CATALINA

[cardiver]

A few of us are trying to plan a trip in the fall to Catalina. Anyone have a local shop that they favor or a charter?

[Dmitchell]

Scuba Luv - Hands down! Just call Tina and she will make the arrangements!

Dave

[cardiver]

Scuba Luv - Hands down! Just call Tina and she will make the arrangements!

Dave

Thanks, Dave!

[coachrenz]

I second the Scuba Luv. I dove with them back in the mid 90's and it was great. I worked with them earlier this year trying to plan a dive for my son and they were great, even though the dives never actually happened.

[Grateful Diver]

I also used Scuba Luv ... and went out on their boat. They're a good outfit.

One thing to keep in mind for your planning, however, is don't get your hopes up for using nitrox on Catalina. SL is the only (of the two) dive ops that offers it ... but they are not prompt about filling nitrox cylinders. Easier to just plan on diving with air. That way you only need to rent one tank ... if you're diving their boat you can get it filled on the boat and if you're diving the park, there's a fill station on-site that will do it for you on surface interval.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[BASSMAN]

Yeah Baby! It's always good to start planning early, thinkin' about 1st week of October. Maybe Later

[oregondiver]

I will be dropping over the side of a dive boat on Catalina in just 9 days....so I will tell you which charter it was and how they performed when I get back! One thing I remember from last time I dove on Catalina....The shop there won't even do air fills without a c-card. I left my purse back on Long Beach because I wasn't thinking I needed it. oh well. Luckily I had two tanks with me, and I just missed out on my third dive.

My instructor friends have already booked the dive boat, so I don't know who the charter is, but I will definately give you an update when I get back. 70 degrees and sunny...yeehaw! :smt038

[BASSMAN]

Great!

[Aquanautchuck]

Catalina, now there are some great dive memories. I have done three "Low drag High Dive" trips there after Labor Day over the years. (Low drag since all I have is a backpack for personal gear and one suit case for dive gear, and Dive my brains out.)

Leave Portland at 7 am on a Friday, be in the water at the Casino by 2. Get 8 or more dives in and fly out on Monday. Sweet..........

Scuba Luv is great and getting fills at Casino Pt parking lot can't be easier. Rent a cart to carry dive gear and a locker.

You have to dive Italian Gardens. First time I ever saw giant VW size (they looked that big) Sea Bass. Have fun.

[oregondiver]

I am still catching up on the 147 emails that came in while I was gone for 3 work days...but figured this was more important!

I dove with the Magician Dive boat on Saturday. http://magicianscuba.com/index.htm

We were to be on the boat at 6am and leave at 7am. We did leave harbor...but apparently came back 10 minutes later for some divers that got lost on the freeways. So we were about 30 minutes late heading out, but who cares! There are 21 bunks and Marc and I were down napping in two of them. Except it was hard to nap when smelling the eggs and bacon that they kept cooking upstairs. Yes...FULL breakfast! Bagels, toast, hot chocolate, orange juice, soda, coffee, lemonade, fresh fruit, scones, pastries, eggs, bacon made to order.

I am not really going to do a dive report (logbook at home!) but wanted to give you the quality deets on this charter. It was fantastic! After our first dive, they had more fresh fruit and snacks out. THen after the second dive, they were grilling up burgers (and veggie) with fresh 'tato salad, fruit, vegggies, avacado and trimmings...it was back into the water for the third dive. After that dive, we were piled with pound cake (and death by chocolate cake) and ice cream.

I felt like I was at an all-inclusive resort. They have two heads, one freshewater hot shower. Only bring one tank because they have 3 compressors on board (and nitrox fills too!). The DM, Cook and Captain were fantastic, catering to every need and helping with everything! They even lost an anchor because the surf /surge was so large, but said they would go back for it. Sent the DM's in to swim to the rocks and anchor us on a line there when we couldn't get sea anchored.

We arrived back at port at 6pm (11 hour boat/dive ride). It was a fantastic diving opportunity with an incredible crew!

They have specials of $98 for a 3 tank boat dive on Fridays (remember you are out there for 11 hours!). Weekend price is $140. We only paid $85 because the group that chartered the boat withdrew with 2-3 days notice and so the captain sent out an email offering the $85 price just to fill the boat and recoup some costs. So if you are looking at this boat (or others), I would recommend getting on their email list in case more specials come up!!!

Let me know ify ou have any questions. I would love to go diving with them again later this year if a group gets together!!!

[Grateful Diver]

You have to dive Italian Gardens. First time I ever saw giant VW size (they looked that big) Sea Bass.

Yeah, I've heard them described as a "Volkswagon with lips" ... Cheng and I saw three of 'em at Italian Gardens. But the first one I ever saw was right at the dive park in Catalina ... about 10 minutes into the first dive we did there.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[Tom Nic]

Curious what the consensus is on this...

Which do you think would be better and more cost effective, a 3 day Live aboard on the islands or getting a hotel and either shore diving or doing day boats?

Anybody done both?

Opinions please!

[CaptnJack]

Which liveaboard? As long as its one of the nicer ones I would definitely go with the boat. There's comparatively little shore diving there and day boats are ok except you don't get as many dives in. There's a couple hours of travel time every day.

Liveaboard is most definintely the most BT for the $$