Visiting Long Beach

[lippschick]

My husband and I will be visiting Long Beach (he'll be on a business trip) in late October and were wondering about the possiblity of getting a dive or three in the weekend of October 20th and 21st. We are fairly experienced with Atlantic dives but are uncertain if or how Pacific dives are very different. So can anyone....
a)Recommend a LDS that might be going somewhere that weekend
b)Advise me about water temps/conditions in the area this time of year
c)Tell me what the "must see" attractions underwater would be
d)Tell me anything else I might need to know about SoCal diving
BTW, we are not tech divers or anything, (he's a PADI Dive Master and I am a Master Diver), but we do have our Nitrox cert. I just am hesitant because I will admit to being uneducated on California diving.....I think of great whites and getting stuck in kelp fields....please straighten me out.
Hope you aren't laughing too hard to type a response. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[muddiver]

You have three choices: brave the waves at the beach, go to Catalina Island to dive the SCUBA park, or sign up for a boat trip.

Pacific Wilderness has charters and they are located in San Pedro which is kind of near Long Beach Welcome to Pacific Wilderness Online! Or you can sign up through Sports Chalet which has a greater selection of trips http://sch.imageg.net/corp/pdf/Oct_2007.pdf

Sea Ventures in Fullerton, CA always has beach dives in Laguna Beach on the weekends (714) 871-2218

To get to Catalina Island you take the ferry out of Long Beach Catalina Express // Daily Trips To Catalina Island and walk to the dive park by the Casion building Casino Point Underwater Park

I rent anything I don't want to carry from Catalina Diver's Supply when I dive at the park
Locations & Dive Sites and Catalina Island Scuba Diving and Snorkeling from Catalina Divers Supply on Catalina Island in Avalon CA

Otherwise there are lots of LDS in Long Beach and So. Cal to rent stuff from LAdiver.com: Los Angeles County Scuba Diving Resources

 

[diversteve]

The Aquarium of the Pacific will give you a good idea of what to expect. Just down the street from the business hotels in LB. And there's several free shuttles downtown that'll take you there - as well as to the Queen Mary if you want to see it. Lots of good restaurants in that area also.

 

[muddiver]

Oh there are questions?

a) Too many to list
b) Water temp at 60 feet will be in the mid to low 60's. Surface will be 70+/- 4 degrees. It can be 70 or warmer around Catalina down to 70 feet.
c) The kelp is a must see, just swim through it close to the bottom and you will be fine. The fish are EVERY WHERE!
d) Right now the surf is realitively small 1' - 2' in the Laguna area. Close to Long Beach the only shore diving is the Palos Verdies paninsula (sp?) or you could brave the murky water of Cabrillo beach in San Pedro (I don't reccomend it). Laguna is a bit of a drive south, but it is really worth it if you just want to beach dive. Bring a snorkle, the life guards give tickets for not having one.

 

[Daddy Diver]

I am a new diver and from down the coast in san Diego, so i could be wrong but the temps are more like 50's at depth right now down here and I don't think Catalina is much warmer since it is surrounded by deep water.

Having grown up snorkeling at Catalina every summer, I would still think it is one of the best dive experiences in so cal.

You might also try posting on the fishing site bloodydecks.com, in the scuba/freediving section- many L.A. area based divers who should respond.

 

[muddiver]

The water off San Diego is influenced by the La Jolla trench that brings deep sea water to the shore in an up-welling process. We get the same thing at Redondo Beach, Monteray Bay and a couple of other locations where under sea canyons run up the contenetal shelf.

The water on the North side of Catalina Island stays warmer because it is sheltered from the prevailing wind and swell from off shore. Therefore the water on the Avalon side doesn't move as much and will become warmer in the summer.

 

[drbill]

Temps this past weekend off Catalina dive sites were 55-57 F at 90 ft Fri; 53-56 F at 101-150 Sat; and 55-57 F at 72-121 ft Sun. The diving in San Diego area is significantly colder than Catalina at comparable depths.

Mainland diving offers ease of access and lowest cost, but the possibility of swells and surf, and lower visibility.

Taking a boat from Long Beach or San Pedro (look at California Diving News' web site for soCal boat schedules that weekend) to Catalina should give you pretty decent diving but at a cost of $100-125 or so.

Taking the Catalina Express to dive our dive park will cost you about $60 RT each plus parking. Diving the dive park is free (exceptyour air fills and rental equipment).

You could also take the Catalina Express to the island and dive on our boats with either my LDS (Scuba Luv) or Catalina Divers Supply. Of course this increases the cost over the other options, but heck... you might get to meet the infamous Dr. Bill (if he isn't incarcerated before then).

 

[MissyP]

Laguna is a bit of a drive south, but it is really worth it if you just want to beach dive. Bring a snorkle, the life guards give tickets for not having one.

They stopped enforcing that rule and eased up on nearly all of the scuba ordinances several months ago...


News: Laguna Beach diving rules get relaxed - OCRegister.com