Diving San Diego (after the dive)

Diving San Diego , after the dive

      After diving I always feel well hungry, maybe because of seeing all the fish has something to do with it , but for what ever reason, I love to take a short walk around the corner and stop at  a little cafe, with big personality Papalulu’s restaurant.

       Known around La Jolla Shores as the only place with surf boards marking the entrance its outside and indoor dining is great after a dive, opened in 2007 Papalulu’s has served breakfast and lunch to many local patrons as well as those vacationing here in San Diego.

      A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY

Taken from Papalulu’s webpage,

“Papalulu’s began almost 20 years ago at a small shopping center in University City, a small community notorious for is unique blend of young families and college students. The idea was to create a place where the community could come together and enjoy an honest, quality meal without breaking the bank. Focusing on quality, Papalulu’s had a reputation for delicious food and friendly, personal service.

Owner Nanci Kirk has been building restaurants with this fabulous reputation since she purchased her first at the ripe old age of 29 in downtown La Jolla. In an funny twist of fate, Papalulu’s is named after both her first cook and waitress; her father Papa and mother Lulu. Formerly retired and living in baja california, Papa and Lulu helped to create the warm, family inspired vibe the defines all of Nanci’s projects.

After a brief hiatus, Papalulu’s has grown and moved to it’s current La Jolla Shores location in 2007. Two blocks from the beach, the resturant has adapted to its new home and features our signature dish- the Papadilla”

a tasty chicken atop a bed of greens with a delightful sauce. only one of the great dishes that you will want to try while visiting La Jolla Shores,

The Menu (something for everyone)

Papalulu’s menu is divers and and offers everything form a mimosa to well Muffins, vegetarian to meat lovers, you will find something that will excite your taste buds.

Every thing on the menu, is freshly made when it is ordered, Beer and wine is also available, as is espresso, Cappuccinos, smoothies

Breakfast at Papalulu’s can be a awesome also Pancakes , French toast, Breakfast Burritos and of course for those that choose not to eat meats a vegetarian Burrito.

A touch of home while away from home Papalulu’s will have you wanting to come back and try different things from the menu.

Next time you are in or around La Jolla Shores, area stop in and enjoy some home cooking from Papalulu’s kitchen.

  Papalulu’s (catering and parties)

“Make your rehearsal dinner, reception, or any special event a memorable experience at Papalulu’s. You can reserve the entire space in the evening for your special occasion year round! Imagine your private event with our classic bamboo bar and lively outdoor patio at one of La Jolla Shore’s most authentic locations.

Evenings are usually warm and our patio is decorated with globe lights to create a romantic, warm party setting. The patio can accommodate up to 75 diners, and the dining room can seat 30″.

Catering for any occasion can be handled by Nanci the owner of Papalulu’s is a well respected and widely booked Caterer  for Parties, weddings, fundraisers, or any kind of special event.

Find Papalulu’s on line and on face book,

 

 

 

Share

Diving San Diego, The Marine Room.

The Marine Room.

Diving San Diego is one of the most premier dive areas in the nation.  Off the shore or off the boat, there is something here for everyone and anyone.

One of these sites is the Marine Room. taken from the restaurant with the same name diners from inside the restaurant can watch the divers as they enter and exit the water, this dive site is a adventure for the novice diver on a dive tour as well as a test  as well as a test of navigational  skills for the advanced divers who venture in to the La Jolla Bay area from the steps at the edge of the Marine room .

getting into the Marine room dive site can be a little tricky some times. during high tide, the access path that splits a residence from the restaurant wide enough for one person at a time to walk down, during high tide the wave crash against the retaining wall at the base of the at the houses and because of  how the wave recoil of the wall back into the on coming waves it is lovingly  referred to as the washing machine.  On other days ,when the tide is out and water  is calmer. it is a easy walk out to the ocean and into the ocean. The sites of the Marine Room depending on the time of year would be Leapord sharks anywhere form five to six feet long , shovel nosed guitar fish, bat rays , sting rays, and other creatures that call the waters off our California coast home.

