SoCal vacation in June

[drbill]

Since Catalina is my home, I'll add the following. Although conditions are not always ideal in June due to fog/clouds and particulates in the water, it is still much better than most mainland dive sites. The Casino Dive Park is in Avalon on the island's leeward side so swell is minimal and it is an easy entry thanks to the stairs leading into the water. Just watch out at extreme low tides since it can be a little difficult then.

The Dive Park has some great diving- good kelp forests, lots of rocky reef habitat and good sandy bottoms. And since it has been a marine reserve since the early 60's, it also has fairly abundant marine life. Why you might even run into a great white if you're lucky (don't worry, I've done well over 500 dives at that one site alone and never seen one, or anywhere else around the island while diving).

Avalon offers some options for the non-divers in the family too- beaches, restaurants, shopping (t-shirts?) so they shouldn't be disappointed. O came here in the late 60's and haven't left yet (although it's mainly because of the diving!).

Enjoy your stay. I'm in the Park almost every weekend and also weekdays that time of year. Feel free to ask if you want any information once you're there.

Dr. Bill

 

[rjens]

I am getting kinda excited about the trip. It looks like we'll be going over on Wed or Thursday. My wife doesn't dive, so she will be people watching. We are planning heading over in the morning, doing 2 dives, then site seeing. I do have one question. We will be bringing some gear, and renting some. Do you have any suggestions on what to do with our gear (a couple suitcases of BCs, Fins, Masks, etc) while we site-see?

Thanks in advance

 

[Arnaud]

There is a consignment at the harbor, just next to the ticket sales. If you rent stuff, you might also be able to leave your gear with the dive shop.

 

[drbill]

You're welcome rjens.

There are several locations with storage lockers including the Dive Park and the Island Plaza where the SCICo tour buses leave from (near the Vons Express store).

There is also a storage company at the boat terminal that will store luggage temporarily, but I think it is fairly expensive.

I've left lots of gear in the Dive Park while I dive and occasionally when I go back into town with no problem. Your mileage may vary.

DrBill

 

[kelpmermaid]

Actually, you can have your gear taken over to Casino Point from the Express terminal, then call for a pickup and have it taken back to the terminal for storage until your boat leaves. It usually runs about $6-8 bucks, depending upon how many bags, etc., and that is for the round trip (or one way, if you call just for the pickup.)

That said, the last time I did that - in January - the service was amazingly SLOW, and it wasn't because of a huge volume of traffic. If you are going to do that, give yourself plenty of time.

If all goes well, I might try this again at the end of the month, and I'll let you know if it has improved. During "the season," things might work more smoothly with summer staffing levels.

 

[Mo2vation]

There are these grubby guys with a stakeside truck (we named them the Sherpas) - they roll into the Casino, they pick up and schlep back to the Mole for about $6 a diver. They store behind the legit storage concession in a locked area.

A very large group used them, so we though we'd give them a try, on a whim, after waiting around for the legit guys to show up. It was perfect. These shade-tree-will-store-gear-for-food guys were the best. None of the usual "you're bag is too heavy" crap or the ever popular "is ALL that yours...?" nonsense I get from the cabs and the legit storage guys.

The Sherpas were some hard working, honest, enterprising guys with a stakeside truck. I love guys like this...

My second alternative is Armstrongs (best hardwood broiled fish in Avalon...) They have storage for dining divers. I dine early, and store and sort of leave when I'm done eating. I sort of show back up a few hours later when I'm ready to roll back to the boat and get my bag and cylinder. Been doing it for years - no complaints.

Third alternative is the hotel - if you're going overnight, all (every one I've been to...about 10 in all) the hotels will store gear for the day (for free) - even after check out. Some even provide a room to change in and clean your self up.

Be sure to check for AirFills - I've been there on weekdays and the Casino fill station is closed, or opened really late. More than once on a weekday I've had to schlep my cylinder to the pier for a fill / exchange.

ALSO - the Casino fill station has become nasty about Nitrox cylinders - they won't put air into them any more. So even if you have an old NOX cylinder you've sort of relegated for boat air or Casino air...forget about it. If you have a Nitrox band, part of a Nitrox band, a shred of a Nitrox band, a nitrox/Andi O2 clean sticker, a visual inspection sticker with green on it, a nitrox-labeled valve, a green cap for your valve...if there is the smallest shred of green on your cylinder, you'll get stoned at the fill station. I'm serious. I've been filling a banded cylinder there for years, until this year when they became gas nazis.

 

[kelpmermaid]

Mo2, are you sure we aren't talking about the same thing? The truck, guys, and storage location sounds the same. What makes you think they weren't the "legit" guys? I doubt that there is much room for "entrepreneurs" to use The Company's facilities...

 

[Mo2vation]

first off

* no name on the truck

* Truck was a mess - so were these guys

* no business cards so I could "call again next time..."

* negotiated their price

* no claim checks

* no storage facility...sort of a crudly fenced in area behind the snack bar) - that one of the guys sort of stood guard by.


Signs of a legit operation:

* Clean, marked pick-up vehicle

* Business cards with, oh, I dunno... the COMPANY NAME AND NUMBER

* Posted rates (like the real storage place)

* a real storage facility (like, INSIDE a building...like the legit place has)

* Printed claim checks (something resembling an organized business...like the legit place)

* A cash register, posted hours, etc, etc... all the stuff you expect to see at a business.


The Sherpas simply took our cash, wadded it up and said to come back and see them, behind the building, 20 minutes before the boat left.

No offense, but these guys were more like the guys in front of Home Depot, and nothing like Home Depot, you know what I mean...?

K

 

[kelpmermaid]

what's going on over there? A little moonlighting? I thought The Company controlled everything...and it's not exactly like there is a huge workforce or a vast number of similar trucks...things that make you go...hmmmmm...Was this the DIR-thing weekend? Weather wasn't supposed to be good - could the regulars have been unprepared? There should at least have been a claim check for one person in your party, though, with the phone number. The chainlink fence with the rolling gate behind the little store/regular baggage area is the normal storage area -- at least not uncommon for wet dive gear.
Was the regular area open? Think someone was making some money on the side? I was less than impressed the last time at the "regular place" -- bunch of guys hanging out, but it still took an eternity for gear to appear (okay, I exaggerate a tad here.) I'll see if I make it over...anxiously awaiting return of my drysuit..

 

[Mo2vation]

I was thinking the same thing. Moonlight madness, huh...?

Actually, it was a different weekend than the DIR-thing. I was there last weekend, and couldn't find the guys...I was bummed. I had to pay the cab extortion from Casion to the Mole, then pay the regular bag place their $12 for two gear sets...it started to add up! The walking back to town from the Mole after escorting my gear....aauugghh. It was so much easier with the Sherpas!

The Company does have a strong hand on thing, doesn't it. Maybe they threw the Sherpas off the island.

K