and then I'll be driving up the coast Saturday, and I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations for dives to try Friday evening near Carlsbad or Saturday somewhere in the neighborhood or on my way north. I'm traveling on my own, so I'd need a dive op who provides a guide or I'll need to find a local buddy. I'll need to rent weights and tanks, but will bring everything else (7mil suit w/ hood, not drysuit this trip). I'm a typical recreational diver with 65 dives, and since I've never dived in California, I'm pretty much open for anything. My only real constraint is that I probably only have time for one or 2 tanks on Sat, not a full day 3 tank boat trip.
I found Stone Divers and Scuba San Diego online, both of which offer guided dives that sound interesting. Anyone used either or both and have a recommendation?
Please let me know if you have any suggestions or if i can provide any more info.

thanks,
Colin

 

[FrankPro1]

Conditions today are pretty dismal and a new strong NW push is forecast for Friday, lasting into next week. Definitely not ideal for diving On the other hand I am completely inexperienced with diving in the San Diego area and there might be some protected coves or sites which are diveable with heavy NW swells.

 

[diver_doug]

Not sure about boat dives, but I would guess that shore-diving is out for Sat. Like Frankpro1 said conditions are bad AND there's supposed to be another storm heading in tomorrow. I typically dive in Laguna and San Diego and it has been my experience that bad weather has a big impact on San Diego (Laguna too, but SD more so).

 

[ColinB]

One shop I talked to recommended going out to Catalina since the conditions there should still be nice even if there's rain and since I'll be driving by there. Does this make sense to folks, and if so, is there a dive op you'd recommend?
thanks,
Colin

 

[pfulks]

Last month I went to catalina two days in a row, both times after a massive rain and we had 40 ft viz each day. It looks like you are one a time schedule so I would recommend Magician dive boat, goes out early and is back early, they leave from ports o call san pedro and they have nitrox fills.