San Diego diving

[mobeeno]

How is the diving a La Jolla cove for example. Is it a long surface swim from shore? Also do you recommend it for snorkeling. What is the vis like? My kids enjoyed snorkeling Catalina Island, is it just as nice?
Also looking forward to dive Wreck Alley how is the visibility this time of year?

 

[Hoomi]

For some great clips of dives around La Jolla, check out ScubaDubaDive's page on Youtube.

I'll be making my first dives in the area this week, so I can't share anything from experience (yet). The videos, however, make me wish I had unlimited time and budget to do far more than just the planned two dives on Thursday.

 

[dpbishop]

Diving in the Cove is pretty shallow until you get out by the 1st buoy, where it hits about 30 FSW, depending on the tide. That said, if the viz is good it's a very pretty dive, lots of fish, lobster, etc. to see. You might even see a Giant Sea Bass or two. It's a great place to snorkle as well. You can check the viz at the life guard beach report: (619) 221-8824. Another fun snorkel this time of year is in front of the Marine Room at the shores. The leopard sharks come in to laze around in the warm water and provide quite a thrill.

 

[scottfiji]

I've snorkeled at the la jolla cove before, it was a lot of fun.. I saw quite a few fish in 5ft of water as soon as I got in. Vis at the dive park is, however, almost always better.


have fun

Scott

 

[sarcher1]

It has been my experience that Catalina in way better is almost every way. Viz has been really poor recently in La Jolla. I dove the Shores and cove today and viz was not much more than 10 feet. Like others has have said, the Cove has a lot to look at with large rocks and kelp. A good size 7 gill shark was seen here as well as the Point Loma Kelp beds not to long ago cruising the area. The Shores is kind of a barren sand dive and it gets deep fast being on a submarine canyon. There is a semi nice wall that you can see a lot of bat rays, sheep head, horn sharks, seals, dolphins, schooling bait fish, crabs, swell sharks, horn sharks, Leopard sharks, and octopus. Or, you can see almost nothing but fields of Sand Dollars... I have a couple hundred dives and the shores and a maybe 10 at the cove for reasons really unknown to me.

 

[scubadancer2]

I'll be in San Diego the first week of August. Where is "the shores"? Is it a certain location. I"m trying to learn about the area a little before I get there. Also, what dive shop should I go to? I'd prefer Nitrox. Thanks all for your help

 

[ptyx]

Divebums - A San Diego Dive Website

La Jolla Shores

During the week end, parking is hell.

 

[whitelief]

So if you are snorkeling up by LaJolla (to borrow this thread for a moment) what do you recommend for wetsuit, if any? Shorty?

Thanks

 

[dpbishop]

So if you are snorkeling up by LaJolla (to borrow this thread for a moment) what do you recommend for wetsuit, if any? Shorty?

Thanks

3 mil wetsuit or shorty is good; although you can go without a wetsuit for a while in the summer.

 

[mobeeno]

Thank You everyone for your advice.
I ended up doing a couple of dives at the Yukon wreck. So glad the Marissa (boat) went out on a Thursday. The vis was about 30-40' according to the divers on the boat. I did not trust my compass near the huge metal wreck but did have any problem navigating with the good vis.
The crowd on the boat was very lively. Never seen so many divers wearing Mantaray APS dive fins on a single dive.