OK, you're going to be in Southern California and you want to do some diving. Well that's great. There is an awful lot of diving around here and it is some of the best diving in the world. There are eight Channel Islands, numerous major shore diving areas and at least 20 local dive boats going out of Long Beach and San Pedro. Most likely though, you will be diving at Catalina. That's not so bad though. Catalina has some of the best diving around and conditions are usually great. It has great kelp beds full of fish and invertebrates. You might also see great black sea bass, playful sea lions, mola molas, lobsters, porpoises or whales. Visibility averages perhaps 50 feet.
Avalon, Catalina Island
Water temps vary from 55 to 70 degrees, so a wetsuit is usually appropriate and some people like a dry suit. Diving is good all year, but best any time but early Spring.
There are an amazing number of options for your diving, but I'll try to put them in order of their concenience for divers that are visiting. Everyone pretty much agrees that the easiest way to dive in California and have a good time is to take the Catalina Express over to Avalon and go dive in the Casino Point Underwater preserve. At the Casino Dive Park there are even stairs into the water and an air station for fills and basic rental gear. On the island is ScubaLuv full service Dive Shop at 310-510-2350) and three boats depart from there as well for local dives. For a great report about that, see
Gillyweed_girl and scubadobadoo finally check out Catalina Island. It was written for first time visitors and people that have been there before.
The other best option is probably to go to California Dive Boats at diver.net and find a boat that is scheduled to go out when you will be here.
The Great Escape, The Sundiver, Encore and Westerly are notably good boats to take. You can get a trip to Catalina or perhaps try for an outer island.
Still Working on this some....
Two Harbors Campgrounds advertises round trip transpo from San Pedro, Stay in Two Harobors Camping Cabin, full-day kayak rental, and 2-tank boat dive. 2 night midweek $137 2-nite weekend $144. Mid 0ct. thru mid April. The lodge there has similar deals for maybe $100 more.
Seems like good deal, you'd have to like to dive and camp, but the cabin-tents come with cots and camping stove and latern, fire-pit & bbq. I've never fone it but sounds like a good deal. It's not avalon, but that might be better.
The ad's on the back of the Catalina Express' printed schedule or try this pabe for info
http://www.scico.com/twoharbors/index.html
If you just want to dive Casino Point all you need is a place to stay. If you want a package you might try going through the Avalon dive operators listed on the California Dive boat section of this website. The Casino Point Park is a great place to dive but one day on a boat might give you some variety.
As for transporting gear, I don't know what the various hotels offer. Renting golf carts is $$$$. Sometimes the dive operators have carts if you are using their serivces. I have actually found the Catalina Taxi's to be fairly reasonable - just don't repeat that or they will probably raise their rates.
If you just want to dive Casino Point all you need is a place to stay. If you want a package you might try going through the Avalon dive operators listed on the California Dive boat section of this website. The Casino Point Park is a great place to dive but one day on a boat might give you some variety.
As for transporting gear, I don't know what the various hotels offer. Renting golf carts is $$$$. Sometimes the dive operators have carts if you are using their serivces. I have actually found the Catalina Taxi's to be fairly reasonable - just don't repeat that or they will probably raise their rates.
The transport from the Express to the Point is for a day trip to the point. If you're staying at a hotel, then you need to get your gear to and from the hotel to the point each day/time you dive. We've rented the carts a few times from Scuba Luv, they're $10.00 a day...but hauling your gear from the Pavillion Lodge to the point a couple of times a day is quite a bit of work...you may opt for the taxi to get you back and forth if it's cheaper...