SoCal: Who do you dive with and how often?

[Arnaud]

Hey guys!

It took me a while to realize that the Pacific may be cold for skin swimming (and even there, I know not everybody will agree), but was perfectly fine, and possibly even great, for diving year-round (unless, like this week end, we have 10 ft breakers and runoffs all over).

Before (meaning, before I got addicted), I would only dive in the Spanish Mediterranean during Summer with a group of regulars with our LDS.

Now, I've gone to Catalina, took some specialty courses at Malibu Divers to get used to the local conditions here, and I want more! Unfortunately, while I make a more than decent living, I can't go and spend $500 every week end to go to Catalina. Also, I live in Hollywood. The idea of getting up at 3 or 4AM to be at the boat at 6AM is sort of outside my scope of rec diving. So, a Catalina week end once a month is what I currently have on my schedule. Did I say I wanted more?

Most local clubs that I've checked online did not offer anything attractive to me: the "forced" social gatherings every week for drinks and appetizers and the one monthly dive.

So my questions are:

1. Do you guys dive every week end, weather permitting?

2. Who do you dive with?

Thanks!

 

[trymixdiver]

I dont get to dive north of laguna much, i just dont know the areas to go. Laguna and SD being my favorite, i usually do one or the other.

The main issue is parking at laguna. If you dont get there by 6am your gonna miss out on the close spots. You living in LA doesnt help that aspect, your gonna have to get up early.

The same goes for SD, if your not there by 6 am parking is somewhat a pain. Now that winter is upon us, that is in your favor, not as many people are diving as they are in the summer. I live 75 miles from La Jolla shores but i will get up early to make the trip to have a nice parking space. I usually get up at 4 am and load the car i am usually out the door by 4:20. That puts me in SD at 530am. Getting up early is all part of the fun for me.

a good rule of thumb is be there 15 to 30 min before first light if you want the choice parking spots. However, if you dont mind walking your gear alot then show up at 7 am. Dont forget there are alot of classes out of laguna, they show up early too.

I dont, but my friends dive every weekend weather permitting. Usually Cressant, Shaws, Brooks or Cleo st.

my divie buddies are John and Russ.

Andy

sorry about the rant on getting up early. Its no fun walking doubles farther than you have to.

 

[socaldiver]

I don't get the chance to do it as frequently a I use to because I am not in Socal for the time being.

Last year my g/f, a.k.a. my dive buddy, and I would either take the Express over to Avalon or go out on a dive boat every other weekend. When we took the Express we would normally get up around 5 and try to catch one of the early boats (we were living in the Pasadena area). More than likely though we would get to Avalon around 10, eat breakfast, suit up and get wet, eat lunch during SI and then do one more dive mid afternoon. We then would take the evening boat back to Long Beach. When we did the dive boat scene, if we were going out on the Aquatica, Manny wuld let us go down to the boat Friday night and sleep on it. The Pacific Star which is the otehr boat I used was a different story. We were not allowed to board her til 6 in the AM so the 4 o'clock routine was the order of the day in order to get over to Redondo in time to stow the gear and grab a decent bunk.

If you are looking for shore dives off the socal coast might I suggest you look up sandeaters website I am not sure what the actual url is but if you do a search for sandeaters I am sure you will come across it. They have a dive schedule posted and go diving every weekend, weather permitting. There is no obligation to be a part of them other than maybe contacting them by email to let them know you will be going. They might even be able to hook you up with a dive buddy.

Anyway, enjoy, sorry y'all got washed out this weekend. I saw the wave models yesterday and sort of figured things would be blown out this weekend.

You can always grab your skis and go to Mammouth. I hear they got nearly 2 feet of snow yesterday and they opened some of the ski runs :mean:

 

[Arnaud]

Thanks Andy!

If parking is the only reason why you get up early, isn't it possible to drop your gear and buddies and park further away?

 

[trymixdiver]

absolutly

If your diving singles you can drop the gear and leave your buddy with it. Some people carry all there gear to the sand and gear up down there. They have someone on the surface watching there gear during the dive. If your diving just a single tank most people will walk it from the car, the gear is not too heavy for that. We were diving double 112s and a deco bottle so those stairs were a killer. I would like to see the diver that can put on his doubles when they are sitting on the ground. it just makes more sense to get there early and use the tailgate.

Also, avoid diving stickers on your cars in Laguna. I swear the criminals must watch from a distance and as soon as your hitting the water, they are breaking into your car. Dont leave anything in your car you want to keep.

happend to me and i hear it happens down there more than it should. They punched a hole in my car door to jimmy the lock. So on top of stealing my wallet, sun glasses, phone, and new watch they damaged my F****ing car too.

Andy

It would have made "you gotta See this" if i saw they guy. Picture this: A guy in a drysuit running running down the PCH chasing the Bast*** who stole his wallet while he was diving. Iwould have caught Carl Lewis i was so pissed and fired up.

 

[Arnaud]

Sorry for your car. I'll be sure to remember you story if I get over there.

SoCal, I'll check the other dive ops. So far, I've only been on the King Neptune. I will definitely look the sandeaters up.