Setting your compass prior to getting into the water, you strike out on a heading off about 240. will take you to the area of structure eel grass and things that hide there. Sheep Crab. Lobster and Sea lions.

getting to the eel grasses you will find many nooks and crevasses with something hiding in them , bigger fish use the eel grasses to hide in .

Share

Diving San Diego: Thailand Affordable and beautiful

Affordable Diving In Thailand

(A guest article written by Anna Dewinter )

With its stunning beaches and crystal seas, it is no surprise that Thailand is a popular destination for divers. Offering an exciting array of dive sites, with something on offer all year round, this South East Asian country is fast becoming a must-do destination for diving enthusiasts. With flights to Bangkok available at very reasonable prices and excellent accommodation at affordable prices, fans of undersea exploration will find that Thailand is a great destination for diving, whatever their budget.

 

Where to Dive in Thailand?

 

Arriving on a flight to Bangkok, divers have two main choices of base for their diving holiday. Visitors can opt to head for the Andaman sea coast off Phuket, or choose the dive sites along the Gulf of Thailand, perhaps basing themselves in the popular Koh Tao (Turtle Island) resort. With heavy rainfall on the Andaman coast likely in the mid-year months (May – September) having an impact on visibility this area is best experienced off season, while Koh Tao offers less choice in dive sites, but a better year round visibility prospect.

 

Dive Sites in Gulf of Thailand

 

The Gulf of Thailand offers a selection of sites including:

 

  • Chumphon Pinnacles – situated 12 kilometres to the northwest of the island of Koh Tao, this site is dominated by a large rock formation rising from the sea bed. The area is home to a wide array of marine life including reef and bull sharks, rabbit fish and bat fish.

 

  • South West Pinnacles – an hour’s boat trip from the island of Koh Tao, the Southwest Pinnacles are a group of rock formations clustered around a main structure that rises from the sea bed to just five meters under the water.  The area offers great coral and sea fans as well as the possibility of spotting a whale shark among the teeming sea life.A gental giant

    •  

  • Sail Rock - Between Koh Tao and neighboring Koh Phangan sites Sail Rock. Limestone cliffs rise from the sea offering a habitat to a wide range of sea creatures. Experienced divers may enjoy the undersea chimney which is passable from a depth of 18 meters to a depth of six meters.

 

Dive Sites in the Andaman Sea

Off the coast of Phuket are a range of exciting dive sites offering divers some spectacular undersea sights including:

  • King Cruiser Wreck – this ship sank back in 1997 as it ferried tourists between Phuket and the neighboring Phi Phi islands. It now provides an exciting alternative to the many natural dive sites in the area.
  • Hin Jom Anemone Reef – around half a kilometer to the north of Hin Musange is the Hin Jom Anemone reef – home to a selection of exciting sights such as leopard sharks and lion fish.
  • Koh Dok Mai – a ninety minute boat ride carries divers to the uninhabited island of Koh Dok Mai, whose limestone cliffs and sea cave network house a selection of specimens including Moray eels as well as being home to amazing corals.

 

Share

Diving San Diego, Energized and Refreshed

WOW I FEEL GREAT:

Wow I feel great! Have you ever heard someone say that coming out from a dive?  Usually you hear that was a great dive, or I’m tired , or Man I need something to drink, my mouth is so dry feel like I just walked through the desert rather than just getting out of the ocean.

Why do we feel like that?

One reason for feeling like that is because diving on compressed DRY air drys our mouths out you don’t want air in you tanks that create moisture. Moisture in your tank is very bad, not only for the tank but very bad for you also, most people feel we just have to deal with it, NOT John Dooley, john set out to make something that we could use to prevent dry mouth, he came up with a Hydrating drink called

DIVERS D\LYTE

“Formulated specifically for the needs of divers, Diver’s D\Lyte™ provides essential assistance to the body for the most enjoyable dives.

