San Diego dives

[KrisR]

Hi,
Iv been very quiet over the pandemic as I now have a 10 month old and have severely limited my travels due to covid. However iv booked a solo Guadalupe trip at the end of July. ( My wife booked an shopping trip first- so only fair .)
I will be arriving into San Diego the day before and I don’t need to be picked up until 9pm for the departure to Mexico.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a dive company where I can see the usual suspects ( Garibaldi , kelp forests etc)
And if possible get 4 dives in - in my day before pick up. My knowledge of the area isn’t great but was hoping to get as much diving in as possible- in a day.

Thanks for any help,
All the best,
Kris

 

[happy-diver]

Well whatever it is you do for energy I'll have what you're having

Are you being driven to Mexico or does that plan of yours come
under the umbrella of flying before, and during, and after diving

 

[KrisR]

Well whatever it is you do for energy I'll have what you're having

Are you being driven to Mexico or does that plan of yours come
under the umbrella of flying before, and during, and after diving

Hi,

Yeah il get the bus down at night, so no issues with decompression plus Il have 18 hours to catch up on sleep and beers on the way to Guadeloupe lol .

Never dived in California so just wanted to get as much in as possible, might only be able to get 3 dives in but hopefully get a recommendation of a good dive company.

Cheers

 

[Sam Miller III]

@KrisR

FYI,,,
An old post -- a must see - must do
A dive into history -- where it all began...
So many years ago, with the Bottom Scratchers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"La Jolla Cove-- Where it all began

There are a number of vintage books devoted to spear fishing, the most desireable and rarest is of course Gilpatrics "Complete Goggler," published in 1938.

Equally rare, perhaps even rarer are vintage magazine articles. The 1949 National Geographic magazine artcle "Goggle fishing in California Waters," Vol ZCV #5,May 1949, is considered by most serious magliophile/bibliophile as the fountainhead of magazine articles devoted to spear fishing.

And it all took place in LA Jolla Cove

Universally known as the "Bottom Scratcher issue," Pages 615 to 632 is jammed packed with with the photograpy of Lamar Boren, who later gained fame as the photographer of the Sea Hunt series, there are 7 B&W photographs, 12 "natural color" photographs (in 1949 color photography was in it's infancy) and with a text written by professional National Geographic staff member. This issue should be on every collector/historian bucket list.

There is a historical significance of articles and books of this era that provide a glimpse in to a the genesis of the sport and should be cherished as great historical documents...The crude early Churchill fins; the homemade equipment; the masks, the jab sticks (pole spears) the lack of thermal protection...All these items were in the process of future development.

So by visiting and hopefully diving La Jolla Cove you are diving "where it all began" in California by the Bottom Scratchers spear fishing club - One of the most historical diving locations in the world.

LA Jolla Cove was also the location of the famous GWS attack during the summer of 1959 when skin diver Robert Pammerdin lost his life-

Only a few remain who were participants of that bygone era and they are rapidly dwindling in numbers, soon they all will be gone... Enjoy a historical dive at the cove

Enjoy California, bring lots of $$$ and don't be alarmed at paying $5.00 for a gallon of gas

Sam Miller, III

I would also suggest that you visit the Scripps aquarium just a few miles north

DD

 

[KrisR]

@KrisR

FYI,,,
An old post -- a must see - must do
A dive into history -- where it all began...
So many years ago, with the Bottom Scratchers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"La Jolla Cove-- Where it all began

There are a number of vintage books devoted to spear fishing, the most desireable and rarest is of course Gilpatrics "Complete Goggler," published in 1938.

Equally rare, perhaps even rarer are vintage magazine articles. The 1949 National Geographic magazine artcle "Goggle fishing in California Waters," Vol ZCV #5,May 1949, is considered by most serious magliophile/bibliophile as the fountainhead of magazine articles devoted to spear fishing.

And it all took place in LA Jolla Cove

Universally known as the "Bottom Scratcher issue," Pages 615 to 632 is jammed packed with with the photograpy of Lamar Boren, who later gained fame as the photographer of the Sea Hunt series, there are 7 B&W photographs, 12 "natural color" photographs (in 1949 color photography was in it's infancy) and with a text written by professional National Geographic staff member. This issue should be on every collector/historian bucket list.

There is a historical significance of articles and books of this era that provide a glimpse in to a the genesis of the sport and should be cherished as great historical documents...The crude early Churchill fins; the homemade equipment; the masks, the jab sticks (pole spears) the lack of thermal protection...All these items were in the process of future development.

So by visiting and hopefully diving La Jolla Cove you are diving "where it all began" in California by the Bottom Scratchers spear fishing club - One of the most historical diving locations in the world.

LA Jolla Cove was also the location of the famous GWS attack during the summer of 1959 when skin diver Robert Pammerdin lost his life-

Only a few remain who were participants of that bygone era and they are rapidly dwindling in numbers, soon they all will be gone... Enjoy a historical dive at the cove

Enjoy California, bring lots of $$$ and don't be alarmed at paying $5.00 for a gallon of gas

Sam Miller, III

I would also suggest that you visit the Scripps aquarium just a few miles north

DD

Hi,

I’d seen LA Jolla Cove as a dive site that a few centres listed- i will try to make sure to get a dive there now.

