Diving in Catalina

[Burner]

I wanted to dive down in Catalina and had a couple of questions.
I plan to fly in Thursday night to LA somewhat late. How do I get to Catalina? Are there any ferries that run late?
I plan to dive friday/sat and maybe sunday morning. Return on the 6am flight out of LA? Can I get back to the airport in time for my flight?
Any dive shops that you would recommend?
Thanks for the help.

 

[the sharkman]

I have never dived catalina (though I have snorkeled there). I have heard a lot about scuba luv. They get a lot of positive remarks- a friend of mine knows the owners and says they are a very good outfit.
:guitar:

 

[the sharkman]

By the way, let me know where you're staying. My wife and I are planning a trip there. The last I checked, many hotels required a two-night stay (which I would want to stay, at the least). A lot of the motels get mixed reviews.
:guitar:

 

[Mo2vation]

Here's the link for the major boat schedules to Catalina. If you could fly into Long Beach, you'd save about 35 - 45 minutes of driving.

http://www.catalinaexpress.com/

The latest boat to the island departs at 8:20 PM from Long Beach.

Now I KNOW you're not thinking of diving then getting right on a plane to head home, right? Go to the link and give yourself a day after your last dive to chill on the island or hang out in SoCal.

We don't bite.

K


PS: When on the Island, I'm a ScubaLuv sort of guy.

 

[drbill]

You've got some good info from the others.

MAKE SURE you have a reservation before you come... hotel rooms are limited and often booked solid in August.

No boat early enough to get you to LA for that flight so you will have to return Sun night, requiring a hotel room in LA.

SCUBA Luv is great, CDS has an excellent dive boat. Conditions are much better than they were earlier in the summer.

Dr. Bill

 

[Burner]

I was thinking of boat diving in the morning on friday and saturday, and shore diving in the afternoon on both days.
I was also thinking of doing some easy dives on Sunday (done before noon) and fly out on Monday at 6am. Is the dive to fly 18 hours or 24 hours for a profile like this? I was under the impression it was 18 hours.

 

[drbill]

Quite dependent on your dive profiles those days. You are diving three days in a row and depending on your profiles you may have a residual load in excess of recommended levels.

I would probably be conservative.

Dr. Bill

 

[kelpmermaid]

You might want to check out local boats and work off the mainland...see www.californiadiveboats.com for info and links...

 

[Mo2vation]

I never got that logic.

Pay $45 to get to the island, pay another Hundie for a boat and a tip to dive the island.

You can Pay the Hundie and tip and do 3 dives from an LA-based boat, and save the $45 for grub, parking and whatever.

If you're there - OK. But to go there, to dive there...what's the deal? If you're there, dive the park - its free. Otherwise, catch an LA boat, enjoy an hour ride over there and snooze on the way home.

PLUS: its half as much (often less) to stay in LA. You'll be paying $175 - $225 a night for a dink room in Avalon in August and September, if you try to get in now. You'd get a much better rool for a lot less along the SoCal shoreline.

K

 

[kelpmermaid]

The tank thing -- some local boats supply tanks and/or weights; a lot do not. Check on this before you book.

One possible scenario:

Find an inexpensive place to crash on Thursday and Friday nights on the mainland. You can probably avoid the rental car thing, though, if you base yourself out of Long Beach or San Pedro. Go over to Avalon on the ferry on Friday am - this will probably be less crowded than the weekend. Call Catalina Divers Supply to reserve tank/weights over at Casino Point.

Find a two-day trip off of a boat for Sat-Sunday that includes tanks/weights. Check the boat schedules for Ventura south to Long Beach on the previously mentioned website. You can probably avoid the rental car thing, though, if you base yourself out of Long Beach or San Pedro...