Shore diving LA/OC area, early Jan

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

metalheadluigi

Registered
Messages
37
Reaction score
17
Location
Los Angeles
# of dives
50 - 99
Hi All,

You guys gave some great recommendations for a charter I ended up booking for my stay in So Cal this holiday season. I was also hoping to get in some LA/OC shore diving (conditions dependent of course).

A little about me:
I have 39 dives under my belt, 33 of those are California "cold-water" dives. Monterey/Carmel area dives have been my usual dive sites as of late. I am comfortable and competent in moderate depths (up to ~75ft) with typical California beach surf entries/exits.

I've heard great things about Shaw's Cove, Veteran's Park, Old Marine Land, etc. Let me know if you are a local willing to show around a fellow CA diver or would recommend a particular dive site.

Looking at the 3rd or 4th of Jan 2019.
 
The interesting part of vets tends to be a bit deeper( but its a grab bag you never know)... Old Marineland is good but sorta condition sensitive ( swell vis.... long walk and rock entry, Shaw's is really a few places... divers cove, rockpile.... good shallow dives get your bearing before you drop. a day in Catalina never sucks...
I'd want to chat more but I'd prob be around and willing to be a buddy...
 
I live in Laguna Beach and have been diving Shaw's Cove for 51 years. Weather/sea conditions depending it is usually a very pretty dive. Other spots are better but timing is everything. I should be around those dates unless my wife has made plans for me I am as yet unaware of. Happy to play it by ear and see if we can make a dive happen. Mark
 
I'd be down to do a nightdive at Redondo Beach Veteran's Park on the 4th. Squid eggs should still be there.
 
@Scuba Lawyer :

I live in Laguna Beach and have been diving Shaw's Cove for 51 years. Weather/sea conditions depending it is usually a very pretty dive. Other spots are better but timing is everything. I should be around those dates unless my wife has made plans for me I am as yet unaware of. Happy to play it by ear and see if we can make a dive happen. Mark
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@metalheadluigi

What an offer! One that you cant refuse ! You can't find a better Orange County guide

Mark is in my opinion the most experienced knowledgeable diver in Orange county ! He was born in Laguna right on the beach, and he lives and has lived in Laguna all his life right on the beach

Mark was raised in a water oriented family; his father Bob was an active vintage diver, his uncle was Hobie Alter- world famous for is surfing ,surf boards and sail boat the 'Hobie Cat' . Mark certified Hobie as NAUI diver and Hobie taught Mark how to sail-- Yes It can be said that Mark is true waterman and is a divers diver

Mark s a vintage NAUI instructor, and a vintage SSI Platinum Pro 5000 diver, (over 5000 recorded dives) Only three on the SCUBA board, me, @Trace Malinowski and now Mark !

Mark is currently involved producing Sea Hunt Forever which will occur during the first week end in March 2019 in Silver Springs. Florida

Yes Mark is a diver's diver - not a person who just dives !

You are so fortunate that he offered to dive with you - An offer you can't refuse

Now that's my humble opinion

Sam Miller, III
 
My favorite spot in OC is Reef Point. You enter in the cove and turn right when you get to about 30-35 feet deep and swim a few minutes to the reef. I've dived there probably a couple of thousand times. The only problem is that you used to be able to park along PCH (Pacific Coast Hwy for you foreigners) and walk down the road. Now you have to pay $15 and walk about an extra 1/2 mile just to get to the road. I was so irritated at the state for ruining it that I bought a boat and got there that way instead. That turned out OK because I started doing two-tank dives instead of only one. Unfortunately I don't have my boat any more but I'm thinking about getting another one and I'm too old to do the extra 1/2 mile walk. Even when the surf is 7-8 feet it's usually so smooth that entry and exit is fairly easy but watch the double breakers near the shore as they can clobber you. I've seen visibility there well over 40 feet but usually it's about 15-25 feet.

Shaw's Cove is a perfectly good dive site too and I've been there quite a few times :) Like Sam said, you are very fortunate to have gotten such a great offer from Scuba Lawyer. Laguna Sea Sports is only a couple of blocks from the cove so you can rent tanks etc easily.
 
Thanks for the write-up Sam! Should I PayPal you or just hand you cash like usual? :)

Congrats to all the PlatinumPro5000 Divers and Instructors on the board! I recall that Sam and Jeannie Bear Sleeper sponsored me. Mark
 
Hi all,
As with my last post, the SoCal sub is active and ready with great suggestions. I've reached out to Scuba Lawyer with my contact info, as well as mbrownsen. Hopefully, between the two, I'll figure out a good time to dive with someone. CLoP, truth be told, I haven't done a night dive yet, and since I've never been to Redondo beach, it may be prudent to not try two new things at once. I do however appreciate the general openness to buddy up.
 
Hi all,
As with my last post, the SoCal sub is active and ready with great suggestions. I've reached out to Scuba Lawyer with my contact info, as well as mbrownsen. Hopefully, between the two, I'll figure out a good time to dive with someone. CLoP, truth be told, I haven't done a night dive yet, and since I've never been to Redondo beach, it may be prudent to not try two new things at once. I do however appreciate the general openness to buddy up.

Redondo is pretty much flat sand until you get to the canyon edge, in which case it's slowly descending flat sand. It's about as perfect as one can get for their first night dive, although because there's no reef what you see can be hit or miss. Usually though you'll find lots of critters hanging about.

Shaw's isn't the best dive in Laguna, but it's among the easiest because it's an out-and-back reef, so navigation is a snap. It's a healthy reef though, so while it's not the best it's definitely a great dive.

Personally, I like entering at south/east Shaws (opposite where most divers go) and doing a navigation around the reef into Fisherman's. It's a really shallow dive but there often gigantic schools of fish hanging out in Fisherman's, like this one I recently recorded.

If you do dive in Shaw's, consider spending a little time away from the main reef in the shallow sand. It's usually loaded with rays and flat fish that are fun to discover.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom