Tips for diving the CA coast.

[drbill]

Casino Point is a great introduction to kelp forest diving with all the amenities nearby in our small town of Avalon.

I dove a 3/2mm much of last winter, but I have some extra bioprene to keep me warm. The recommendation of a 7mm with hooded vest is a good one. You may not have a drysuit since you dive the Gulf.

 

[Ramsy]

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!

San Diego is cold water diving all year round. During the winter, water temps will range in the low 50's. In the summer, water temps will be in the high 50's to low 60's. 7mm wetsuit, 5 mm hood and 5 mm gloves are used by San Diego divers year round.

San Diego has two premiere shore diving locations, La Jolla Shores and La Jolla Cove. La Jolla Shores is a canyon/wall type dive. You surface swim 200 yards, drop into 20 feet of water and then follow the terrain down to about 40 feet. The canyon and the wall of the canyon will start at 40 feet. There are basically several levels of walls at the Shores. For example, at the southern part of the shores, there are walls at 50 to 60 feet, another at 70 to 80 feet and another at 90 to 100 feet. There is quite a bit of life at and around the walls. Contrary to other posts, the Shores has no kelp. There are fresh water showers, restrooms and free parking at the Shores. So, it is an ideal place to shore dive.

La Jolla Cove is about 2 miles by car from the Shores. The cove is a reef dive. Unlike the shores, there are no walls. What you are looking at will be a rocky reef bottom. There is quite a bit of life in the reef. The cove is a much shallower dive than the shores. Average depth will be around 45 to 50 unless you go way out. In general, visibility at the Cove tends to be not as good as the Shores. The Cove too has fresh water showers and restrooms on site. There is free parking also, but parking is much more limited. The Cove has kelp. However, there is not an overwhelming amount of kelp. On the surface swim, it is easy enough to navigate around the kelp. When you descend, I always look down first and make sure I am not dropping into kelp. Otherwise, I find the kelp at the Cove to be not much of a major "danger" factor.

When you are going to be in San Diego next, just post again. There are a lot of divers and diving groups in San Diego. I am quite sure you will have no problem finding experienced La Jolla Shores/Cove divers to dive with when you are out here.

 

[Tessunderwater]

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.

Thanks! I always believe in diving within limits, luckily our local dive shop here has great instructors who taught me if diving an unfamiliar area go with someone who has dove it before. I probably won't be back again until the summer but I've found that scubaboard has a ton of people available to dive with. Plus, diving with a buddy that has been to the site makes it more enjoyable since they know where a lot of the cool stuff is.

 

[MarineResearch]

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!

I just got back from diving in your neighborhood. There is definitely a huge difference between warm FL springs and cold CA conditions. Diving with a DM or other experienced diver is a good idea.

 

[ShakaZulu]

Don't need a DM...just post and I'm sure there will be a lot of locals that can show you around...anything like where to rent and what you need. You definitely need a light, it's dark and cold over here, but can be awesome. SoCal kelp is something to experience...

YouTube - Scuba San Diego La Jolla Cove Dive

 

[garyw90]

Like the others have said, it can be cold here, especially if you are used to diving in Florida. I just took a dry suit class at Sport Chalet so that I can rent a dry suit ($50 for the first day, $30 each day after) when diving. I'm tired of being cold. I dove with a 7mm wetsuit and recently a 3mm vest under that to maintain some tolerance to the cold. Be warned though, that if you do want to rent a dry suit from Sport Chalet, you need to show your PADI dry suit card.

Other than that, there are a lot of places to choose, whether it be the Casino, Wreck Alley in San Diego, or a dive boat from Long Beach or San Pedro. I think you could have as many choices diving here as when I have gone out to Florida (2 times). Choose what kind of diving you are comfortable with (boat or shore). I have gone on dive boats many times and found an insta-buddy, and I have gone to the Casino in Catalina and found people out there as well. Of course, neither is quite as enjoyable as having a connection or friend before going on the trip.