Quote:
| Originally Posted by Macca5573 During my holiday planned for next summer, I'm starting in San Francisco then driving down to LA before heading inland. I've never been to California before and would appreciate any suggestions on dive areas / centres so I can try to get at least one dive in before I have to take my non-diving girlfriend shopping! |
You can go to scubaboard.com and go to the local/SoCal section on there.
there is (or was -- hope it is still there) a huge thread on SoCal diving.
Catalina is a good place (unless you have to dive there every weekend and then it gets old
Special dives are
- Oil rigs
- Farnsworth Banks
Boats don't always go to those two spots but they are some of the best around. The rigs are quite close to shore, and Farnsworth is one of the few places in SoCal you can see the cold-water hydro-coral.
The outer Islands (Clemente, Santa Barbara etc.) have probably better diving but then you need an overnight boat trip.
Shore diving is possible. Vis is not that great (but probably pretty good compared to what you lot have to put up with for shore diving)
Vis on shore ranges from 2 feet to 30, with average 10-15 feet.
You can see plenty from shore, lots of fish, kelp, crabs, rays, guitarfish, nudibrancs etc. Depths from shore are shallow in most places (say 30-40 feet).