Tips for diving the CA coast.

[Tessunderwater]

I live in the Gulf Coast but i have family in San Diego. I would love to do a dive trip in So Cal the next time I'm down, all my research has said the water can be cold. Anyone have any advice on what the best strategy is as far as wet suit diving and where the best diving is whether it be shore or boat doesn't matter. Any tips are great!

 

[on_two_wheels]

Best advice: Dive dry.

Plan B: 7mm with 3mm vest, hood, 3-5mm gloves.

Plan C: 7mm suit, hood and gloves.


Diving: If you're advanced and in San Diego, Wreck Alley is a great time. Vis can be very low and currents can change rather quickly. Still, the Yukon is a great dive. Marissa and Lois Ann are great boats for this area.

Long Beach/San Pedro/LA area, the Sundiver Express and Magician are GREAT boats!! Both usually find excellent sites and never rush you.

The Catalina Express can take you to the island to dive Casino Point dive park. Good times!! Fill station right at the park on weekends, a cafe is steps away. Not much shade, though. Steps go right into the water for easy entry/exit. Underwater there's a few artificial reef sites (sail boat, glass bottom boat, etc). The kelp and marine life are abundant here usually. You can go out at 6:15a and be back by 5p doing 3-4 dives and eating after while still on island. Or you can just stay the night but not much going on after 8-9p during the week.

If you're beach diving, La Jolla Cove and Shaw's Cove (Laguna Beach) are pretty popular. Surf conditions at Shaw's can get prohibitive at times. I don't do much shore diving so I'll leave others to make much better suggestions on this one.

 

[NateSmith]

Depending on your size, I'd say go with a 7-mil. I've had friends do it in a 5, but that's not enjoyable for me. If you're comfortable diving dry, go for it.

 

[on_two_wheels]

Just read your profile. Seeing you're a new diver, I'd HIGHLY recommend Casino Point.

 

[diver_doug]

I have very little body fat and I'm still okay with a wetsuit (for winter; 7mm wetsuit, 5mm hood, 3mm vest, 5mm gloves, socks, 6mm boots). I wouldn't say that I'm warm and toasty in that, but I'm definitely not shivering. Drysuit for winter is best, but you can definitely dive wet.

For shore diving in San Diego, check out La Jolla Cove and/or La Jolla Shores (cove has more to see, but shores has: better parking, closer fill shop, and typically somewhat better conditions). Overall I definitely like the Cove better, but it's really a matter of preference. The info you get from the lifeguards regarding conditions isn't always completely accurate, but it's certainly better than nothing: 619-221-8824

I'd also recommend Laguna...best sites IMO would be Diver's cove, Heisler Park, Shaws cove and Crescent bay. You can check conditions through Laguna Sea Sports at: | Beach Cities Scuba or 949-494-6965.

And like others have said, Casino Point at Catalina is great.

 

[ItsBruce]

The info on wetsuits and locations is good. I have nothing to add on those points. However, you might want to have a very experienced buddy or DM as a buddy. If you are not used to the restrictiveness of a 7mm wetsuit with a hood and gloves, you might find yourself out of your comfort zone. If you are not used to diving in or among kelp, you might find yourself out of your comfort zone. Put those together and you might find yourself in a bit of a bind. Once you are experienced in 7mm and kelp (3 or 4 dives is often sufficient), it is an easy dive, but until then, it can be a challenge. OTOH: once you can dive kelp in 7mm, you can dive pretty much anywhere without fear.

 

[pfulks]

Catch Sea Bass charters to the oil rigs off san pedro. its a beautiful site, You may be used to rigs from the gulf, but this is a totally different experience here.

 

[Tessunderwater]

Thanks guys! I'll defintely check out casino point next time i'm there. I don't have anyone that dives on that side of the coast so I was planning on getting a DM to dive with me, especially since the conditions can be different. I am small and get cold pretty easy so I'll probably try a 7mm full body semi dry with a hooded vest and of course boots and gloves. We have a few fresh water springs in the FL panhandle that are always in the mid to upper 60's year round and serve as great places to try out new gear. Appreciate all the advice!

 

[on_two_wheels]

Make sure you post on here when you're heading this way for some diving. Shouldn't be hard to find you an experience local to join you. Just be aware of the difficulty ratings of some sites mentioned. Ask around and dive within your skill set. Diving here isn't to be taken lightly but is an excellent experience. If I'm off, I'm always game to show a visitor around Casino Point.

 

[surfinusa555]

The temps are pretty chilly right now. If you're used to warm water, maybe you should rent a wetsuit before buying, to make sure you can stand the temperatures wet. As an example, over the last two weeks I've recorded anywhere from 52-59 degrees along the Palos Verdes and Malibu coasts. You can find both good shore dives and good boat dives out here. Maybe you should try some of both!