Where to dive in LA area?

[Leejnd]

Rex, sorry you didn’t like my word choice. My memory of that time is that I found myself shaking my head too many times when I read about yet another diver fatality. While the only one I can recall the specific details of is the tourist (I believe he was a cop from Arizona?) who died in the kelp in SD, Forumula1mb is correct – there were others. (Thanks for pointing that out.) I was going to go look for threads discussing other non-local diver fatalities, but I’ve decided not to bother. I’m hoping that, in spite of my hyperbole and descriptive writing style, the important point of the message was received by the OP: the conditions around here are more challenging than many tropical locations, and should be approached with caution and some preparation. Do any of you disagree with that?

I noticed that in all of the comments about my “exaggeration,” not one person seems to have noticed that my advice is, well, valid, and that I posted solely for the purpose of helping a fellow diver and avoiding future tragedies. I’m troubled that the focus has been exclusively on my wording. Yes, as a writer I lean towards colorful terms…I do hope my valid, well-meant message wasn’t lost in that minor detail.

Please forgive the temporary hijacking of this thread, but there are a few things that I feel need to be said, and I’m not inclined to start a whole new thread about it as I certainly don’t want any discussion over it.

I avoided this forum for a long time, not just because I took a several-month break from diving, but because there was just entirely too much unpleasantness in here. And I know for a fact that I am not the only local diver who got chased out of here by all the negativity and ugliness. It was particularly rampant when I was doing my GUE Fundies training, and posting enthusiastically about it – there were several forum regulars who jumped in there to belittle and ridicule my efforts. It also got ugly when I was helping out a local dive boat, which was having some web problems and hadn’t responded to some emails. I got dumped on and personally attacked for that. All because I was, y’know, trying to be helpful.

Now, I come back and try to start talking with my fellow divers again, and what happens? In a thread about the JOY OF DIVING I get personally insulted by one guy whom I’ve never even met (but appears to have some bizarre obsession with me, as he was warned by the board owner to stop stalking me), and another makes a snarky comment about how a “camera kept you outta the water??” then openly states he’s “tired” of reading the thread (although I fail to understand why, given how tired he is of it, he continued to do so). Then I post what I thought was a nicely-worded, helpful comment about the local dive conditions, to be HELPFUL, and my points get disputed and called out for “exaggeration” with nary a comment about the fact that I was trying, y’know, to be helpful. (I’m seeing a pattern here&#8230

I’m not sure it’s worth participating in this forum if I have to watch my words so carefully, so as to avoid piquing the ire of a few forum regulars who don’t seem to want other divers in here taking up space. I didn’t come here for negativity – I came here for fun, to reconnect with other divers, to talk about diving, to share the things I have learned over the years with new divers, and to maybe find some new dive buddies. So…I will concede. You have your forum back. Although if you keep this up, you few regulars may find that you are talking only to yourselves.

I think it’s worth noting that, after the weird stalking incident in my “joy” thread, I received numerous PMs and private emails from local divers who still read but no longer post in here, all saying pretty much the same thing: they avoid posting for the very reasons I’ve just detailed -- they got tired of all the negativity and ugliness. Now I see why.

This message board is a great resource, for many reasons, and it saddens me to see the unnecessary snarkiness and sniping that goes on in here. It drives people away. You guys might want to think about how you treat others in here…unless, of course, that is what you want.

I do wish to pick up the pace of my diving, and I’m inspired by the few who have responded to my invitation to start back up our Friday night Malibu dives. So I will continue to post in here to try to organize those, and I hope some of the other enthusiastic local divers around here will join me.

Okay, hijack over. And, to steal a quote from the siggy of one of the forum regulars: Screw you guys. I’m going diving.

---------- Post added April 6th, 2012 at 08:44 AM ----------

In any case, diver accidents don't happen any more frequently here than they do anyplace else.

That may be true, but in other locations you don't find the fatalities caused by the specific challenges of our local conditions: kelp, cold water, low vis, etc. That was the point of my comment. Sorry if you missed that.

LeeAnn may exaggerate a bit about a rash of tourist divers dying (I do recall at least one - the experienced warm water diver who got tangled in kelps in San Diego and how the charter's DM got involved, blah, blah, blah).

However, for people who are not used to heavy exposure suit, heavy lead weight, cold water, middlin' to low viz, it could be daunting. They'd be trying to survive and won't enjoy the dives much if at all. Do they need paid DM service? Probably not if they were to team up with one of us SoCal divers who are on the same trip and can help them tune in. If none of us are available, then I'd recommend DM service. Also a warning up front on what to expect as far as temp & viz go (not to mention kelps and surges), I think that LeeAnn is right. They need to know what to expect.

Thanks HT. Good to know that at least someone in here recognizes the validity of my advice. (I hadn't seen your comment yet when I posted the above.)

 

[mathauck0814]

I’m not sure it’s worth participating in this forum if I have to watch my words so carefully, so as to avoid piquing the ire of a few forum regulars who don’t seem to want other divers in here taking up space. I didn’t come here for negativity

I'm not sure that's quite fair. You're just as entitled to your opinions as any of the rest of us. No one said your advice was bad, but I will say that you're overdoing it a bit. That's my opinion and it's just as valid as yours - so I get to have it and say it. If you want to be handled with little kid gloves, post in the protected forums. This is a local forum where you're going to get disagreed with openly. If you can't handle the spirited debate, it's probably best not to participate.

