Expected Conditions August Channel Islands

[KevinG58]

I have seen kids that age and even a couple of years younger have a great time on the boats out at the (colder) northern channel islands. However for the first exposure to cold water, Catalina and mostly shore dives at point may be the better choice. And with a large group almost any boat trip would to add up to a hefty fee.

 

[drbill]

Currently here on Catalina we are in "bat ray season" (bat rays feeding on the bottom and destroying vis), but that means "bikini season" is soon to follow. By late summer vis usually improves (we had 100-120 ft two years ago in Sept, unusually good) as "phytoplankton season" ends due to reduced nutrients and decreasing daylength.

Did just two dives this weekend here at Casino Point. Water temps this winter have been unseasonally warm (usual bottom temp has been 58-61 F the past few months). Yesterday's dive following the same profile as the day before was 3-4 degrees colder (depending on which of my computers I look at)... BIG change in one day. Bottom temps were between 56 and 64 depending on which computer you used.

Of course my water cooled wetsuit made it feel slightly colder... but at least that's where one of my greatest concentrations of "bioprene" is.