Southern California visit

[plife]

I am going to attend a class at PADI HQ the last weekend of this month, July 29th and 30th. I was thinking that if I arrive a couple of days earlier, or left a few days later, I could dive.

Two options present themselves:

Given:
1. I will be alone and don't know where to dive.
2. I won't have my gear with me, because it is far away in No. Cal and I am in New Mexico right now.

Option 1:
Shore dives. I assume I can rent gear at a dive shop and get some dive location and conditions info from them, but which one to go to? If anyone has any good ideas, I can phone ahead.

Option 2:
My second idea was to try to get a 1-day (or more) dive out of Santa Barbara on one of the boats. I have been on them before for multi-day dives but always with groups, so I am not even sure of the costs or if it is possible. I looked at the websites and they do not give much info. It looks like you have to contact whoever has chartered the boat.

If you know of an option 3, I would love to hear it.

Thanks

Patti

 

[jk47]

Patti,

There are many boats out of areas further south as well that go to the channel islands, the oil rigs, etc. There is also the ferry to Catalina to the dive park or sites out of the other harbor. I will PM you a dive shop suggestion...

Enjoy your trip!

 

[pasley]

Regarding option 1. Only 3 shops in SoCAL that I know of rent all the required gear (mask, fins, tank, suit, computer, regulator) at a cost of about $100.00 per day. Most dive shops rent regulators, tanks, computer and suits.

As for boats, the Peace out of Ventua is awsome and runs on Wednesday through Sundays. One of the few weekday boats. Sundiver and Great Escape are good Los Angeles Area boats but normally only run on weekends. Sundiver has added another boat to their stable since I left and I don't know their schedule fot the new boat.

As for being alone, this board is often a good place to find a dive buddy. Recommend posting a tad bit more about your dive history to find a partner. Of course you can always hire a dive companion too.

Good luck to you and I hope your trip brings you good diving conditions, a good buddy and a great adventure, and your business trip goes well too.

 

[plife]

Thanks, Pasley.

The system won't let me enter any dive profie right now, it is being fixed they say. I am a PADI MSDT instructor. I have been diving since 1986. I used to live in No. California and most of my diving has been shore diving in the Monterey/Carmel area.

I recently moved to New Mexico (very recently) and am teaching scuba at a shop here now, but my gear is still in No. Cal. where my ex is holding it hostage. I can probably bring the gear I am using from the dive shop here, but I don't have my 7mm suits or dry suits.

I was looking into diving the Peace, that is a great idea. Maybe I will just call them. I have been out on that boat several times before.

Thanks again

Patti