The Great Escape to Catalina

[EricJ]

I'm thinking about booking a trip on The Great Escape to Catalina in February.

I dove with The Bottom Scratcher twice. My first trip was excellent. On my second trip with them the boat was filled to capacity, and it was just way too crowded.

The Great Escape looks a little roamier, and it seems that the Bottom Scratcher and Great Escape's max number of divers is similar (yet The GE looks much bigger).

Any thoughts on the subject? Don't get me wrong, I loved the Bottom Scratcher; I just felt like they let more divers on the boat than what they could comfortably accomodate.

On some of the dates I'm considering, the booking will go through Sport Chalet. Will the DM's be Great Escape regulars or does Sport Chalet supply the DM's? Does it matter? :diver:

 

[radinator]

I've never dove the Bottom Scratcher, but I've been on the Great Escape many times, and like it a lot. Also, of the boats I have been on, the GE has by far the best food. Get there early and you may be able to grab a stateroom, which makes for an even better experience.

Captain Tim has been known to post on these boards, and on http://diver.net/bbs, which is always a plus as well. You can get your questions answered straight from the sea horse's mouth.

 

[EricJ]

Thanks for the info. The Great Escape sounds like a good outfit. I've booked the Catalina trip for Sunday, Feb. 13th through Sport Chalet.

 

[Mo2vation]

I'm thinking about booking a trip on The Great Escape to Catalina in February.

I dove with The Bottom Scratcher twice. My first trip was excellent. On my second trip with them the boat was filled to capacity, and it was just way too crowded.

The Great Escape looks a little roamier, and it seems that the Bottom Scratcher and Great Escape's max number of divers is similar (yet The GE looks much bigger).

Any thoughts on the subject? Don't get me wrong, I loved the Bottom Scratcher; I just felt like they let more divers on the boat than what they could comfortably accomodate.

On some of the dates I'm considering, the booking will go through Sport Chalet. Will the DM's be Great Escape regulars or does Sport Chalet supply the DM's? Does it matter? :diver:

Been on both a few times.

After I left my last dive on the BS I got a tetnus shot. That thing is a flaring Biohazard. Mix in the pipes and a cook who can't shut up and if every other dive boat in SoCal was lost to a storm, I'd still shore dive before going back on that floating haz mat.

The GE, on the other hand, is a fine, fine vessel. Roomy (although the deck plan could be organized better - see the PacStar for a boat with the same dimensions that give you about 3X the deck space) and the GE's galley rocks. I've never had a bad trip on the GE. It ain't the fastest, but it isn't the slowest, either. Get there early so you can stow under a bench, or else you're stashing your bag in the bow. Not the preferred set up.

My experience has been when booking on SC-chartered boats, the sites are often dumbed down because of all of the students they bring. I prefer to book through one of the local dive shops, as I can ask them if the boat is laden with a class full of newbies (read: Hen Rock for the 200th time...) or full of divers that have more than 25 or 30 dives under their weight belt (read: maybe we'll get to Ship Rock or one of the better sites...)

SC uses their booking service, and usually can't answer that question - its all churn and burn, baby. Fill the boats!

Anyway - boat diving beats shore diving any day (shore diving blows) so you're not going to have a bad day (so long as you stay off the Typhoid Scratcher) and go on the GE. The general experience of the divers on board will just determine, in a large part, if you're going to have a good day or a GREAT day.

GE - dig the rope lights. Very Playboy Mansion c 1974.

Tell TLM I said "Hey"...

---
Ken

My $.02

 

[EricJ]

Thanks, Mot2vation.

I'm looking forward to my dive with the Great Escape.

Being from the SLO area, I usually dive the northern Channel Islands, but I enjoy venturing a little further south and diving Catalina.

 

[Dips in]

Check with the people who have the charter, its up to them how many people they bring some cap it a 25 a lot of fun, some fill it to over 30 if they can squeeze them on so if you go with the Bottomscratcher or the Great Escape first thing you ask the shop is how many they will cap it at.

 

[mccabejc]

Anyway - boat diving beats shore diving any day (shore diving blows)

Oh no you DIDN'T !!!!

Shore diving blows?? You kiddin' me?