Diver’s D\Lyte™ (patent pending) purposely set out to improve overall diver performance with a unique hydrating energy drink designed specifically for the sport of diving. The rapid hydration system of ionized electrolytes and essential metabolites gives the body assistance in the fight against dehydration.  The Organic and Natural adaptogenic extracts contained in Diver’s D\Lyte™ will add to your enjoyment and provide a subtle source of energy!

Whether it’s for improved hydration, endurance, energy, focus with mental acuity, its natural extracts, or just for a hangover helper, divers are learning to trust Diver’s D\Lyte™ as an indispensible piece of gear to ensure performance of their most valued equipment, “The Human Body“.

After Meeting John while diving the  HMCS Yukon (Canadian destroyer that was intentionally sunk as an artificial reef in July of 2000. The vessel now rests in the Pacific Ocean less than two miles off the coast of San Diego California) John gave me some of his Diver’s D\Lyte to try on the second dive, It was like night and day, after the dive I didn’t have that dryed out feeling and it didn’t leave a after taste like some of those other drinks. John now has quite the following of users. such as Dave Silveria 4 time spear fishing Champion, makes Diver’s D\Lyte “his drink of choice”. Also David Ulloa , (The shark wisperer) Professional underwater Scooter racer, Kelsey Alber (womans Spearfishing Champion) all use Diver’s D\lyet to stay hydrated and comfortable after deep freediving and racing powerful underwater scooters.

Check out Diver’s D\Lyte on the web at www.diversdlyte.com and see more information about this outstanding source of well delight, you can also follow John on face book und what else Diver’sD\Lyte,

Dive Safe Dive offten

Share

Diving San Diego-Underwater Photography

Diving San Diego

While alway a great dive. destination people come to San Diego to experience diving on the Yukon, in wreck alley or diving the kelp beds of f Point Loma, looking for Photo ops off of La Jolla Cove, for what ever reason its where people come to dive.  When they come to San Diego they bring dive equipment and if nothing else they bring Photo equipment, from the dive shop  instant digital camera to some of the most of the expensive equipment around costing thousands of dollars. for my money I like the Equinox housings


Equinox is an underwater video housing manufacturer that specializes in building safe, durable and affordable underwater video housings dedicated to providing excellent customer service and innovative, quality products for the professional, leisure and sport divers trying to capture the next great shot!

Les Stroud , the Survivor Man, best known as star of the six-time Gemini nominated hit TV series Survivorman (OLN Canada, The Science Channel US, Discovery Channel International, City TV (Rogers) Canada), Les Stroud continues to forge new pathways as a prolific, creative force. He single-handedly created, produced, wrote, filmed, hosted, edited and composed the theme music for the first two original, one-hour pilots that would eventually become the hit Survivorman TV series. The only producer in the history of television to produce an internationally broadcast series entirely written, videotaped and hosted alone, Stroud is credited with starting a new genre of television known as ‘Survival TV’. Survivorman became the highest rated show in the history of both OLN Canada and the Science Channel US and among the most popular and highest rated shows on Discovery Channel US.

Stroud has appeared on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (3 times), The Ellen DeGeneres Show, MTV Live (2 times), The View, The Hour, and Larry King Live (4 times). In July 2010, Les was invited by the Prime Minister of Canada (The Honourable Stephen Harper) to meet the Queen of England and the Duke of Edinborough during their 2010 Royal Tour of Canada. Stroud’s commercial with famous Geico Gecko was referenced by David Letterman, Howard Stern and numerous other media personalities and he has been parodied on the hit TV sitcoms ‘The Office’ and ‘King of the Hill’.

