Like Merxlin said, if you like sealions and their pups, then Santa Barbara Island (SBI) should definately be on your to-do list. That is especially true this time of year when the rookery is chocked full of those pups. Cameras are a must! You should have similar experiences in early Sept as well. All they want to do is play, nip and fins, bark in your face, ect. The problem with SBI this time of year until the end of Sept though is that it can be a gamble as to if you make it there. And then even if you get there, would you be able to dive it. We were there last week and we got beat up pretty bad on the way out, and had limited spots to dive once there. The backside of the island, where all the really cool stuff like Rocky Pinnacles, Three Sisters, the Arches, the Outside Boilers and even Sutil Island had that nasty wrapping high current happening. Finger Rock and Brittle Star Reef on the front-ish side were also suffering from the current effect. That left us with the Rookery and White Cave for the most part. The best time of year to dive SBI would be between late Sept and Feb. The water is much clearer during these months. It's also prime lobster hunting season, which turns SBI into an equally prime bug hunting destination.
San Clemente Island (SCI) is no slouch though as an alternative. Water tends to be clearer and slightly warmer by a few of degrees this time of year. Really cool sites, but no rookery population to speak of though. There are a couple shallow wrecks to hit, but they have been pretty much destroyed over and over again my the millitary. While SCI has a higher chance of a boat making it out there, it is a millitary controlled island, and they do close the island down (as well as areas away from the island) from time to time for training purposes. They have a website that shows the schedule of the closures, but it almost never is followed. Last minute closures are normal for the island's security. SCI is known for it's cool UW reefs, walls, arches, boilers, UW artillary treasures (spent and not-so-spent rocket and gun shells and JATO charge cylinders) and cool yellow tail that ping to and fro all day long. The backside and eastern side of the islands have the more interesting sites for me. I love all the coves and points on the backside like Runway Kelp, Redbanks, Seal Cove and Swiss Cheese Reef. The eastern tip has great spots like East End Wall, Pyramid and China Point, Ordinance Reef and the Bluffs Anchorage. The front is great as well with Windowpane, MOsquito Cove, Fishook, Blockhouse Reef, Three Caves the famous Little Flower Wall.
With both of these islands, if you do get blown out from the diving enroute to, or once there, you have very little choice than to backtrack the boat to Catalina, where there are plenty of places to dive somewhat sheltered (usually). This extra travel time really cuts into your dive time unless you are on a multiple day trip - where you have the best chance of hitting either island (no time constraints) and can be doing MANY dives per day. It's the best bang for the buck if you have the time.
Travel time difference between the two islands...? it's typically about an hour more to SCI than SBI when leaving from the LA area.
