My Notes for Researching My California Dive Trip

[merxlin]

Keep it simple, go to Catalina. Some of the best and easy entry diving right on the Casino Point and two dedicated dive boats ready to go for more variety. Besides, its a world apart from California the way most think of. Lots of other land based stuff also. No need for car rental.

Diving the Dive Park is great but it is a sliver of what is available. Yes, they have a couple boats that leave from there and dive the rest of the island, but the cost of the ferry to get there and the dive boat costs is more than a mainland based boat trip. Add a room cost for multi day diving and it gets expensive fast. Plus, the ecosystems at the other islands are varied and different from Catalina. I'll dive Catalina any time (and have over 300 times) but really enjoy the trips to the other islands more and especially for multiple days.

 

[Kevrumbo]

Good notes & research to our great diving here! But you forgot to add what most SoCal Divers take for granted and a vital resource that visiting divers should be aware of for better peace of mind in case of accident:

The USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is one of only two hyperbaric chambers in the United States that operate with a Volunteer Crew . . . It is only with the support of our Volunteers that we are able to maintain a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year coverage.

• The Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is only used for diving accidents. Most other medical hyperbaric chambers in this country are used for other hyperbaric therapies and treatments such as wound healing, burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, and other clinical applications. These clinical treatments are the bread and butter for most chambers since diving accidents are sporadic and, luckily, not that common.
• The Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is staffed by a crew of volunteers. There are only two Chamber Crew members who are paid, a full time Director and a part time Chamber Technician. The Chamber Crew consists of approximately 80 volunteers who come from all walks of life and donate their time and energies to be on-call at the Chamber.
• The location of the Chamber allows for rapid transportation of patients from these sites by LA County Lifeguard Baywatch boats to the Chamber. With the helipad adjacent to the Chamber Hanger patients can be rapidly flown in (generally by the US Coast Guard) from the other Channel Islands and the mainland for treatment. Shaded area below shows the area where most of the divers over the years have been brought in from. . .Location > USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber > USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

 

[Lorenzoid]

Diving the Dive Park is great but it is a sliver of what is available. Yes, they have a couple boats that leave from there and dive the rest of the island, but the cost of the ferry to get there and the dive boat costs is more than a mainland based boat trip. Add a room cost for multi day diving and it gets expensive fast. Plus, the ecosystems at the other islands are varied and different from Catalina. I'll dive Catalina any time (and have over 300 times) but really enjoy the trips to the other islands more and especially for multiple days.

Although I learned to dive in SoCal when I lived there years ago, I never liked the cold and didn't do much diving there. Anyway, a few years ago I finally returned, mainly to show my new bride what non-tropical diving was like. Because I am not inclined to do extensive research like Richard, we went for the simplicity of a Catalina weekend trip. However, this thread and the companion thread on the liveaboard are good information for others in a similar situation. I don't think my wife and I would have enjoyed that bare-bones liveaboard as much as we enjoyed Catalina--we don't do bunk beds--but it's good to know that liveaboards and trips to "the other islands" are options and perhaps no more expensive than a long weekend on Catalina when you add up all the costs. Maybe if we had had the research available we would have done something different.

Oh, and my wife said there is no way we're going to dive again in CA without drysuits.

 

[merxlin]

Although I learned to dive in SoCal when I lived there years ago, I never liked the cold and didn't do much diving there. Anyway, a few years ago I finally returned, mainly to show my new bride what non-tropical diving was like. Because I am not inclined to do extensive research like Richard, we went for the simplicity of a Catalina weekend trip. However, this thread and the companion thread on the liveaboard are good information for others in a similar situation. I don't think my wife and I would have enjoyed that bare-bones liveaboard as much as we enjoyed Catalina--we don't do bunk beds--but it's good to know that liveaboards and trips to "the other islands" are options and perhaps no more expensive than a long weekend on Catalina when you add up all the costs. Maybe if we had had the research available we would have done something different.

Oh, and my wife said there is no way we're going to dive again in CA without drysuits.

Don;t get me wrong, Casino Point is great, but if you are inclined to do multiday trips I think you get more by doing our admittedly bare bones liveaboards.

And the wife is smart. I know people who dive dry here year round. 3 dives in the mid to lower 50's diving wet can get pretty chilly.

 

[Lorenzoid]

We have since acquired the drysuits. Even at 65F, a 7 mm was not enough to keep us from getting chilled. Looking to return to CA.

 

[mdb]

Although I learned to dive in SoCal when I lived there years ago, I never liked the cold and didn't do much diving there. Anyway, a few years ago I finally returned, mainly to show my new bride what non-tropical diving was like. Because I am not inclined to do extensive research like Richard, we went for the simplicity of a Catalina weekend trip. However, this thread and the companion thread on the liveaboard are good information for others in a similar situation. I don't think my wife and I would have enjoyed that bare-bones liveaboard as much as we enjoyed Catalina--we don't do bunk beds--but it's good to know that liveaboards and trips to "the other islands" are options and perhaps no more expensive than a long weekend on Catalina when you add up all the costs. Maybe if we had had the research available we would have done something different.

Oh, and my wife said there is no way we're going to dive again in CA without drysuits.

I've had a pretty good time in those curtained bunk beds-the food is great, the diving world class.

I like Cozumel, Cancun, the Cayman's, the nice Bahama islands-all good.

My favorite is still boat diving off the Channel Islands.

Nice that you had some nice diving off Catalina.

 

[Saite]

Thanks for sharing. That info is extremely useful.