Posted by Eagle Ray on November 11, 2002 at 11:24:44:
This weekend I plan to take a friend of mine diving. This will be his first dive since his open water class one month ago, which was in Northern California. This will also be his first boat dive ever too. I was surprised to find out that the class he took only conducted beach dives in Monterey and no one was in his class did a boat dive before getting certified.
Anyway, my question is, do you guys think Santa Barbara Island is a good location for a beginning diver? I myself have been diving for about 12 years and have dove nearly every island off the coast. Surprisingly though I have never been to SBI. What are the conditions like for a newbie? Is the diving typically done in kelp belds or rocky bottoms with little kelp? And is this a good time of year to see the sea lions? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.