Managed a dive in California!

[Allan Carr]

Having arrived in San Francisco to experience heavy rain on the Saturday, as well as a big oil spill in San Francisco Bay where a large container ship collided with a pier of one of the very impressive bridges they have there, things didn't look too good. Golden gate bridge was nowhere to be seen in the murk. Sunday dawned bright and clear and we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge - I never realised how big it was since my previous visit to SF many years ago had been greeted by heavy fog. However, the sea conditions out on the coast were ideal for surfing but not so attractive for shore diving. Boat trips are few and far between at this time of year though by UK standards conditions would be considered to be good.

We drove all the way down to the coast to LA and conditions didn't improve - the idea of trying to shore dive through that surf was not an appealing one. However, by the time we reached Newport Beach, things had calmed down. We investigated shore diving around there but access was not easy - all dives seeming to involve dozens of steps to get to the water, which would make getting from the top car park at Stoney seem like a gentle stroll.

Determined to get a dive if we could, we took a trip out to Santa Catalina Island and booked a guided dive so that I could have additional help to get my wife (who is disabled with chronic back problems) in and out of the water. The dive was in front of the Casino, which I have dived before, about 11 years ago. It has some excellent giant kelp (this stuff can grow up to 3 feet a day) and myriad fish life. Trying to take photos of the fish is interesting - they are so tame that they come so close to the camera that it is difficult to get them in focus.

Attached are a few photos straight from the camera - for some reason my copy of Paint Shop Pro on my laptop has gone illegal so I only have Picasa available. For those not familiar with the species, a garibaldi has nothing to do with 'squashed flies' but is a ubiquitous orange fish found around California.

Sorry attachments not there yet. Our flight to Fiji has just been called so will have to try and update this posting with the photos from there.

One problem they are facing there is an invasion of an alien type of seaweed emanating from Japan which is growing so fast that it is threatening the local sea life.

[Richard Mason]

Originally Posted by Allan Carr

One problem they are facing there is an invasion of an alien type of seaweed emanating from Japan which is growing so fast that it is threatening the local sea life.

I guess I should wait for your photos but is the offending seaweed Undaria or "wakama"?

We have it here too, unfortunately on thr East Coast, where it is thought to have arrived in ballast water discharged from woodchip carriers from Japan. They've also brought us North Pacific Seastars which have reduced much of the upper Derwent Estuary in Hobart to a desert and resulted in the near extinction of the Spotted Handfish - if it happens, it would possibly the only known extinction of a marine fish anywhere in the world in recent times.

[IanD]

If you ever find yourself in SF again looking for a dive, then Monterey Bay is the best place to go. It's where all the SF locals go. There are loads of dive shops, all offering guided dives both shore and boat, with shore access even easier than the bottom car park at Stoney.

[IanDennis]

Dived Catalina underwater park in 2002 with my wife and her cousin. Hired some gear and went in via the steps outside the Casino. Quite a good little dive- only down to about 20m but plenty to see and worth getting in the water. Fed the garibald and somewhere have a couple of 35mm photos of playing about in the kelp.

Did the same trip down from SF to LA in 2005-Monterey Bay aquarium is a fantastic place and would recommend a visit. Hurst Castle is also on the way down and well worth going.

Ian

[Allan Carr]

Originally Posted by IanD

If you ever find yourself in SF again looking for a dive, then Monterey Bay is the best place to go. It's where all the SF locals go. There are loads of dive shops, all offering guided dives both shore and boat, with shore access even easier than the bottom car park at Stoney.

Not with the way that the surf was pounding in! We looked at Monterey Bay but at the time, the surfers would have been delighted with the conditions!