Posted by Melvin Pasley on March 18, 2002 at 09:13:14:
In Reply to: New Divers Looking for Info posted by Scott Mahan on March 17, 2002 at 18:34:10:
Welcome to the sport. Boat dives are terrific and my favorite. But for cost, you just can't beat a beach dive. I do a beach dive once a week and sometimes twice a week depending on how comfortable I think the couch will be that night ;-) For beach dives LaJolla Cove in North San Diego is tough to beat. Easy access, 10 feet from shore you are diving and the quanity of fish rivals the aquarium. Rocks and Kelp create a varity of environments to dive in. Eels, lobster, Giant Black Sea Bass, Blue Sharks, all within an easy swim of shore. The park there is nice and there are bathrooms and showers.
Closer to you is Leo Carrillo State Beach, at the Ventura County Line. Again, bathrooms, easy beach access, and a nice healthy kelp bed.
Monterey is truely terrific diving. Rocky entry is common, so a short boat ride mghit be better but either way the diving is great, but the water cold.
Last but not least, winter water in Los Angeles area is 49-58, Summers are 60-69 degrees so a good suit and hood are recommended. I have a spring suit I wear in the winter over my regular suit for added warmth (both 6.5 mil titanium) and I have never been cold.