Help! Never seen Giant Kelp

Myself and Loftus (Jeff) are in San Diego on Saturday 30th August (en route to Guadalupe) and would like to get in a couple of dives and would welcome so advice, or better still some photographic dive buddies.

I have never been to the area before, but would love to see a giant kelp forest and/or some sealions. But really we just fancy a day of easy photographic diving.

Does anyone have any suggestions, recommendations etc? We arrive the night before and leave the next day - so we have the full day. I'd expect we'll have a car.

Thanks,

Alex

Alex -

Sending you a PM now. My favorite boat is booked to do wrecks in the morning that day (and they are full), but there are 2 open spots in the afternoon. There are some other good - and still open - boats. Would love to come out with you guys, but at the very least, I'll give you some recc's.

Allison

I can't believe you two would go diving in San Diego without me - the nerve!!!!

My favorite dive out of San Diego is to the Coronado Islands. There is no Kelp there, but I just love diving w/ the baby sealions at North Island. There are some decent hydrocorals and lots of fish there, but alas no kelp anymore. It used to surround the islands for miles back in the 70's but the multiple sewage outfalls (SD and Tijuana) have put an end to that :-(

Cheers

James

Hi Alex,

Although I'm too much of a pussy to dive around here, I'd recommend either Point Loma or La Jolla Cove. The Cove is an easy shore dive and marine reserve, sea lions too. Current water temps are "warm" for around here - 70 F at the surface. Let me know if you want other, more important ( ) recommendations!

Phil

Wait - I like beer, too - you know, once my dives are over We were gonna send 'em to Shakespeare's or - hey, what's the place in Gaslamp with the kazillions on tap?

Too bad Stone Brewery is such a haul. I am not going to go there, because I'd get suckered into designated driver duty - that would just be torture.

I don't remeber the place downtown, but the Gaslamp is always worth a look. Shakespeare's is a good call - or Princess of Wales. Maybe even the Waterfront

La Jolla is on my list of todo dives. Easy with a good taste of CA diving. I did Catalina last year and fell in love with the kelp forest...its magical. Dick's Last Resort is a good place to grab some good cajun chow.

hey alex

too bad you are only in so-cal for 1 day

allison will give some good advice, I"ll send you a PM now with some supplemental diving info...

Thanks for all the advice here and by email and PM. Really appreciated.

This time it is just a flying visit, but if I enjoy it I will certainly plan a longer trip in the future. I have always fancied diving around some of the famous islands out there.

I have always thought that diving round So-Cal is a bit like diving in the Mediterranean, as both areas played such an important role in the early days of scuba diving.

Jeff and I like beer too.

Alex

Alex

Please do post some of the suggestions out here for others to benefit from the knowledge. I do think the biggest kelp beds are at La Jolla and Point Loma Kelp beds. I haven't done these in a long time so I won't even bother recommending anyone or thing. It is a saturday so you'll have more than a few boats hitting the area as part of a dive trip.

Have fun.

Sorry, Drew - here's your requested info -

OK, in brief - for anyone else who travels out here. La Jolla is a great place for shore dives - there is plenty of macro at La Jolla Shores (pretty protected, but definitely a classic surf entry on some days - I have sacrificed fins on 2 occasions, and probably only 2 because I tend to get wussy and call dives if the surf is as tall as my head - you want to have everything clipped to you!) and WA (lots of kelp!) at La Jolla Cove - less protected from surge, but generally an easy entry. In the summer, the drawback is PARKING. I warned Alex that on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, we will need to be parked at the crack of dawn, and I can guarantee there will still be some ridiculous clown pulling up to ask if we are leaving when we are geared up and heading into the water. (I have, indeed, said YES before, enjoying the look of confusion on aforementioned clown's mug as I walk away and leave my car parked and locked...yes, I am going to hell.) If you want to shore dive, especially at La Jolla Shores, it's probably best to get someone who's been there before to take you.

Boats are aplenty - our fave is Marissa Dive Charters, the Lois Ann is also pretty nice. They run to Point Loma - great macro there, kelp with structure - meaning nudibranchs everywhere, saw a mola there last Sunday - the drawback is water temps slightly colder than the shore dives or Los Coronados. Also - Wreck Alley (Yukon, Ruby E, NOSC tower) which have a mix of macro and WA, and they'll run to less-known wrecks like the Hogan or the P-38 if you plan ahead and they know your abilities. I agree with James that Los Coronados can also be great, especially for the sea lions - it is a long run out, though, and the only boat headed there that Saturday is chock-a-block. (Same theme as before - if you come in the summer - book/plan early).

Water temps - I am a fan of my drysuit, year-round, though there are lots of wetsuit divers in these parts. I think they're all crazy, but I'm a girl, and I get cold. Temps can range from the upper 40's in the winter to the 60's in summer depending on site and depth - and the whim of the gods.

If anyone comes for longer than a day, Scott G books some awesome day trips up LA-way directed at camera junkies - Oil Rigs, Catalina - I have been on two in the past few months and am booked on another in the fall, even though it means I have to be on the road at 4:15 am and then hang out with Scott all day (kidding - love ya, Sko-T!!). Highly recommend them!!

OK, must turn off my computer and get to work. Hope this helps anyone headed out this way...