Recommendations for a first SoCal dive

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Rudebob

Contributor
Messages
232
Reaction score
3
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
# of dives
200 - 499
My son and I will be traveling to Orange County in November to check out a school he is considering attending next year. While over there I was hoping we might get a dive in on the weekend.

We are somewhat newbies and all of our dives have been in warm water locations (Caribbean and Sea of Cortez) so I would like our first cold water dives to be somewhat easy.

Are there any good dive locations (as in local beach) or boat charters that you would recommend we should try first? Also, we have 7 mil wetsuits but not 7 mil hoods. Will a 5 mil work or should we purchase 7 mils?

Thanks,

'bob
 
Go to Catalina. Contact Scuba LUV or Catalina Divers Supply, then take the Catalina Express to Avalon and have a great day diving. Your 5mm hoods should be fine for a few dives depending on your tollerance for 58 deg water (Surface 65-67).

You can dive in the park for free, just gear rental and air or take a local charter with one of the above ops.
 
The most popular location is Laguna Beach. You can check in at Laguna Sea Sports to get info on conditions. There are a number of good "first" beach dive locations along the Laguna coast. Shaw's Cove is one of the most often used and has fairly easy access from the street. Depth in the area doesn't get much past 35' to 50' with in swimming distance of the beach.

Here is a link to Laguna Sea Sports: Laguna Sea Sports
 
Hey 'bob,

I am still a newbie myself, with only about 48 dives. I went to SoCal last year, for the first time, when the water was still a little rough from a storm that had passed through. My husband and I dove La Jolla Shores, a fairly easy dive according to the books but I got knocked down in the surf zone, caught off guard by the force of the waves...and then I couldn't get back up. I just wanted to advise that if you aren't used to CA shore diving (I was and I still almost drowned that day), if the waves are anything but mild make sure you enter and exit the water with your reg in your mouth.

Other than that, the diving was great and we saw a giant black sea bass there at the drop off at LJS. Hope you have a fun a safe trip!:-)

Fuzz
 
.... Shaw's Cove is one of the most often used and has fairly easy access from the street. Depth in the area doesn't get much past 35' to 50' with in swimming distance of the beach.

Here is a link to Laguna Sea Sports: Laguna Sea Sports

If you dive there and find a prescription Atomic mask, let me know!;)
There has been some construction and access may be limited so be sure to check with Laguna (link above) first.
 
I'd say Catalina is probably your best bet for an easy first So Cal dive. The dive park is a great place to make your introduction to CA waters.
 
I agree that you should check out Catalina island and more specifically the dive park.
You can go there for the day or if you have the time spend the night in a hotel :D
 
I agree... easiest possible entry into SoCal diving has to be the dive park in Catalina. Take the ferry over, walk to Casino Point, rent gear, and dive! Entry is an easy walk down a staircase right into the water (although low tide gets a smidge trickier). Very popular spot for open water classes... if the beginners can handle it, so can you!
 
And if you don't feel like dragging your gear from the boat to the dive park you can drop by Catalina Baggage Co. and they'll pop it on their truck and take it over for you and even pick it up and take it back when you're done diving. They'll even store if for you if you're going to hang out on the island after diving before your return. All for the low low price of $8 per diver. Their shop is the last one on the left where you get off the boat. If you want their number send me a PM and I'll give it to you.

Hope you and your son enjoy the trip! :)
 
The dive park in Catalina is great, but there are a few things to be aware of. I think it is up to around $60 per person roundtrip on the ferry and I believe parking is up to $12 now at the Long Beach downtown terminal. There is also a Queen Mary terminal in Long Beach, a San Pedro terminal across the harbor and a Dana Point terminal down in Orange County. More than one diver has shown up at the Queen Mary terminal when they meant to go to the downtown terminal. The drive from Orange County to Long Beach is routine for locals, but can be daunting for an out-of-towner depending upon where you are from and the time of day you try and drive it.


You can take the Catalina Express out of Dana Point which is south of Laguna Beach, but it does not run as many times a day as the ones up north and the ride over is quite a bit longer. There is a Catalina Flyer (different company) out of Newport Beach that is just north of Laguna Beach, but it only runs once a day and isn't as nice a boat as the others.

If you decide to try Shaws Cove in Laguna Beach, Laguna Sea Sports offers guided tours of the cove that you might want to look into. You can walk to the cove from the shop and rinse off your gear afterwards in the shop's rinse tanks while taking a dip in the pool.

f you are in town on a Saturday, there is a group called South Coast Divers that meets at 7:30 a.m. at the Laguna Hills Mall and then heads into Laguna Beach to dive and grab a bite afterwards. They have new divers joining them all the time, but they rarely dive Shaws.
 

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