Southern California group trip.

[heymonkey]

Alright, Count me in! Does anyone have any input on clean and affordable lodging on the island? I've checked out some websites, but was hoping one of you had some further info based on first or second-hand experience. Sometimes it helps to hear things from the customer viewpoint instead of official sites and businesses. I'm hoping to keep costs down if possible. In any case, I'm looking forward to meeting some of you and -of course- good diving! I should be in town by Friday afternoon. I'm also bringing one of my usual buddies. See you all out there...

:wanna:

 

[drbill]

peterw- CDS air station right at Casino Point can fill yoke and DIN tanks to full pressure (3500 for DIN) for $5. Tanks are available for rent although I don't know how many HP tanks they have there.

SCUBA Luv in town can do Nitrox fills although you have to schlep the tank back into town. Don't know what their turnaround time is.

Heymonkey- Since I live here I rarely use the hotels. Atwater is reasonable and in town, Seaport Village and Cloud 7 also. Hermosa is probably the cheapest, but you might have to buy a "I survived the Hermosa Hotel" t-shirt afterwards. On the other hand a former VP of The Cousteau Society used to spend his birthdays there.

Dr. Bill

 

[Frank O]

drbill once bubbled...
SCUBA Luv in town can do Nitrox fills although you have to schlep the tank back into town. Don't know what their turnaround time is.

I knew a diver who encountered an issue there once (about a year ago?) regarding tank labeling. If memory serves, they wanted to see a big, green NITROX sticker on the outside of the cylinder. Most divers I know use a plain cylinder with a small replaceable label showing fill date, psi and percentage, etc.

 

[Mo2vation]

drbill once bubbled...
Hermosa is probably the cheapest, but you might have to buy a "I survived the Hermosa Hotel" t-shirt afterwards....

We stayed there for our DIR/F. Ooofah - not fun.

Stayed at the Atwater last weekend for the first time...very pleased.

K

 

[Arnaud]

Frank O once bubbled...


I knew a diver who encountered an issue there once (about a year ago?) regarding tank labeling. If memory serves, they wanted to see a big, green NITROX sticker on the outside of the cylinder. Most divers I know use a plain cylinder with a small replaceable label showing fill date, psi and percentage, etc.

Scuba Luv uses the partial pressure method for Nitrox. They need O2 clean tanks dedicated for Nitrox and those have to be marked accordingly.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the fill station at the park does not understand what Nitrox is and has banned outright filling nitrox tanks with air, even though the risk of an explosion with EAN<40% is inexistant...

If you want Nitrox for the whole WE, you'll have to rent the tanks from Scuba Luv (they only have Steel 72's) and bring them in a cab to the Point.

 

[scubaxris]

I guess I will have to make those reservations sooner that later. I just received an email from a dive club in Orange County and they are also planning on being there on the 15th. Should be a good day to be on the island. When things get out of hand we can blame them!! So could me in. I’ll be on the 8:30 boat form Long Beach.

Frank-O and Mo-I did my DIR-F there this past July. If you guys are going to do a skills dive I would like to come along…just no video this time
Christopher

 

[peterw]

I was about to book a reservation and noticed that there are two destinations Avalon and Two Harbors. Where am I going Avalon or Two Harbors? I think Avalon right?

Thanks

 

[Arnaud]

peterw once bubbled...
I was about to book a reservation and noticed that there are two destinations Avalon and Two Harbors. Where am I going Avalon or Two Harbors? I think Avalon right?

Thanks

Well, you can go to 2 Harbor and hike to Avalon. It'll probably take you at least a day with all your dive gear

or

You just take the ferry to Avalon, then a cab to the Point...

 

[lragsac]

Frank O once bubbled...
I'd be happy to join y'all, but since I'm signed up for a Fundamentals class 11/21-23, I've reserved the weekend of 11/15 to polish skills (S-drills, valve drills, backwards kicks, etc). If anyone thinks doing this at Casino Point on the 15th would be as much fun as you can imagine having in the water, let me know! ;-)

Actually, Frank O, I (divingyogini, and also a friend of Dr. Bill's) am hoping to head out to Avalon the weekend of 11/15-11/16, although I think I can only dive on Sunday a.m. I'd be happy to practice skills with you prior to your DIR-F class, as long as it isn't in the thick of the kelp. In fact, I'm itchin' to get in the water with some other DIR-minded folks.

 

[Mo2vation]

I'm so into this.

I'm going over early, and will likley do an AM dive after breakfast with Wrink. We should plan on one of the mid day dives to be a skills dive - drills, kicks, trim, buoyancy, etc.

I'm leaving on the last boat, so my schedule will likely be this:

* 6:15 AM boat over. Drop gear at the point, walk back into town for a light breakfast. Get back to the point about 10:00

* 1st dive: about 10:30

* the 10:00 boat people roll in to the point about 11:45 - 12:00

* 2nd dive: with 10:00 boat people at about 12:30

* Lunchola - Dockside Cafe

* 3rd dive: at about 2:00-ish ...maybe this will be the drillah in Manilla

* Very long SI, talk story, photos, with a twilight dive at about 5:30-ish

* dinner / Wrinkles Karaoke then home on the 8:50 PM boat

All of the above subject to change. But this is my losely crafted plan.


It should rock.

K