Looking for Advice, Dive Clubs near Anaheim Hills

[Gareth J]

Hi All

I have posted in the Introductions Forum.

I am visiting Orange County, Anaheim Hills at the weekend for a week or two (19 September - ).

I am looking for information about diving South California in August 2016 with my partner.

I am also interested in any local dive clubs.
I have never dived in the USA, despite bouncing backwards and forwards over the last few years. I am interested in trying to meet a few people who can point me in the right direction. I will be back out in November and or December.

Cheers

Gareth

 

[diversteve]

I don't dive that area but here's a good place to start: Laguna Sea Dwellers

You're also not too far from the Long Beach/San Pedro harbors that a lot of SoCal dive boats leave from:
California Dive Boats : The Official Page Probably a longer drive than it looks with traffic since the port is always busy.

 

[Sam Miller III]

"I don't dive that area "

Anaheim HILLS ? Hill Diving .....must be a new PADI specialty .

There was a local club called "Shark Bait " who was active in the Anaheim & Yorba Linda area. I note they haven't posted for some time and may have disbanded.


Orange county UW Photo society aka OCUPS meets in the general area, might google for location and date.

sdm

 

[diversteve]

"I don't dive that area "

Anaheim HILLS ? Hill Diving .....must be a new PADI specialty .

Depends on how desperate you are to get wet...

 

[Gareth J]

Thanks for the information.

I have a couple of issues. Not being local, and working I was trying to find a club local to where I'm based, if only to meet up for a social drink.

Other than a planed diving trip, like August 2016, I am unlikely to have any kit, so would need to hire some. Although, if I new sufficiently in advance I could squeeze in my old membrane DUI and some thermals.

One of the issues for me is most of my trips have very little warning. I know I will probably be visiting again in the November or December, but no specific details, other than they will probably try to avoid Thanks Giving.

Cheers

Gareth

 

[diversteve]

I suspect there's more dive activity in the beach cities so that's where the club meetings etc. are. IDK, most of my experience in SoCal is either Long Beach or San Diego. I fly in for the weekend so I don't know any of the local options - I actually live in Arizona.

Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: California South, USA West I have heard Diver's Cove, Shaw's Cove and Heisler Park mentioned by local divers here on the forum.

Check with Beach Cities Scuba or Pacific Wilderness on gear rental. They have a couple locations in the beach towns closer to the water.
Store Locations | Beach Cities Scuba Centers
Pacific Wilderness | PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Center

Or South Orange County Dive Club, Laguna Beach SCUBA Diving, Southern California Scuba Diving, SOCDC - partially sponsored by Sport Chalet stores in the area.

Not all of them rent gear though. Click each map icon on stores nearby then info/hours and it will say if that store does. Sporting Goods | Sport Chalet

 

[DJ457]

Hi Gareth,

There's great LDS in Anaheim Hills called Seas The Day Scuba.

6320 Santa Ana Canyon Road
Anaheim Hills California
92807
lascubacenter.com
(949( 220-5000

The store owner is Casey Connell. He is great to work with, and can set you up with all the rental gear you need to go diving. Very knowledgeable guy too - been diving for more than 40 years. They actually have a few boat dives coming up in the next few months. On September 26th they're doing a 3 dive trip to the back side of Catalina Island. These will be amazing dives. Great vis and the water temp has been high 60's lately, so should be really great. I think December 5th - if that falls in your schedule for December - they are doing a boat trip to Santa Barbara channel islands, which will be some awesome diving.

I dive with Pacific Wilderness dive club sometimes. They're a great group to go out with. They are out most Saturdays at either Verterans Park in Redondo Beach, or along Laguna beach somewhere. If you follow them on facebook you'll see posts about dives happening on the weekend. They are also out at Redondo Beach every Wednesday night at 6pm for a night dive. I have a friend who dives with Laguna Sea dwellers, and he loves diving with them.

Hope you have a great trip out here, and get to dive some too!!

 

[Gareth J]

DJ

Thanks for that, I'll try and look him up on this visit.....might even mean I get a dive in on the next visit. If it wasn't that I will be over weight this time I might have packed a drysuit.

Gareth

 

[jscan1]

I live in Murrieta (Inland and about 45 minutes from you) I mostly dive with Powerscuba (A San Diego Dive club) We do dives allover CA. Lots from San Pedro, Lots from Mission Bay, and there is always a scheduled shore dive in Lajolla Thursday and Saturday. Check it out on Meet up , Powerscuba.org . I will typically do a boat once or twice a month, and on the other weekends either shore dive Laguna or lajolla. PM me and I will gladly give you my contact info and let you know where we are diving when you are here. I'd suggest bringing your DUI Membrane (Hahaha) So. Ca. waters even this year with our El nino warmness are always Drysuit worthy...As for rentals there are all kinds of places that can rent you equipment

 

[Sam Miller III]

Your post from the introduction thread

"Hello

New to the forum. I am a UK (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), citizen.

I dive extensively in the UK, Scapa Flow (Orkney), Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, England, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands and have dived a lot of Northern Europe, Normandy, South of France, and Norway.
Regularly dive in Malta, at least once or twice a year. Have dived in the Red Sea over the years, originally learning to dive in Israel.

This years main trip was to Iceland (in August) to dive Silfra, and Pingvallavatn.

Trying to decide what to do next year and thinking about Southern California. I regularly travel out to Placentia California (going there at the end of September before travelling down to Mexico) for work.

I dive with my partner a lot, although I'm love wreck diving and deeper diving, my partner is more interested in underwater photography so prefers shallower dives.

We would normally go live aboard (if in the Red Sea) am happy to be shore based. Whilst we will certainly bring our own dry suits, it may be better to use local dive kit (ours are all DIN fittings).
Looking for interesting sites, Boat Dives, Photogenic Dives. We are happy in the water (our dive times in Iceland where around the hour in 4 degree C water - 39F).
More than happy at 30m (100 feet). Trimix qualified, open circuit and closed circuit, although plan to be open circuit if we do visit California.

So recommendations on Dive boats, Dive operators, and places to dive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are not too far from "Seas The day SCUBA."
6320 Santa Ana Canyon Road
Anaheim Hills California
92807
lascubacenter.com

The store owner is Casey Connell. He is great to work with, and can set you up with all the rental gear you need to go diving. Very knowledgeable guy too - been diving for more than 40 years. They actually have a few boat dives coming up in the next few months. On September 26th they're doing a 3 dive trip to the back side of Catalina Island. These will be amazing dives. Great vis and the water temp has been high 60's lately, so should be really great. I think December 5th - if that falls in your schedule for December - they are doing a boat trip to Santa Barbara channel islands, which will be some awesome diving.


Might want to drop in on this shop, have a chat. He indicated on his web page that he has been diving 30 years so I would suspect that he has some advice as to where and when to dive well as some stories of OC diving adventures.


In the fall approximately September to November that area known as the Santa Ana canyon experiences warm desert air called Santa Ana winds which are similar to the mistrals of Africa. The weather can be very dry, hot and often accompanied by strong wind.

This off shore wind generally flattens out the swell and reduces the height of the surf creating idea diving conditions.


Please bear in mind Lobster will possibly be in full swing during your visit. The boats fill or have already filled their charters might be a tad difficult to obtain a spot

Hope this is of some assistance

SDM
LA CO UW Instr
NAUI Instr 27
PADI UW instr etc etc