What to Expect Diving the Channel Islands

[Vegan Shark]

Fnfalman, what do you mean by the sites being very advanced? Just stronger currents and rougher seas, or? I've only dived in Monterey and Carmel, so don't know what the advanced sites of SoCal are like.

 

[Chocula]

Dove Anacapa 2 weeks ago. The visibility was about 25' and the water temperature was 63 degrees. Although not as plentiful as many years ago, there was still plenty of marine life. We saw most of the usual suspects; sheepshead, blacksmiths, kelp bass, sea lions, urchin, abalone, brittle stars, etc.. We also saw a small mola mola swimming on the surface on the way back to the harbor. There is always a lot of little stuff that is easy to miss if you are only looking for big stuff.

Check, but try not to over analyse the weather forecast before you go, you will just freak yourself out for nothing. Let the captain find you a nice sheltered spot to dive once you get there. The best visibility I ever had at Anacapa was 80 ft and we had 12' swells in the channel that day.

-Chocula

 

[fnfalman]

Fnfalman, what do you mean by the sites being very advanced? Just stronger currents and rougher seas, or? I've only dived in Monterey and Carmel, so don't know what the advanced sites of SoCal are like.

That's pretty much it. Deep, current, heavy surge, far away from shore, heavy swells & chops.

Of course it's not always like this but the weather is unpredictable out thataway. Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz also has some protected coves that provide for calm diving conditions but once again, the really cool sites are well off the islands.

 

[TSandM]

San Miguel is my favorite Channel Island, too . . . but the diving out there can be challenging. It's the westernmost of the islands, out in the Humboldt current, and very exposed to weather. It can be windy, choppy and cold there, and can have some truly intense currents. The Peace goes out there -- I know they run a trip in November, and all my trips to SM have been on the Peace. For the OP, I'd do a few trips to the "regular" islands first, and get comfortable diving off a boat, and in choppy water, and a bit of current.