La Jolla conditions

[Algae]

I'm heading down to La Jolla this weekend for a few beach dives. Anyone know what the conditions are like right now? Are there any good web sites that post viz/surge/waves height etc...?

Thanks!

 

[divinman]

Go to www.divebums.com and sign up for their mailing list. Lots of dive reports daily and many from La Jolla. I am headed down there in about 20 minutes. Will post a report when I get back. The general consensus is vis is still dark and mucky to about 30 feet and opens up from there. Stay close to your buddy in the shallows.

Terry

 

[divinman]

Conditions last night were not bad at all. Surf was smallish and the red tide has disipated "SOME". Below 30ft the vis is quite nice. Coming back in there were swirling pockets of the mocha gunk so stay close to you buddy. Temp at the surface was 67 and didnt get below 50F at 80ft. Come on out, the waters fine! :dazzler1:

 

[Algae]

We're heading down tonight. I think we may hit the canyon, I just hope I can handle the cold...

 

[onyx]

How was the biolum? I'm thinking of heading down sometime this weekend. I love playing with the magic blue 'dust.'

 

[DTB1981]

HI all, I live in Okinawa right now and am just geting into diving. I am from Oceanside and La Jolla looks like it will be a good spot when I come home for good (In about a year). What kind wetsuit will I need when I get there? Right now all I have is a 3/2 and 5mil boots. Will this be ok in the summer? What will I need in the winter?

 

[MissyP]

HI all, I live in Okinawa right now and am just geting into diving. I am from Oceanside and La Jolla looks like it will be a good spot when I come home for good (In about a year). What kind wetsuit will I need when I get there? Right now all I have is a 3/2 and 5mil boots. Will this be ok in the summer? What will I need in the winter?

I'll tackle this one with a 2 part answer.
1st, the conditions in La Jolla have finally improved. I was there yesterday, at the shores trying out my drysuit for the 1st time.. and IF you were able to get past the herds of tourists, you'd see blue water at last! Looks like the red tide has moved on (lets hope it stays away). Vis in shallows (from 11- 42 ft) was the norm- 10-15 ft, but theres still a lot of particulates in the water and the bat rays are still around, reducing the vis to zero if you encounter one. Temps are nice, until you hit the thermocline (which I didn't do because I was dredging the shallows trying to work on my drysuit buoyancy control). From what I hear, vis is either excellent or awful in the canyon- it's still a crap shoot on whether you choose to dive on a good or bad day. There was a little surge in the shallows, and wave height was 2-3 ft.

2nd, a 3/2 won't cut it for diving. 7mm is the most common type of suit around here, with 5mm-6mm boots, gloves & hood (you can get a 7mm hood). Your 3/2 will be perfect for snorkeling & surfing.. 7mm is used year round, the water temps stay about the same all year.
Or you can become a cold water weenie like me and get a drysuit

Sidenote: don't raise your arm up to relieve the suit squeeze on your arm during a surface swim.. otherwise a lifeguard will come to "rescue" you. And then he'll apologize about 10 times after you glare at him & explain that you were having a suit squeeze & not signalling frantically for help.

:lol:

 

[California Diver]

vis is usually at lease 15 ft once you go past 100 ft.

 

[DTB1981]

I thought the 3/2 would be no good there. I may just get the 7mm. What are the LDS and were are they? I may be taking a trip back In a couple of months.

 

[MissyP]

I may just get the 7mm. What are the LDS and were are they? I may be taking a trip back In a couple of months.

Many LDS's around this area... Oceanside has USA Scuba (the Mission Blvd exit off of the 5), theres a scuba shop on Camp Pendleton (if you're military, you don't pay tax on the gear). Encinitas has a small shop called North County Scuba. San Diego has the Sports Chalets, Ocean Enterprises, Ocean Express, Aqua Tech (which is also DiveUS), and theres another one- I forget the name- Dive Locker maybe? In Escondido, there is Ricks Diving Locker.

Ok, further north you have Beach Cities in Dana Point.. Pacific Wilderness (they are by far my fav shop!!).. Laguna Sea Sports in Laguna Beach... Dive-n-Surf- um, I think they're in Redondo... Hollywood Divers, but they're quite a ways up north... Thats all I can think of for now!

edited: I remembered one more- Get Wet Scuba in San Diego.. Pretty small shop though.