Visiting San Diego...

[divernva]

Hello,

I'm heading to San Diego on the 21st of this month. Just wanted to get some recommendations for a weekend of diving, and check on the general conditions for this time of year. I found some posts about the Channel Islands which sounded interesting. Is this a weekend trip or would I need a few more days? Wreck dives would be nice, though I'm not certified to penetrate... yet.

Any recommendations would be appreciated! Thanks!
Ken

 

[NJdiver85]

I just got back from San Diego a few weeks ago. I dove with Blue Escape. Everything about them was top notch. They hauled all your gear to the boat, were helpful when gearing up, entering, and exiting, and had plenty of food on board, including drinks, oranges, sandwiches, and brownies. Six divers in all made for a nice, relaxing, and uncrowded day. All in all, I would dive with them again in a second.

I only had one day to dive, so I did their 3-tank (Yukon, Ruby, Giant Kelp beds). All were outstanding dives with plenty to see. They also run a day drip to the Coranado Islands of Mexico, which I would have liked to do.

You'll need a full 7 mil or drysuit. Water is cold down at the bottom. Also, the wreck dives are excellent and there is no need to penetrate. Bring a light along anyway to peer in.

Enjoy!

 

[kru]

Blue Escape is a good outfit. Also check out Lois Ann. Both have websites- blueescape.com and loisann.com. I've dove with both numerous times. They both dive the Yukon, which is a great dive, and local kelp beds. The Coronados Islands are also a very good time. Takes a full day to get out there and dive and get back, as they are in Mexican waters. Water is chilly; you'll need at least a 7ml suit.

 

[divernva]

Thanks for the replies. Glad to hear the good reviews about Blue Escape. Found their number on scubadiving.com and gave them a call. They are running the same trips that weekend. For the sake of short notice and the good reviews, I'll probably stick with the two day trips. Good mix of wrecks and sightseeing!

I've got a week in San Diego and it looks like I might be able to do some diving part of Monday and early Friday. Keep the suggestions coming!
Ken

 

[NJdiver85]

Ken,

You'll be safe with Blue Escape for the weekend, but keep in mind that Blue Escape, as well as most other charters, will not go out if they only have one or two divers scheduled. Not an issue on a weekend, but you may run into problems on a weekday, when most people are working, etc. Therefore, keep the numbers of a few operators handy in case one backs out during the week. Again, this is not a negative of Blue Escape. As I said before, they are top notch. The dive operators need to at least break even on a trip, and you can't fault them for canceling if they would otherwise loose money. In any case, let me know how things go.

Todd

 

[divernva]

Todd,

Thanks for the tip. I ran into the same sort of thing last year in Catalina. It was a weekday and the guy at Casino Pt. decided to pack up and leave... I did get two dives in so can't complain.

I gave Lois Ann a call to check on schedules, but they were out of the office. Which is a good thing for a Tuesday.

I guess shore diving from La Jolla Cove is always a good backup.

Ken