Okay, here's the deal:

Boat: Many $$$
Shore: Free

Boat: Rush like hell, and get there REAL early in the AM or you're screwed
Shore: Relaxed, take your time, get there whenever the hell you feel like it

Boat: At least 2 hours trip each way AFTER you get to the boat
Shore: Get to the beach and hop in

Boat: Cramped, nowhere to relax and lie down
Shore: Spread out on the beach and relax

Boat: The whole day is shot
Beach: Get a couple dives in and be home by lunch time

Boat: You're stuck on the boat no matter what
Beach: Had enough? Just hop in the car.

Although you do have a point. For the last month or so shore diving has blown bigtime. Which is why I'm sitting here instead of at the beach.

 

[Mo2vation]

Oh no you DIDN'T !!!!

Shore diving blows?? You kiddin' me?

Okay, here's the deal:

Boat: Many $$$
Shore: Free

Gas, parking, lunch, fills. Free? Please. Lets at least be honest about this.

Boat: Rush like hell, and get there REAL early in the AM or you're screwed
Shore: Relaxed, take your time, get there whenever the hell you feel like it

...Anyone? Anyone? OK - I'll take this one.
When is the last time you didn't wake up pre-dawn to get to a Wrinkles dive and have 10' of viz? Be Honest? Oh yeah, you did get did to dive 100 yards from the shore. Here's a hint: plan your drive, and drive your plan... you won't rush like hell to get to the boat.

Boat: At least 2 hours trip each way AFTER you get to the boat
Shore: Get to the beach and hop in

Get on a boat, go to sleep, wake up and flop in. No sand. No stairs. No surge. No diapers on the beach. No overrated Orange County dive sites. No walking half a mile in full gear, I could go on. Shore diving blows. The best shore dice in SoCal will never be as good as the best boat dive in SoCal.

Boat: Cramped, nowhere to relax and lie down
Shore: Spread out on the beach and relax

Ah... you've dove the Bottom Scratcher, too, I see.

Boat: The whole day is shot
Beach: Get a couple dives in and be home by lunch time

"Shot" Uh, OK. I hate being on the open ocean, looking at all that beauty. I especially hate poker and cigars at midnight on the top deck under the stars. I really hate hanging in the galley, talking story and having something warn to drink after an amazing 5 dive day. I'd much rather spend time on the 5 on OCal. You got me there, pal. :10:

Boat: You're stuck on the boat no matter what
Beach: Had enough? Just hop in the car.
[\quote]
Ah... you've dove the Bottom Scratcher, too, I see.

Although you do have a point. For the last month or so shore diving has blown bigtime. Which is why I'm sitting here instead of at the beach.

Shake the sand from your shorts and look at the diving by its self, man. Put aside your Bottom Scratcher "I can't believe I paid to go on this biohazard" bias and shake yourself. Have you ever been on one of the nicer boats to San Clements, Anacapa, Santa Barbara, St Nick or even Catalina?

Compare the complete diving experience. They fill your tanks, they feed you, you wake up and your on the dive site, you flop in and climb a ladder to get out. The sites are generally 100X to 100000000X nicer than anything along the coast, the marine life more abundant, the water cleaner, etc, etc, etc.

Shore diving blows. Its a cheap way to get wet. I want more out of my diving than simply getting wet. If you're cool with getting wet, rock on. If boat diving is out of pocket range, I get that too. So save up, eBay your play station and that worthless Al80 and book a trip to SBI and play with the sea lions, or book a trip to Anacapa and be amazed at the stuff you'll never see from a shore dive.

---
Ken

 

[mccabejc]

Gas, parking, lunch, fills. Free? Please. Lets at least be honest about this

Okay, I'll be honest. You pay gas whether you drive to a boat or the beach. Honestly. At least I do. Unless the captain picks you up at your house. And I never pay parking when I beach dive. Unless I take the express to Catalina, but that doesn't count. Okay, $5 for fills, but that's about it.

When is the last time you didn't wake up pre-dawn to get to a Wrinkles dive and have 10' of viz? Be Honest?

