I need kelp help!

[Coll]

Hi all,

My sister is visiting me and she wanted to do some California diving so I wanted to get her into some of our beautiful kelp forests. She's here from July 17th to the 22nd, unfortunately there are no dive boats going out to the kelp forests while she's here. I'm new to San Diego so am not extremely familiar with all the local sites, is there any way I can get her into a forest? Shore dives are definitely an option, I've only dove La Jolla Shores and Cove though and there's not much kelp there. Any thoughts? Thanks very much and happy diving!

 

[Skull]

You could try parking at Wind-n-Sea off of Westborne St. @ Neptune Pl ..and do a beach entry at the far north end of the beach ... or drive/turn right and drive up the street from there to Marine Street @ Neptune Pl... has a big blue sea wall. Find parking there and do a surface swim out about 200yrds due west ... some of the most magnificent kelp in the SD area ... its a good swim out but well worth it.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=marin...XWBQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1

 

[fisheater]

Too far away to take the Catalina Express and dive the Casino Pt. Dive Park in Avalon?
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[Bubbletrubble]

Hi all,

My sister is visiting me and she wanted to do some California diving so I wanted to get her into some of our beautiful kelp forests. She's here from July 17th to the 22nd, unfortunately there are no dive boats going out to the kelp forests while she's here. I'm new to San Diego so am not extremely familiar with all the local sites, is there any way I can get her into a forest? Shore dives are definitely an option, I've only dove La Jolla Shores and Cove though and there's not much kelp there. Any thoughts? Thanks very much and happy diving!

@Coll: Which dive ops did you check with? I just searched the schedule for the Marissa. The boat has space available on the Sunday, July 19, 4pm trip to "Lazy Daze 7 Fathoms." That's in the kelp! Price is $75pp. See the Marissa website for more details and reservations.

If the trip falls through for some reason, you can always do the Cove. Buoy A has some kelp...but it's nothing like what you would see at the Channel Islands.

What about taking a trip to Catalina? There is some easily accessible kelp in the underwater dive park.

 

[Hoomi]

If you could talk her into staying one more day, the Marissa is heading to the NRAD/New Hope Rock kelp forests on the morning of the 23rd. My kids have me booked on that trip.

That's provided the trip doesn't get canceled for lack of divers.

 

[robint]

Up in Long Beach - Great Escape is diving Catalina (gorgeous kelp forests) on the 18th and 19th of July. Call and see if they still have space for you. You need to bring tanks and weights with you (rent locally if you don't own any) but b'fast and lunch and airfills are included in price... 3 dives for $115-$120.
Great Escape Southern California Scuba Dive Boat Calendar
Magician is going to Catalina on Friday, 17th: Magician Dive Boat San Pedro CA Schedule of Trips

or

I would drive up to Long Beach, take the ferry over to Catalina, and you can shore dive or boat dive any day of the week.

 

[fnfalman]

The SoCal kelp forests are nearly all done for right now because of the warm weather and warm water. Maybe further up north close to the San Francisco area where the water remain well into the 50sF, the kelps may still fluorish but in SoCal, it's so sad to see the dead and dying kelps right now.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The south side of Palos Verdes is still flourishing. Last week the water temps at Marineland were 49-51F.

 

[robint]

The SoCal kelp forests are nearly all done for right now because of the warm weather and warm water. Maybe further up north close to the San Francisco area where the water remain well into the 50sF, the kelps may still fluorish but in SoCal, it's so sad to see the dead and dying kelps right now.

how warm is the water right now??? We were out last year at this time (August actually) and Catalina kelp was so thick it was hard to swim around without getting caught...
Here is a picture:

looks pretty healthy and lush to me!

robin

 

[ligersandtions]

Last couple times I went out (granted they haven't been in three weeks....but I don't think that the ocean has had time to warm up a significant amount since then) in PV, temps were in the low 50's....I was definitely grateful to be wearing my drysuit. However, I would imagine that surface temps are fairly warm, so maybe some of the kelp is starting to go. But there's kelp all year round.