Thanks for the tips.
Kris

 

[Esprise Me]

Four dives in one day in San Diego is...ambitious. I did a tropical liveaboard with five dives a day that left me less tired than a local SoCal 2 or 3 tank day boat or a single beach dive does.

And am I understanding correctly that it's been a while since your last dive? What's your prior California dive experience? Are you bringing a drysuit? When is your trip?

It might be theoretically possible to cram in four dives on the Marissa, if you're there on a weekend. Capt. Lora sometimes runs two charters of two tanks each in Mission Bay, one in the morning, the other in the afternoon. Many of those charters are going to Wreck Alley, where you can see the Yukon, Ruby E., NOSC Tower, and other cool stuff; sometimes they just go to nice kelpy fishy areas. But the trips are definitely not planned with the idea that anyone is going to do both in one day. She may be doing two double-headers on the Yukon the day you're there, if she's going out at all. The Yukon sits in about 100 feet of water, which is typically about 55 degrees at depth, with visibility ranging from 20-60 feet most days and often changing dramatically within a single day. There may be swells and/or currents. There will be no guide in the water with you. There will be no "inside" area on the boat for you to warm up, though she's generous with the hot tea and Cup O'Noodles. It's one of my favorite places on earth to dive, but no way would I go back to back on the same day.

I may have some saner suggestions if you tell us more about who you are and what you're looking for.

ETA: Just saw your subsequent post that you've never dived in California. Have you dived elsewhere in cold or temperate water? I know this is a solo trip, but are you a solo diver? Are you comfortable winging it with an instabuddy and no guide at an unfamiliar site?

 

[KrisR]

Four dives in one day in San Diego is...ambitious. I did a tropical liveaboard with five dives a day that left me less tired than a local SoCal 2 or 3 tank day boat or a single beach dive does.

And am I understanding correctly that it's been a while since your last dive? What's your prior California dive experience? Are you bringing a drysuit? When is your trip?

It might be theoretically possible to cram in four dives on the Marissa, if you're there on a weekend. Capt. Lora sometimes runs two charters of two tanks each in Mission Bay, one in the morning, the other in the afternoon. Many of those charters are going to Wreck Alley, where you can see the Yukon, Ruby E., NOSC Tower, and other cool stuff; sometimes they just go to nice kelpy fishy areas. But the trips are definitely not planned with the idea that anyone is going to do both in one day. She may be doing two double-headers on the Yukon the day you're there, if she's going out at all. The Yukon sits in about 100 feet of water, which is typically about 55 degrees at depth, with visibility ranging from 20-60 feet most days and often changing dramatically within a single day. There may be swells and/or currents. There will be no guide in the water with you. There will be no "inside" area on the boat for you to warm up, though she's generous with the hot tea and Cup O'Noodles. It's one of my favorite places on earth to dive, but no way would I go back to back on the same day.

I may have some saner suggestions if you tell us more about who you are and what you're looking for.

ETA: Just saw your subsequent post that you've never dived in California. Have you dived elsewhere in cold or temperate water? I know this is a solo trip, but are you a solo diver? Are you comfortable winging it with an instabuddy and no guide at an unfamiliar site?

Hi,

Yeah I’ve got lots of experience with cold water diving. I dive in Scotland with my drysuit but generally if the waters warmer than 14degrees il be fine for multiple dives in a 5mm wetsuit. ( I don’t really feel the cold/ In Galapagos everyone wore 7mm and I was in shorts and a rash vest. 4 dives per day and no issues over the 10 days.) So for 1 day of diving I wasn’t going to bother with my drysuit, but I have the luggage allowance so I could easily just bring it with me.

I have zero solo diving certifications so was hoping to get a recommendation for a company that ran trips. I can’t remember the name now- but there was a company that did 2 boat dives in the morning and one in the afternoon. I was just hoping to buddy with some other divers. The trip is at the end of July (think the 23rd.)

I only have 1 day which I can dive -which was why I was putting out feelers to see if it would be possible to do 4- but I think 3 might be the max.

Really appreciate the response,

Cheers,
Kris

 

[scubadada]

Hi @KrisR

I would contact Marissa Charters Marissa Charters | Charter Boat | Scuba Dive San Diego and Waterhorse Charters San Diego Scuba Diving & Party Cruising | Waterhorse Charters closer to your travel date and see what they could do for you on the day you have available. Both are quite good, I have more dives with Marissa.

 

[KrisR]

Hi @KrisR

I would contact Marissa Charters Marissa Charters | Charter Boat | Scuba Dive San Diego and Waterhorse Charters San Diego Scuba Diving & Party Cruising | Waterhorse Charters closer to your travel date and see what they could do for you on the day you have available. Both are quite good, I have more dives with Marissa.

Awesome thanks for the tip- I definitely will.

Kris

 

[scubadada]

Awesome thanks for the tip- I definitely will.

Kris

I would plan on a dive temp of 11-13, often closer to 11 for me