Lake Isabella, Kern County dive spots?

[ALKBO]

Hello fellow scuba dubas! I am looking for info on the following for Lake Isabella in Kern County. I wil lbe visiting for 5 days and wanted to get underwater. My online searches have not yielded anything.
1. Is SCUBA allowed in Lake Isabella (info line doesn't give details)
2. If yes to above, does anyone know of any good spots?
3. What kind of conditions should I expect.

Thanks. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
AC

 

[TwinDuct]

I've always wanted to dive lake Isabella myself as my parents have a house next to it.
If I find anything on the matter I will post. I will assume that you CAN dive there.

On a side note I will mention that they have begun draining the lake in preparations of fixing the dam. the water is pretty low as of last time I went up there which was about 4 months ago. They say it's going to be a couple years before they finish. Thats not including filling the lake all the way up.

 

[Cyclops_Diver]

Diving is allowed in Lake Isabella. In fact there is a scuba club in Bakersfield that does their open water training in it I believe...or maybe it's their "Large Area Confined Water!"

Call up Aquatic Adventures in Bakersfield (661) 836-3337 and ask for Jerry or Emily.

Or if you're on Myspace get with the Renegade Scuba Team which is out of Bakersfield College (MySpace.com - Renegades Scuba Team - 36 - Male - Bakersfield, California - www.myspace.com/renegades_scuba ) for information. They dive it regularly apparently and there are some photos on their Myspace page. I found this out through "CollegeDiver" over on TDS who dives Isabella and is a key guy on Renegades team.

Good luck!

 

[SCUBA482]

I realize this is an old post, but I am searching for any information on fresh water dive sites in so cal. I viewed the old my space link above and see that diving is allowed, but I'd like to know some specifics if available. Does anybody know conditions (viz, depths, temps, etc.)? Are there any dive sites at the lake worth visiting? I had heard the old portion of the town was submerged; is that available to dive? What about any known hazards?

If anybody can help I'd be most appreciative. As a side note, if you have any other so cal lakes worth diving with similar info I'd be interested as well.

Thanks

 

[H2Ocean]

Lake Isabella is a nice dive. There's underwater foundations near Wofford Heights and Kernville, a community used to be there until the Dam was built. Keep in mind the snow melt this year has been huge, Kern river has been flowing high. Near the stream inlet the water is gonna be icy cold and clear. I haven't been there to find out the surface temps, but can imagine a deep surface layer of 65+ temps. Fish life should blow you away, trout, catfish, crappy (yes I said crappy) bluegill, and bass, carp. If largemouth bass are there, they will swim right up to you if you are still. No spearfishing with poles or guns, however fishing underwater with a fishing pole and line I believe is legal. Alot of bass fisherman now throw back any large ones. The legal size is 12 inches. Around the dam structure I don't know about the spillway or outlet control gate, use caution around there, it's alot of water moving. When you go bring back some images and let us know what you found!! Watch the computer, set on that altitude and follow it's plans and limits, double check that it's set right.

 

[SCUBA482]

H2Ocean,

Thanks for the info! 65+ sounds nice as does the water clarity you described...I hope to get up there soon & dive it & will take pics & repost when I do. Do you (or anyone else) know of other So Cal lakes or freshwater dive sites? I'm trying to get a few sites located to visit.

 

[Mossman]

I have three dives logged in Lake Perris. Little fish swim in the grasses in the shallows, but it's dead and spooky (and cold) at depth.

 

[Gill]

I have three dives logged in Lake Perris. Little fish swim in the grasses in the shallows, but it's dead and spooky (and cold) at depth.

I've logged two dives in Lake Perris. Vis was crappy (3-5' range) until I hit a thermoclime in which it got cold (52F if I recall) but vis improved to the 20' level.

 

[Mossman]

One dive, we made it to 60' Started out in a T-shirt and bathing suit as it was near 90 on the surface. By the time we hit 60', my teeth were chattering so much I could barely keep the reg in place. Unfortunately I was diving an Uwatec at the time and it didn't show water temp. Yeah, we could see more down there, but not much to see. Dark, endless waves of mud/gook on the bottom, no fish whatsoever, and definitely spooky like I thought I could see stuff at the far range of my viz (probably narcosis, which I've never had that shallow, but due to the cold and eerie darkness...

Still, when I can drive an hour to the ocean, doesn't make sense to drive 45 min to Perris. It was the novelty of doing a lake dive, probably won't do it again, but it made me have sympathy for landlocked divers.

 

[H2Ocean]

When going to these fresh water dives just bring good exposure protection, 3x 7mm, find old farmer john 2 piece that'll fit over a 7mm hooded shortie (garage sale stuff for like real cheap.) instead of dropping 3 to 4 lbs because of fresh water you might have to add a pound with 21mm. Or get a drysuit, it's usually clearer under the thermocline sometimes gin clear. Only extremely dark, bring lights. If just in a 7mm you can go into the cold water even if it's upper 30s or low 40s for short times (everyone is different, however long it takes to get in, usually takes the same getting out. 5 min into cold water =10 mins.) stay close enough to the warm surface water maybe 20 to 30 feet thick to go back into and warm up. June Lake, Gull Lake both are extremely nice dives. Littlerock Dam Reservoir has been full for the past 3 yrs. We at HardcoreDiveTeam.com did some intensive exploration, research, there for over 9 months starting in November 2010 till July 2011, you can find our posted results, images and stories on our webpage, or you can find our detailed article in California Diver Magazine Sept/Oct issue. Unfortunately water levels have been dropping fast lately due to Palmdale Water District trying to save money from drawing off the California Water Project (California Aquaduct.) A heavy winter rain and snowfall season can refill it. The story illustrates the high quality of fresh water diving in Littlerock Dam Reservoir, and can be used as a reference to other conditions you might find in other lakes!! Scuba482 we have some more projects in the near plans, wanna go?