Wrinkles November '07 Dive Planning Thread - Catalina Island

[headhunter]

Ok, right now I'm looking at roughly $250 per person to fly to LAX from Dayton which is less expensive than flying to most places in Florida. Have to figure out if anything else is going on that weekend but at the moment it looks like we may be able to come out YAY!

I can't get Jim's Catalina Sticky Thread to open. If we make it we would fly in on Friday morning and leave Monday afternoon. Any tips/advice regarding drive time from airports (will check Long Beach when I get some free time) and what diving would be done on Sunday would be greatly appreciated. I've never been to California except LAX on a layover.
Ber :lilbunny:

Leave yourself plenty of time to get from whatever airport you decide to fly into to Downtown Catatina Landing. They have many different departures and arrival times at the Downtown Catalina Landing, which it why I recommend leaving from there. If you leave yourself 3 hours between locations and find that it only takes you an hour to get there, you can usually have them put you on an earlier boat. This is especially true in November when the boats are usually not packed.

I'm not sure what your best bet will be for tranportation from one place to another, but it seems like a waste to get a rental car, since it will just be parked for the weekend. Maybe Super Shuttle would be a good option. Once on the Island, everything is easy. The Seaport Village Inn will pick you up at the boat and take you to the hotel. They'll haul your gear to the park and to the boat on Sunday morning if you join us on the 2 tank boat dive Sunday morning.

Make sure that you have a way to get all of your stuff on the boat in one trip. They don't let you make multiple trips to get everything on. I actually use a dolly and stack tubs and tanks with a ratchet strap that holds everything on. That's probably not practical for flying though.

Program the phone numbers for all of these different places you may use into your cell phone. I can't tell you how many times I hand people my cell phone when they need to contact the hotel, tranportation or baggage storage. Of course, I don't mind and am always happy to help if I'm there.

Hope this helps!

Christian

 

[drbill]

Just out of curiosity where would an out-of-towner fly into to crash this little party? If I'm not already booked for something and the airfare is reasonable I just might see if hubby wants to wander out that way for a long weekend.
Ber :lilbunny:

You could also fly to John Wayne (Orange County) early and catch the Newport Beach boat over. They'll probably only have one boat a day that time of year.

 

[dwaters]

I'm not letting this one slip by! Got my reservations in and looking forward to a weekend of fun...to bad it's so far away!

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Looks like I've got a bunch of research to do LOL! Where do I rent tanks and weights? Looks like this is going to be a big production.

Only allowed one trip to get all your stuff on the boat? Wow, that's interesting. I'm going to have to hit the gym before I come because carrying 2 tanks while stacking my other gear and probably 35 pounds of lead on my tiny body for a single walk to the boat sounds rather strenuous. You're right, flying will mean I have to hand carry everything. Please tell me it's not a long walk because I'm not sure how far I can carry an awkward 200 pound load; with that kind of weight and bags slipping and sliding around as I move it's going to take me a long time to get where I'm going. I'm much faster with lighter loads and more trips that's for sure.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[D_B]

Christian is talking about the ferry to Catalina, have to have all your gear when going onto boat ... Baggage/Tanks/Dive Bag Policies ... http://www.catalinaexpress.com/termsConditions.php

From the Catalina Info Sticky Thread ...

Baggage: Catalina Express has specific baggage requirements , but in general for divers they allow one tank per person, and weights must be carried on board with you. Typically the crew members direct divers to place their dive gear outside in an open area along the railing on the bow or stern, and racks are provided for vertically mounting the tanks. When boarding, you may be allowed only one trip to get your gear from the dock, so check first. TIP: Beware, dive gear is typically piled up in the storage area, so if you get on board first you’ll probably have everybody else’s gear on top of yours. You might want to carry your regulator, mask, and other breakables with you. Many divers bring their own tanks to Catalina. However, you can rent all of your scuba gear, including tanks, when you get to Avalon. TIP: If you’re going to bring a tank, you might want to get one of those two wheeled hand trucks and strap your tank to it for transport.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Thanks D_B, I thought he meant the dive boat. I'd rather rent tanks/weights on the island but I wasn't sure if that was an option. I have lots of research to do before making a trip like this, it's way out of my comfort zone for trip planning. It's hard to do the research here at work and I haven't even had time to get on the computer at home yet.

For some reason I still can't get the sticky thread to open.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[D_B]

can you open this page? ... http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=2783284&postcount=117

... some info I pulled together for a scubaboard trip there
Edit: see below

 

[D_B]

Originally Posted by D_B

The Kelp Forest​

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or Why I Dive So Cal

Imagine you're walking in a beautiful forest, with trees all around you ... the branches swaying to and fro in the slight breeze .. you come across a small glade, leaf dappled sunlight speckles the ground and creatures scurry here, and there, taking no heed of you ....... now imagine that you're weightless, and flying between the trees as if in a dream.

DB​

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This is a map of the So Cal area ... So Cal MAP​

So Cal Ocean Temp/Wave/Swell/Wind Conditions ... NBC Weather Plus​

NOAA/NWS San Diego & Off Shore Weather ... NOAA / NWS​

So Cal Dive Boats Chart ... California Dive Boats​

Catalina Express Ferry ... Catalina Express​

Vacation Rentals on Catalina ... Catalina Vacations​

Hotels on Catalina ... E-Catalina ​

... Notes: ​

... the Seaport Village Inn ( I liked my stay there , nice ) ... http://www.catalinacatalina.com/​

they include ferry fare - mention ScubaBoard for the best price​

... The Hermosa Hotel near bottom of page is a favorite of divers for a low-cost place to stay, as low as $35 per night.

... http://www.ecatalina.com/hotels.cfm​

Clicky Map of Catalina with Pics ... Catalina Map

Dive Shops on Catalina ... ... Catalina Divers Supply ... Scuba Luv ... they have Nitrox​

Catalina Info Sticky Thread ... Catalina Info​

Click-on Map of Avalon Underwater Park ...
Note: after clicking on thumbnail, hold cursor on map and click to see it at original, large size​

... I did a dive there and saw a 400lb Black Sea Bass like's in the pic. He followed the two of us around everywhere, the entire dive, like a puppy! ... one of best dives I have ever done!!​

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[Ann Marie]

I made my reservations this morning and am bringing 3 other couples! (4 divers and 3 non-divers in my group!)

Can't wait!!

 

[divinman]

As November 10th is my 40th birthday, it is with a heavy heart that I must say I will not be in Catalina to celebrate with you all.

Instead I will be 8 days in on my 16 day trip to Fiji.


Hope you all have a fantastic time.


Terry