Posted by Maciek on July 09, 2002 at 07:25:06:
In Reply to: Beach Diving - Unscientific Poll posted by Ken Kurtis on July 08, 2002 at 22:25:52:
Oh yeah.. mucho beach diving for me. 75% of all the diving I do.
Beach diving myths:
1. No big creatures
Let's say I had a chance to see 5-6 foot shovelnose guitarfish, 4-5 feet black sea bass, 4-5 feet leopard shark, 5 feet wing span bat ray, 4 feet spiny dogfish and 5-6 feet halibut while beach diving
I have yet to see some of above when boat diving. With all fairness I have seen thing off the boat I haven't seen of the beach (mola mola).
2. Surf is a bitch
Once you learn to predict surf you know where not to go. Since Santa Monica Bay is nicely rounded there's always a place that's sheltered from the storm.
Even with high surf if you time it right you can literally walk in with fins on. Trick is to learn to predict where exactly wave will break - that's where you get hammered, even in small waves. Walk further or stop before and you are cool.
3. Nothing to see
Just dive Laguna once, or Leo Carillo. These places are one of the kind.
Advantages of beach diving:
1) Creatures you will never see at the islands
Sanddollars for one
2) cheap like hell
Just get airfills and go
3) Not as time consuming
wake up 6 am, go to the beach, submerge 8am, get out 9 am, climb back, change tanks, splash 10 am surface 11am, yer home by noon.
4) Naturally safe profile
If you follow the bottom on your way out you end up ascending slowly without really thinking of it
I agree that vis off the beach generally sucks in May/June. Try it in November though..
My first beach dive was with Ken. For second and third I got really hammered. Learning to evaluate surf is a key.
Since I dive with sandeaters we have 5-10 people going every sunday