Okay, as difficult as it is, I'll be honest here too. The last Wrinkles dive in Leo Carillo we camped and woke up to the birds chirping, the warm Santa Ana breeze, and the smell of breakfast being cooked. Later we geared up and walked over to the beach and had a wonderful dive.

Usually we don't dive early in the winter, we usually sleep in. Summer, yes, you have to get there by 7am or 7:30. Boats typically leave much earlier, no?

Though, granted, some beach dives have bad viz, but you can pretty well predict what you're gonna get. Some are wonderful.

Oh yeah, you did get did to dive 100 yards from the shore. Here's a hint: plan your drive, and drive your plan... you won't rush like hell to get to the boat.

Huh?

Get on a boat, go to sleep, wake up and flop in. No sand. No stairs. No surge. No diapers on the beach. No overrated Orange County dive sites. No walking half a mile in full gear, I could go on. Shore diving blows. The best shore dice in SoCal will never be as good as the best boat dive in SoCal..

I don't wanna sleep on the boat. Can't wear my Winnie the Pooh jammies. Everyone laughs at me. But there is something to be said for the workout you get on a beach dive. Swimming out 300 yards after walking 300 yards with your gear on. I like it.

"Shot" Uh, OK. I hate being on the open ocean, looking at all that beauty. I especially hate poker and cigars at midnight on the top deck under the stars. I really hate hanging in the galley, talking story and having something warn to drink after an amazing 5 dive day. I'd much rather spend time on the 5 on OCal. You got me there, pal. [\quote]

You can do all that on the mainland. Except for the "open ocean" part. And you're going to spend your time on SOME freeway getting to and from the boat, no?

"Shake the sand from your shorts and look at the diving by its self, man. Put aside your Bottom Scratcher "I can't believe I paid to go on this biohazard" bias and shake yourself. Have you ever been on one of the nicer boats to San Clements, Anacapa, Santa Barbara, St Nick or even Catalina?

Nope. Only been on one boat. The Cee Ray. Didn't like it at all. Food sucked. And they gave you a styrofoam cup that you had to put your name on and keep throughout the trip. I think that damaged me psychologically.

"Compare the complete diving experience. They fill your tanks, they feed you, you wake up and your on the dive site, you flop in and climb a ladder to get out. The sites are generally 100X to 100000000X nicer than anything along the coast, the marine life more abundant, the water cleaner, etc, etc, etc. ?

But I don't care if it's easy, and people do stuff for me.

"Shore diving blows.?

Bites, maybe. But blows?

Its a cheap way to get wet. I want more out of my diving than simply getting wet. If you're cool with getting wet, rock on. If boat diving is out of pocket range, I get that too. So save up, eBay your play station and that worthless Al80 and book a trip to SBI and play with the sea lions, or book a trip to Anacapa and be amazed at the stuff you'll never see from a shore dive.

Now Ken, did somebody not take their nap this afternoon?

"eBay my Playstation"? "Worthless AL80"?

I sense there might be some unresolved issues at work here. Perhaps a bad experience? Maybe some wise a** kid on the beach laughing and pointing at you? "Hey, you !! Dive Boy !!" Trust me, that was an isolated incident

Join us some time. It will be fun. I was hoping to meet you at Leo Carillo, but SOMEBODY didn't show up. You would have had lots of fun.

 

[EricJ]

Let's all be nice now; both of you have made some good points. :07:

I do have to say, that I've had mostly VERY enjoyable experiences on my California boat dives.

In the summer, I'll do a week-day trip on the Spectre out of Ventura. For $72 - $75, they take you to Anacapa, fill your tanks, feed you lunch, take you to three differeent dive sites, and provide excellent DM's. Plus, I've never been with more than 20 divers. I have, however, had my trip cancelled because of too few divers, though. On average, there's been about 15 divers on a week day.

Weekend trips run between $85 and $95 and are usually fairly crowded.

Truth Aquatics out of Santa Barbara are also a nice outfit, and their boats are nice and roamy.

The Peace, too, is a really nice boat in my opinion. They're located in Ventura.

I can't speak for Southern California, but shore diving here in San Luis Obispo usually does "blow."

I'll have to settle the above argument myself by shore diving in So Cal sometime. I've been meaning to check out the marine perserve at La Jolla.