Diving from Kayaks is the bomb though. There are plenty of great places, esp. south facing beaches like Refugio that are easy entries and exits with swimmable reefs.
ita, at least 24 hours rest before you can fly after diving.
Wild monkey love or tender Sarah McLachlan love?
Xander ,'Him'
Natter 40: The Nice One
Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.
Kat - Nov 11, 2005 8:41:26 pm PST #3420 of 10006
"I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret." Leigh Bardugo
§ ita § - Nov 11, 2005 8:42:07 pm PST #3421 of 10006
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
Plus you get street cred for being a california shore diver and not some wimpy resort diver.
Street cred for handling the cold? I bailed on that somewhere during a Montreal winter. I was just slow at committing to it.
I don't like the cold. I can handle summer surfing, and am willing to try winter surfing, but fuck starting (well, re-starting) my SCUBA career in an icebox.
I heard good things about Belize too, but that the reef was dying there.
I think I'm going to have a really long list. Cool!
Kat - Nov 11, 2005 8:44:09 pm PST #3422 of 10006
"I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret." Leigh Bardugo
No, street cred for being able to know how to handle surf entries and exits and for not being generally wimpy. Sure, the cold is part but not all of that. It makes it easier to go out on advanced dives if you know you can handle regular California shore dives. And honestly, diving California is not like diving Ketchican.
I like California diving because otters! seals! sea lions! kelp! garibaldi! nurse sharks! so many cool things to see here without the pesky reef damage.
§ ita § - Nov 11, 2005 8:45:27 pm PST #3423 of 10006
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
for not being generally wimpy.
About the cold? But I am! Why pretend? Can't I learn surf entries and exits somewhere warm?
Cass - Nov 11, 2005 8:48:50 pm PST #3424 of 10006
Bob's learned to live with tragedy, but he knows that this tragedy is one that won't ever leave him or get better.
My current (very young) plan is to take lessons here, and do the certification dive somewhere warm and not here. Because I am shallow and a wuss.I'd consider certing beforehand just because there is so much to learn and on vacation you want to enjoy more.
The water, with the wetsuit of course, really isn't bad. I just got spoiled diving in a bikini.
Kat, where do I dive for otters?
Kat - Nov 11, 2005 8:49:16 pm PST #3425 of 10006
"I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret." Leigh Bardugo
And the summer water/winter water thing is something I don't get. Is the summer water really that much warmer? Not so much that I've noticed.
Another good diving/kayaking spot, or so I hear, is the Sea of Cortez.
Kat - Nov 11, 2005 8:51:46 pm PST #3426 of 10006
"I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret." Leigh Bardugo
In Monterey, Cass. Point Lobos, which is a refuge and they only let in 1 dive teams a day. We've kayaked out around the point and there are always otters there. Same with Lover's Cove which is easy in/easy out, there's an old boat launch with stairs so you can make it. The swim to the kelp is maybe 30-50 yards. When we were there, an otter was playing hide and seek with us. SO CUTE.
The downside is Monterey is far colder than diving here. It's really the only time I've ever been truly cold diving. But Monterey water was about ~48 degrees which is awful.
§ ita § - Nov 11, 2005 8:51:50 pm PST #3427 of 10006
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
I'd consider certing beforehand just because there is so much to learn and on vacation you want to enjoy more.
But if I've already done the learning, and just want to take the test?
The water, with the wetsuit of course, really isn't bad. I just got spoiled diving in a bikini.
I've only dived in a swimsuit, and that's a big draw.
Is the summer water really that much warmer? Not so much that I've noticed.
It's looked so from the temperature maps, so far, but the temperature of the air contributes to the comfort in surfing too, don't you think?
Lee - Nov 11, 2005 8:54:31 pm PST #3428 of 10006
The feeling you get when your brain finally lets your heart get in its pants.
But if I've already done the learning, and just want to take the test?
That's what I did. Make sure your training in LA matches the program where you go, because if it doesn't, you may have to retake classes.
Kat - Nov 11, 2005 8:55:09 pm PST #3429 of 10006
"I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret." Leigh Bardugo
But if I've already done the learning, and just want to take the test?
Before I took the test, they made me do open water dives anyhow. So we did pool work for a few classes, then we did two open water classes (in a goddamn quarry in goddamn virginia, talk about awful). Then we had a one day certification.
I don't know if it is still that way.