That may be true, but in other locations you don't find the fatalities caused by the specific challenges of our local conditions: kelp, cold water, low vis, etc. That was the point of my comment. Sorry if you missed that.

... and in other locations fatalities are caused by the specific challenges of those local conditions: currents, downwellings, icebergs, rabid seaguls, sea monsters etc...

Since we've established that every location has its challenges and they should be respected (not feared) ... so what's your point?

I don't see the purpose in trying to scare the OP (or anyone else for that matter) off with doom and gloom. YMMV

 

[Leejnd]

I'm not sure that's quite fair. You're just as entitled to your opinions as any of the rest of us. No one said your advice was bad, but I will say that you're overdoing it a bit. That's my opinion and it's just as valid as yours - so I get to have it and say it. If you want to be handled with little kid gloves, post in the protected forums. This is a local forum where you're going to get disagreed with openly. If you can't handle the spirited debate, it's probably best not to participate.

You likely missed the *other* stuff I was referring to. The disagreement with my description of the conditions around here was really no big deal...and I wouldn't have commented on it at all, if it wasn't just kinda the final straw in a long series of unpleasantness in this forum. So I can understand how my reaction seems over-the-top. Point taken.

... and in other locations fatalities are caused by the specific challenges of those local conditions: currents, downwellings, icebergs, rabid seaguls, sea monsters etc...

Since we've established that every location has its challenges and they should be respected (not feared) ... so what's your point?

I don't see the purpose in trying to scare the OP (or anyone else for that matter) off with doom and gloom. YMMV

(Emphasis mine) My point was to help. Nothing I said wasn't true. If the OP was going somewhere else that has unique challenges, then I would hope the locals there would have advised him what to watch out for there. But we weren't talking about other locations. He's coming here, so I advised him what to watch out for here. I don't see the problem with it. As for "doom and gloom", I respectfully disagree that my comments were that way at all. I simply stated my perspective on the unique challenges we face in our local diving...and also highlighted the unique attributes we have that make this area a world-class diving destination.

You most certainly are entitled to your opinion, and thanks for sharing it. Hopefully, my advice was taken in the spirit intended: to be helpful. And that was my sole point.

 

[diverrex]

LeeAnne,

I meant no offense with my comments which were mostly made in jest which may have been hard to pick up on. But I do stick to my comments that I think you exaggerated both our viz (on the low side) and a "rash" of a fatalities.

I totally agree with your helpful advice that a newer diver with few dives and limited (if any) cold water diving should not expect to able to just come out and jump in the water like they might be able to do in a tropical location. I always even wonder about newly trained divers locally who want to rush off independently in the water. I cringe every time I read a post something like "my buddy and I just finished certifiction, where should the two of us go diving?". Having an experienced local show you the ropes seems to be more prudent for newer divers. I know I was fortunate enough to have a few good mentors help me along until I became comfortable enough to dive with anyone.

 

[Leejnd]

Rex, no worries. I hear you. :blinking: And thanks for recognizing the validity of my advice. I too cringe when I see those kinds of posts. I know Charlie and I were TOTALLY not ready for local diving on our own right after we got certified. Fortunately we recognized that, and plunged right into AOW...in spite of all the advice that one really should get a few dives under their belts before they tackle AOW. We didn't feel ready to tackle ANYTHING, and figured that signing up for AOW would mean that our first post-cert dives would be with instructors.

And I agree 100% about mentors. The very first thing I did after AOW (when we couldn't afford to keep paying instructors to take us diving ) was to post here on ScubaBoard that I was a brand new diver, and really wanted to connect with other local divers who could help mentor me. That's how I got hooked up with DiveVets, and met so many wonderful divers - some of whom I still dive with.

That's one thing we've got going for us around here: a plethora of experienced divers who are willing to take newbies out, show them the ropes, help get them successfully launched on their new adventure. I can say with total accuracy that if it wasn't for all the experienced divers who took me on my first local dives, first beach dives, first night dives, I probably wouldn't have continued. I'm so glad I did - it's become my primary passion now (in spite of that little break I needed to take!).

Hope to see you out on a boat one of these days soon, Rex!

 

[fnfalman]

I am willing to take newbies and visitors out if my schedule allows it.

I am willing to make sure that my schedule would allow it if said newbies/visitors are sexy mermaids!!!

 

[mathauck0814]

I am willing to take newbies and visitors out if my schedule allows it.

I am willing to make sure that my schedule would allow it if said newbies/visitors are sexy mermaids!!!

hear, hear! Just don't tell my wife.

 

[diverrex]

I am willing to take newbies and visitors out if my schedule allows it.

I am willing to make sure that my schedule would allow it if said newbies/visitors are sexy mermaids!!!

HT - I believe I have seen you do that before. Your boss's daughter was cute!

 

[undrwater]

+100000... to sexy mermaids.
+ [even more] to diving with people familiar with the area (isn't that in training manuals anyway?). This past Wednesday, a lake diver from Oregon was taken from Vet's to the hospital after getting slammed by large surf and inhaling water. Fortunately there were several regular divers around to help, and he was able to get home.

Knowledge is power, I agree. I would want to know all the challenges and recommendations from local yokels.

 

[wilhemwild]

Just don't dive around San Pedro.

Made that mistake once... too polluted and made me sick

I dive Laguna all the time. I enjoy diving someplace where the diving's in the morning and really good food follows.