Visiting for a week in Venice Beach.... where should I go???

[fish-tanked]

Hey guys (and gals),

I will be staying with some friends for a week in Venice Beach and am hoping to get a few dives in before I have to fly back. This will be my first trip to the west coast, topside or otherwise, and I'm looking for any advcie on shops, charters, sites of interest, special considerations, etc...
Up untill now I've been diving the wrecks of NC, and am excited about a change of scenery. I'll be clicking around on google, but figgured it couldn't hurt to ask the ever so knowledgable members of ScubaBoard. Maybe I'll get lucky and find some cool shore sites or inexpensive charters to stretch the budget!

 

[ItsBruce]

The dive park at Casino Point in Catalina is a world class destination, but it is an all day affair. If you want to go beach diving, Nicholas Canyon is about a 45 minute drive and is great diving. The kelp is still pretty good. Malaga Cove, which is south about 30 minutes is pretty decent, too, though I've heard that the vis is not so good right now. You might want to check California Dive Boats : The Official Page. You will want to look at San Pedro, Long Beach and Ventura. All are relatively close.

BTW: When will you be here?

 

[fish-tanked]

That was fast, thanks! I'm still working out the details, but hopefully within the month. What's the water temp like this time of year? It's an awesome 74 around here. How thick a suit should I bring?

 

[JMdiver]

Right now the water is a palmy 66 deg. but it's starting to drop. Bring or rent a 7mil. I second Nicholas Cyn. & the Spectre is my favorite dive boat, it's in Ventura Harbor & you get 4 dives, air & food. You can also rent gear through them for the boat dive.

John

 

[dwaters]

hey tanked, let us know when dated you'll be here when time comes closer. Meanwhile, check out our Catalina "sticky": http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/socal/231885-updated-great-catalina-island-info-sticky-thread.html for more input. You will want to upgrade your 5mm to a
7mm if you plan on doing more than 1 dive in a day. Temp in a month will be in the high 50s*f to low 60*f at depth..... The highest I recorded this year so far was 69*f .... and that's bath water for us in sunny So.Cal. I'm sure we will help you get wet when you're here. Enjoy.

 

[CaliforniaDivingNews]

You should check out our website California Diving News - The Premier Website for California Divers.

You can search for the closest dive shop, read about local dive spots, or use our boat trip calendar to find a boat trip that fits your schedule.

We hope you enjoy diving the waters of California!

 

[ItsBruce]

Do keep us all informed of your plans, especially by PM (private message) and perhaps we can arrange a dive together ... or at a minimum, dinner.