SCUBA

SCUBA

I started diving in September 2010. I didn’t do my first open water dive (i.e. out in the ocean) until October because I had difficulty equalizing. I’ve since figured that out and had been diving quite a bit, averaging 4+ dives a month. These days I don’t get out much. I’m getting close to a full 24 hours underwater. I had been doing a lot of shore dives since its free. I also don’t have my sea legs yet, so I try to avoid boats (if possible).

So far I’ve only dove in California and Mexico. I hope to expand that a little more very soon, but there’s never any shortage of new places to explore in my local area.

 

Lifetime Dive Stats
Dives38
Dive Time (h:m:s)22:47:26
Gas Consumed1038.9 cu ft
Deepest115 ft
Longest (h:m:s)1:05:18
Shortest (h:m:s)0:08:36
Warmest81°F
Coldest51°F

Avalon Dive Park, Casino Point, Catalina Island, California, USA

Skill Level: All
Depths: 40-95 feet
Visibility: 40-50 feet
Casino Point is one of the most popular dive sites in California and deservingly so. Sea life is abundant and generally easily approachable. You’ll find several small wrecks within easy swimming distance of the stairs and lots of other points of interest throughout the Underwater Park.

Cathedral Cove, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands, California, USA

Skill Level: Novice
Depths: 25-35 feet
Visibility: 25-50 feet
The main attraction here is the famous Giant Kelp, Garibaldis, sea lions, and spotted seals.

Veterans Park, Redondo Beach, California, USA

Skill Level: All
Depths: 40-95 feet
Visibility: 5 feet (night)
Common place for night dives. During Winter, squid runs bring in mating squid and nearly every animal in the food chain follows them. It is not uncommon to see thousands of mating squid during a big run. Bat rays, blue sharks, sea lions, octopi, and large Sheep crabs can also be seen here.

Ruby E, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California, USA

Skill Level: All
Depths: 85 feet
Visibility: 15-30 feet
The Ruby E, a 165 foot long Coast Guard Cutter, sunk as part of the Artificial Reef Project in July 1989 in 85 feet of water. She sits upright on the bottom and is intact and penetrable. All the hatches have been made larger and most rooms have an exit to the outside.

HMCS Yukon – Canadian Destroyer, Wreck Alley, San Diego, California, USA

Skill Level: All
Depths: 75-105 feet
Visibility: 10-40 feet
The Yukon, a 366 foot Canadian Destroyer Escort, lies in 105 feet of water off Mission Beach in the Northern area of Wreck Alley. She lies on her port side with average minimum depth from bow to stern about 75 feet along the starboard side. The Yukon has no less than 1,000 Metridium Anemone’s growing, as well as a lot of anemone’s and small soft corals taking root, and an abundance of fish making the wreck home. Parts of the wreck are now completely encrusted with Strawberry Anemones.

Leo Carillo, Malibu, LA County, California, USA

Depth: Shallow: 12-38 feet
Skill level: Novice
Visibility: 5-25 feet
Schools of perch fill the kelp forest, and occasionally large bat rays will lay in the sand between the kelp areas. A Soupfin shark may even swim through the outer kelp beds. Lobsters, cabezon, sheep crabs, kelpfish, and octopus can be found in as little as 10ft depth. Nudibranchs and gorgonians start becoming more coming in the outer reefs past 30ft, after the kelp stops. Blacksmith and barred sand bass will also roam this area. Look for large halibut in the sand past 30ft, and mantis shrimp at 50 or 60ft if you can swim that far out. Don’t be surprised in a harbor seal or sea lion accompanies you on your dive. In the fall school of stinging box jellies can pass by, but they are not deadly like their Australian cousins.

Scuba Club Cozumel, Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Depth: 5-25 feet
Skill level: Novice
Visibility: 100+ feet
The jagged ironshore limestone wall gives refuge to many juvenile reef fish, lobsters, crabs, octopi, and even an occasional seahorse – great for macro photography.

Paso del Cedral, Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Depth: Shallow: 35 to 60 feet
Skill level: Intermediate
Visibility: 100+ feet
A series of many reefs marked with expansive low profile caverns at the beginning and lots of big fish. Less dived than most spots, but not to be missed.

Tormentos Reef, Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Depth: Shallow Dive: 50 to 70 feet
Skill level: Intermediate
Visibility: 100+ feet
A series of colorful coral heads separates by blue sand valleys. Home to very friendly and big green moray. Some of the fastest currents can be found here. Angelfish, groupers, grunts and snapper are common.

Punta Tunich, Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Depth: 50 to 130 feet
Skill level: Intermediate to Advanced
Visibility: 100+ feet
Often swift current. From a sand bottom at 70 feet, a long ridge of coral rises from the sand dunes between 40 to 60 feet. Big grouper and playful green moray eels.

Palancar Caves, Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Depth: Deep Dive: 60 to 90 feet
Skill level: Intermediate
Visibility: 100+ feet
Abundant marine life. Deep buttresses, tunnels, caves and big caverns. Very popular deep dive

Balones of Chankanaab, Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Depth: Shallow Dive: 60 to 70 feet
Skill level: Novice
Visibility: 100+ feet
A series of balloon-shaped coral heads. Lots of marine life, lobster and crab.

Wreck C-53 (Felipe Xicoténcatl), Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Depth: Shallow Dive: 70 to 80 feet
Skill level: Intermediate
Visibility: 100+ feet
Originally built in Tampa, Florida at the Wilson Marine Shipworks in 1944. The wreck measures 184 feet long, 33 feet wide and 40 feet high from keel to the top of the super structure. C-53 was sunk in 1999 in 82 feet of water just off shore from Chankanaab Park.

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