Hey folks, I just got stiffed by a tour provider in La Jolla whose PADI certification I stupidly didn't check - got down to the cove with all my gear in hand, big heavy wetsuit, camera, etc., that I hauled from Nashville - only to find the provider had left one single phone message last night to let me know today's dives were cancelled. The flimsy pretext is supposedly conditions, which I'd believe had I not been sea kayaking in the Cove last night and seen the smooth as glass water and awesome visibility for myself. I'm not real happy about having got up at oh-god-thirty in the morning and hauled all this stuff only to not get to dive, but I'm 100% sure the lesson here is always double and triple check the bona fides of whomever you hire to guide you on a dive trip. The really painful part is of course that I could have re-booked with someone else had this fly by night outfit not waited till the last minute to bail out on me - allegedly they cancelled dives yesterday too, would have been nice to have been told the possibility was there - however, there's nothing I can do about it now. (I've written the flakes an email and plan to give them an opportunity to provide me a more reasonable explanation of what happened here, but if that isn't forthcoming and quickly I'll edit this post to reveal the name of the Dive Operation To Avoid.)
Anyway, I already hauled the gear out here and paid bag check fees, so what do you think? I do have one more day on this trip - next Tuesday - that I could do some more dives, but I'll be in L.A. I'm familiar with Santa Monica but not much else, though I am a fairly dab hand with the GPS - and would be open to driving a bit of a distance if needed. Anyone got suggestions for a trip with a reputable dive outfit I might be able to pick up on short notice?
I'm pretty bummed about not getting to see leopard sharks, but surely there's something else on this gorgeous coast that'd be worth getting wet to check out.
Edited to add: Tried to change thread title to indicate that due to un-change-able trip logistics I'm really looking more in the L.A. area, but that doesn't seem possible...sorry folks.
And also: I've heard people here mention Casino Point....am trying to pull up Catalina Divers Supply in another browser window but not loading....
Anyway, I already hauled the gear out here and paid bag check fees, so what do you think? I do have one more day on this trip - next Tuesday - that I could do some more dives, but I'll be in L.A. I'm familiar with Santa Monica but not much else, though I am a fairly dab hand with the GPS - and would be open to driving a bit of a distance if needed. Anyone got suggestions for a trip with a reputable dive outfit I might be able to pick up on short notice?
I'm pretty bummed about not getting to see leopard sharks, but surely there's something else on this gorgeous coast that'd be worth getting wet to check out.
Edited to add: Tried to change thread title to indicate that due to un-change-able trip logistics I'm really looking more in the L.A. area, but that doesn't seem possible...sorry folks.
And also: I've heard people here mention Casino Point....am trying to pull up Catalina Divers Supply in another browser window but not loading....
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