Need Info about the Santa Monica/ LA area

[Jifi]

Hi

OK a newbie here... just got certified this past weekend. LOVE SCUBA!!!!

I will be in Santa Monica/LA area in Aug. and I am looking for a a trustworthy Scuba shop and some easy diving. Any recommendations?

Thanks!
J

 

[Clammy]

If you want to dive off of malibu a bit north of Santa Monica, go to Malibu Divers. There's no actual dive spots in Santa Monica, but if you go south, you can go to Redondo/Torrance. If that's the case you can go to any dive shop between. Dive and Surf is very close to Vets Park which is a dive spot in Redondo. Eco Dive Center is right above Santa Monica too.

 

[fnfalman]

Ocean Adventures is also in the Santa Monica area.

For "easy" diving, it's either going on a dive boat or taking the Catalina Express boat over to Catalina Island and dive at the Casino Point Dive Park.

 

[robint]

Hi

OK a newbie here... just got certified this past weekend. LOVE SCUBA!!!!

I will be in Santa Monica/LA area in Aug. and I am looking for a a trustworthy Scuba shop and some easy diving. Any recommendations?

Thanks!
J

for easy-beginner diving, you can't beat Catalina and also Anacapa and Santa Cruz up north.

Up in Ventura, check out the Spectre dive boat. You can sleep overnight on the boat, and then on Saturday or Sunday do 4 dives. Doesn't get much cheaper than that, and the boat usually has some instructors and students so the Capt always picks tame sites.

Boat dives seem a bit expensive until you work out that the airfills are free, food is free, and no driving around to sites, parking fees, etc. We like the Great Escape in Long Beach but there is also the BottomScratcher and Magician right in the same area who regularly go over to Catalina. Or you can take the ferry over to Catalina and shore dive there.

robin

 

[Jifi]

for easy-beginner diving, you can't beat Catalina and also Anacapa and Santa Cruz up north.


robin

Thanks All! Love Catalina (above water). Been years. Guess I should head back and check out what's under water. Have fingers crossed that Dad will watch the munchkin.
Thanks again for the info!
Jifi

 

[promocop]

ECO dive center 310-398-5759 in Culver City. Great people and lots of trips local and otherwise

 

[jlw]

For a great LDS -- Reef Seekers, if they are still around. Ken was incredibly helpful and actually pieced back together gear with dealers that had been mis-configured/cannibalized by another shop (at no cost and relatively no effort on my part.) The kind of service that wins life-long loyalty.

Most of the boat diving is the same shop to shop. Shop A has relationships with 2 or 3 boats and Shop B does too -- theres 8 or 9 decent boats and 3-4 really good ones.

As you go south the boats seem to get more Spartan (info is 5-8 years old, I moved to norcal.) Santa Barbara has the Truth Aquatics guys -- they really are the very best for multiday trips. My favorite in the world but I'm weird and "warm water" isn't my thing. The boats in Ventura harbor are great, friendly and a little bigger than the San Pedro/LA Harbor boats which primaryily dive Catalina.

 

[drbill]

Agree with fnfalman that a trip to Catalina is a good choice since diving the leeward coast of our island is a heck of a lot easier than shore diving on the mainland, especially for one new to diving. You already know and like the island, experience it underwater.

Another option would be to check the dive boat schedule on California Diving News (California Diving News - Dive Trips - Directory) for trips going out of mainland ports to Catalina. You'll get two to three dives in different locations on the island plus air fills and food on most boats for a price that makes sense compared to the Express + air fills here + food on the island.

 

[Clammy]

For a great LDS -- Reef Seekers, if they are still around. Ken was incredibly helpful and actually pieced back together gear with dealers that had been mis-configured/cannibalized by another shop (at no cost and relatively no effort on my part.) The kind of service that wins life-long loyalty.

Most of the boat diving is the same shop to shop. Shop A has relationships with 2 or 3 boats and Shop B does too -- theres 8 or 9 decent boats and 3-4 really good ones.

As you go south the boats seem to get more Spartan (info is 5-8 years old, I moved to norcal.) Santa Barbara has the Truth Aquatics guys -- they really are the very best for multiday trips. My favorite in the world but I'm weird and "warm water" isn't my thing. The boats in Ventura harbor are great, friendly and a little bigger than the San Pedro/LA Harbor boats which primaryily dive Catalina.

Ken doesn't have a physical location anymore but Reef Seekers does still exist. I don't know what they can do for you for gear but they still have trips and are international ALL the time.

 

[promocop]

Sorry. Contrarian. I have had lots of issues with Reef Seekers. They have not had a physical location in years, so why would anyone do business with a LDS without an address? If ECO doesn't do it for you, try Hollywood in the Valley or Scuba Haus in Santa Monica. Much easier people to do business with then Ken.