Posted by Walt on May 16, 2005 at 21:37:05:
In Reply to: FLA Diver in SoCal posted by Jeff on May 16, 2005 at 20:29:12:
Redondo has a good canyon and if you time it right you could get in on a squid run. Its mainly sandy bottom, but a lot of life on it (look for horn sharks, rays, crabs, starfish, sea pens - go back thru this board and you'll see some good pix.) Dive n' Surf is a near-by shop where you can rent gear. Start the dive at Vet's Park (bring a few dollars in quarters for the meters). You'll see divers here most hours of the day.
If you're up for a more challenging (advanced +) entry, try Old Marineland off of Palos Verde. There is a pebble/cobble beach that's fairly easy unless there are large southerly swells or go for a rocky entry a little up toward the western point. No facilities here and it opens at 8 AM and closes at 5 PM. Its close to island diving but without the boat ride.
Laguna has a lot of sites; most tend to gravitate to Shaw's Cove - be aware that the City of Laguna enforces buddy teams. Its usually fairly calm and can be a lot of fun. There is at least 1 dive shop in Laguna, but I don't have experience with it.
More toward Newport Beach is Reef Point at Crystal Cove state park - if the swells are calm, this is a great dive site.
Order Dale Sheckler's book on So Cal Beach Diving for in-depth descriptions of the sites.
Don't overlook the many boats in San Pedro and Long Beach for a jaunt to the islands.