New to diving!!! Live in Santa Barbara County

[jazrit1988]

Hey I'm recent grad of a Padi class, Hoping to do lots of diving. I'm looking for great spots to dive at, shore diving, boat diving. Anything within 200 mile radius is good for me. are there any dive clubs in the area, is a dive club worth it?. So far I only have a wet suit, hood, gloves boots and fins. Renting and trying the other equipment to decide what works for me. So far I like the XsScuba Nekton BC and the Zeagle Ranger BC. Regulators I like the aqualung Titan LX and the Oceanic Eos. Whats good in equipment in quality and good for beginners?

 

[NJ to FLA]

The Titan LX is pretty good.. I was deciding between that and the Legend. That's about all I can help with though. I think you should rent different types of BCs for a couple dives and see what you like better.. Like rear inflate vs. jacket and integrated weights vs. weight belt. And on the board you can definitely meet a ton of people from your area that would go diving with you.
Good luck!

 

[JMdiver]

Hi Jazrit,

There's a few guys up your way that dive on a regular basis just go here:Beach Crabs - ScubaBoard & introduce yourself & keep your eyes on that section cause we post there all the time about dives we're going to do & you're welcome to join us.

John

 

[FrankPro1]

Between the Nekton and the Ranger, I'd go with the Ranger. Its a quality back inflate, which could very well last a lifetime. Every Sunday 8:00am a group from Dive Vets goes out at the Marineland dive site in Palos Verdes. A bit of a drive for you, but they are a good bunch of people "in and out of the water". Also my buddy and I usually get one or two dives in during the work week. If you ever feel like exploring some spots in Palos Verdes, shoot me a PM. We have some gorgeous reef systems down here on the peninsula. Some require some difficult hikes down and up unestablished trails, but they are well worth the effort. Welcome to Scubaboard

A good resource for local dive sites: ShoreDiving.com - Your Scuba Shore Diving and Snorkeling Web Community!

Another web forum to coordinate dives:
DiveVets Forum - Index "This forum has just been fully wiped, so currently there is very little topics or discussions"

 

[covediver]

I lived in SB for a number of years, dived my brains out along that coastline, and still get back from time to time.

Check out the Paradise Dive Club Paradise Dive Club Santa Barbara, CA
They are worth it.

My favorite beach dives...west reef at Refugio, End of Del Playa (6800 block) in IV (save enough air to come back under the kelp, its a lousy place to learn the kelp crawl). Las Flores beach (we use to call it abalone acres).

Boat dives...you don't need to go far, best boats in the world are the Truth Aquatics boats out of Santa Barbara. Channel Islands is best diving in the world. Naples reef one mile offshore if you can get a boat to take you out there.

 

[fnfalman]

If you like the Titan LX, you'd like an Atomic Aquatics reg a lot better. My Titan LX doesn't even come close to my Atomic B2 when it comes to ease of breathing and dryness. The Titan tends to leak a bit of water into the mouthpiece if I were to hang in a head-down position. But to be fair, the Atomic costs a heck of a lot more than the Aqualung.

Don't limit yourself to jacket-style BC. Try to rent a set of backplate/wing (BPW) and see if you would like that setup.

Lucky for you, there are three dive boats that go out from Santa Barbara. Truth Aquatics - About Us

As far as shore diving goes, I understand that Morro Bay is a sweet spot and that's north of you. There are also several shore dives down toward the Malibu/Ventura area such as Leo Carillo Beach, Point Dume, Hueneme, etc.

 

[robint]

get the Aqualung Legend regulator, it is better than the Titan as it doesn't breathe wet upsidedown where the Titan can. Also, the Legend now has the ACD, auto-closure device, which means when you take it off the tank, it seals shut so spraying water and rinse tanks are not a danger.

 

[FrankPro1]

get the Aqualung Legend regulator, it is better than the Titan as it doesn't breathe wet upsidedown where the Titan can. Also, the Legend now has the ACD, auto-closure device, which means when you take it off the tank, it seals shut so spraying water and rinse tanks are not a danger.

The new Titan "just updated this year" has incorporated the ACD into its 1rst stage. Its a really nice reg that will perform well in almost any environment. Personally I went with the Legend because of its ease of breathing in any position or depth and metal breathing tube "dry mouth really bugs me". You can pretty much go out and purchase any major companies "Scuba Pro, Apeks, Oceanic, Aqualung, etc" top of the line regulator and get the same results. Just make sure you can it serviced from your local dealer, that should be a key factor.

 

[jazrit1988]

Hi Jazrit,

There's a few guys up your way that dive on a regular basis just go here: & introduce yourself & keep your eyes on that section cause we post there all the time about dives we're going to do & you're welcome to join us.

John

Thanks I definitely will. I already saw the dives this weekend, but I will be diving at Santa Cruz Island, Leaving out of Santa Barbara.

 

[jazrit1988]

Between the Nekton and the Ranger, I'd go with the Ranger. Its a quality back inflate, which could very well last a lifetime. Every Sunday 8:00am a group from Dive Vets goes out at the Marineland dive site in Palos Verdes. A bit of a drive for you, but they are a good bunch of people "in and out of the water". Also my buddy and I usually get one or two dives in during the work week. If you ever feel like exploring some spots in Palos Verdes, shoot me a PM. We have some gorgeous reef systems down here on the peninsula. Some require some difficult hikes down and up unestablished trails, but they are well worth the effort. Welcome to Scubaboard

I like the ranger for its durability, but the nekton is easy for travel. Its still a toss up.
My uncle lives in Redondo Beach, He tells me the dives in PV are good. Do you post when your going to go dive? I'm really interested in exploring all that California has to offer. Thanks