Santa Barbara Dive Conditions????

[Diver_Jan]

Hi Everyone,

I will be aboard a boat to Santa Barbara Island tomorrow night. Does any one know of the diving conditions there currently or where to look for conditions??? I would hate to get there, and have 0 viz. TIA

Jan

 

[aquavideo]

Jan:

I can't say for sure, but I live in Ventura and the water is the dirtiest I have ever seen it. There was a lot of runoff from the rain and there has been a huge swell. I doubt you will have good diving conditions this weekend.

 

[kelpmermaid]

To SoCal for better responses. Have you checked the swell map projections? Yikes! What does the captain of the boat say?

 

[CA Diver]

The LAguna Sea & Sports website listed the Shaws Cove conditions as:

Surf: 1 - 2 ft and Gooey
Surge: 3 - 4 ft
Visibility: -0

There is supposed to be a large swell heading this way as well, especially outside of Catalina. Check the wave forecast sites

 

[scubasean]

Surf: 1 - 2 ft and Gooey

what, exactly, is "gooey" surf?

 

[Diver_Jan]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Sounds like Santa Barbara Island and San Clemente Island will be out for the weekend. How about Catalina??? I will check it out. I know that viz in Catalina was still pretty good last weekend, even with all of the rain.

Regards,

Jan

 

[BrianM]

We were scheduled on the conception and got the call yesterday that the trip was canceled....I am thoroughly bummed !!!! I should have been diving right now and instead I had to work since I will use the vacation day some other time. I guess by me being here I am not getting much work done? haha

 

[aquagal]

Monterey bay doesn't look promising this weekend either.

I was booked on the Conception trip too. I knew the sea was really rough up here but I thought Santa Barbara would be more protected. Some of the group I was driving down with went to Santa Barbara anyway; I doubt they'll dive this weekend though.

 

[CA Diver]

Originally Posted by scubasean

what, exactly, is "gooey" surf?

I am only quoting the experts at Laguna Sea Sports. Personally I would rather not find out first hand.

 

[BrianM]

I checked with Truth Aquatics and they have another boat going out on the 16th & 17th of March.....the season ends on the 17th so it would still be a bug-hunt, as long as the weather doesn't mess things up again.

Aquagal: have you ever been to the Channel Islands before? This was going to be my first trip out there by boat.