diving in California

[DiveSoCal]

I dive every week from the shores of Laguna Beach. Depending upon the cove, there is much to offer.
Shaw's Cove seems to get the most action from the students, less experienced, and/or those looking for gentle conditions.
But, I prefer the less frequented locations for the greater amount of marine life. Moss St. and 1,000 Steps come to mind. Dead Man's Reef off of Crescent Bay is an enormous reef if you have the willpower and fitness level to endure the long swim.
A favorite of mine is Reef Pt. in Crystal Cove. Although the hike up the hill to your vehicle is long and the entry can be difficult with the rocks and eel grass, the site provides an abundance of fish and plant life. Hint: if you arrive to the parking lot before 9:00am there is no parking fee.

 

[ifukuda]

I've found a map of Shaw's Cove on the website of Pacific Wilderness (LDS).
www.pacificwilderness.com

I'm a relative newbie, so Shaws Cove will be just about right for me when I am not diving with people more experienced than myself. But, I will be diving Crescent Bay this weekend with GOCSCDC.

(FYI: GOCSCDC = Greater Orange County Sport Chalet Dive Club)

 

[ChrisM]

which would be "a" and "b", not sure what "other" would be. Dive Laguna most Saturdays unless I am out on a boat.

 

[ifukuda]

I dove laguna beach for the first time on Saturday @ Crescent Bay. I went out with the guys from SDC and GOCSCDC.

Viz seemed to be pretty typical of So Cal diving (15ft. on average), but the DM I buddied with mentioned that viz was usually better.

We stayed around Seal Rock. I think about third of the group went to Deadman's Reef. I couldn't make it that far because I had a bunch of problems with my air (which really sucked, because there were a young sea lion that had come out to play right when we surfaced).

*The DM, that I buddied with, advised me to overweight myself by 4lbs because being at the surface at this dive spot was dangerous. I was suprised how much this extra weight threw off my bouyancy control. Is it a common practice to dive so overweighted at Crescent Bay?

With the exception of the shortness of my dive, Crescent Bay was a fun dive.

 

[JustAddWater]

Have any of you dove the central California beaches? ( Montana de Oro, Hazzards, Morro Bay) Though I am located closer to those beaches, my shore dives have been in SoCal and Monterey area, because I've heard the conditions are marginal. I'd consider diving there if I heard reports that were otherwise.

 

[BILLB]

I am from the East Coast, but on a business trip during March, I managed to get in a Saturday/Sunday of diving from the local dive charter. The first thing about diving there is variable topside weather. On Saturday it changed from calm to windy and back in just over an hour. On Sunday, it was clear then fogged bound, drizzle and back to sunny but cool over the course of a 4 hour dive day.

The water is cold year round. In March it was about 45 degrees. I here it get to the mid fifties in the Summer. Viz was not bad with 30-40 feet. The kelp was fantastic! I did not see anything except the local fish. The whales and harbor seals did not show up either day. Lots of rocky relief which can be very disorienting. One dive I surfaced 150 yards from the boat.

I would dive there agin, but I would prefer better top side weather. Summer maybe?

 

[DiveSoCal]

Ifukudu, I think your DM made a mistake by having you take extra weight at Crescent Bay. This is one spot I would not want to be weighted down and scratching the bottom, because the urchins are everywhere in the shallow waters. I've dove this site over 60 times and would not consider the surface dangerous.

 

[JustAddWater]

That Pacific Wilderness site is nice. This month's California Dive News has a good article about Shaw's Cove, and a map.

 

[ifukuda]

DiveSoCal,

Thanks for reconfirming my doubts about the advice to overweight at Crescent Bay.

JustAddWater,

You're absolutely right about the Shaw's Cove map at the Pacific Wilderness website. I found another good map (and article) of Shaws Cove in the May issue of California Diving online magazine.

 

[art.chick]

I like both, depending on the boat & depending on the beach. I dislike the strange & tiring reverse current at Zuma enough to say that once was plenty for that beach. Redondo is generally not hard to enter or exit, but the thrills don't start till the sun goes down. Of course, who can criticize Casino Point? I never, ever get bored there, & I do it once a month. White Point, by San Pedro is one of the most fun rocky beach dives I know; just get on your belly & slither in!

I like smaller boats for the entry aspect (I am getting over a fear of heights), but for comfort on the trip, bigger is better. The reputations of local boats are just plain TRUE, so I listen to opinions. Those great boats in the Channel Islands make even a cold surgy day seem like a vacation. The Specter & the Peace have hot-tubs which make the post-dive trip luxurious (get a glass of wine for this!)