Stroud has appeared in and/or produced numerous television specials including hosting the 20th Anniversary of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week (2007); I Shouldn’t Be Alive: the Science of Survival (2008), Surviving Sharks (Shark Week 2008), Expedition Everest, Surviving Urban Disasters, After the Experiment (Discovery), Deadly Waters (Shark Week 2009), and “Off the Grid with Les Stroud”. In 2010, he earned his seventh Gemini nomination as Executive Producer/Host of the hit kids TV series ‘Survive This’ and ‘Survive This 2’ (YTV, Cartoon Network). He is also Executive Producer/Host of NHL celebrity survival series “Survival Challenge” (OLN). “Les Stroud Beyond Survival” (2010) earns Les another certifiable hit with ratings surpassing all movies and even sports TV on a couple of US airings, and becoming one of the highest rated programs on Canada’s OLN.

Celebrated keynote speaker, musician and author, his debut book: “Survive! – Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere–Alive!” (Harper Collins) made the bestseller list for 20 weeks and broke the top 100 on Amazon.com. His latest book “Will to Live” (Harper Collins) had already sold 20,000 pre-ordered copies before hitting bookshelves across Canada November 6th.

Musically, Stroud has worked with the top in the business, including Alice Cooper, Robby Krieger, Tommy Shaw, Steven Stills, Canadian’s The Northern Pikes, and renowned producer Terry Brown. Continuing through winter 2011, Les will be back in the studio and focused on music. Working with the management team at SRO Anthem (best known as Rush and Steven Page’s management), Stroud’s next challenge is an exciting new album and multi-media tour, heavily influenced by indigenous sounds and images collected from his Beyond Survival travels around the globe.

A proud member of the Explorers Club, Les contributes to dozens of charities and benefits, and is a Survival Specialist Instructor for the Canadian Armed Forces. writes that “I have had the chance, while filming underwater around the world, to work with many brands of housings. When it came time to owning my own, I went with Equinox. They simply gave me the durability, quality and security I needed for some pretty intense work. It’s simple” a wet camera is a ruined shoot and possibly a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Equinox Housings protect me from that.”

Once you decide on a becoming a proud user of the Equinox Housing They have a unique retrofit program, that is offered on all PRO and HD 6 housings. With camcorders being updated and new releases hitting the market almost monthly, customers want to be able to update their gear without having to take a significant financial hit. With the Retrofit Program you can update your housing for approximately half the cost of a new housing

I have seen Many Underwater videos through many housings the clarity and lack of corner shake that you find in some housings mean the monitor does not fit perfectly into the housing a problem you won’t have with Equinox Housings, you will produce Videos such as this one

Camera & Housing packages are available from Equinox Housings They will fit a camera and housing to fit your needs  no matter if you a professional trying to capture shots for a article in a magazine or just some one trying to capture a moment in time, on the perfect vacation making a lasting memory Equinox Housing will be the right choice for you.

 

Share

Diving San Diego – San Diego Adaptive Scuba Diving

What is Adaptive SCUBA Diving?

Adaptive SCUBA diving is making the sport accessible to anyone that wants to try it and become certified.

When I tell someone that I teach people with mobility issues or divers who are blind  how to scuba dive, they look at me like I have two heads. ultimately the first question is why would someone blind want to Scuba dive, what can they see. “why would someone that can’t walk want to go scuba diving”, “How do you get them  to the water?” what if they need “something how do they tell you?”. We do it by Adapting to our student.

There are so many ways to take people underwater, The Scuba industries have invented so many ways to go beneath the sea. Sub Marines , Diving Bells, SCUBA (self contained underwater breathing apparatus) equipment what they haven’t invented because it has always been there is the will of people to do things others have told them they can’t do.

Our minds limit our bodies

How many times have you heard some one say I can’t do that , ever ask them why? some will tell you they were TOLD they couldn’t by someone, because of their size or strength  or some other BS reason, and they believed them so they never tried, kind of like a computer,  Garbage in Garbage out, not much to them if you put the right information in  you get the right information out. People are the same way you tell them they can’t and they will believe you enough people tell them they can’t they will never try.

This guy was never told he couldn’t dive, he said he wanted to and his Father said okay lets see if we can make this happen not to big of a deal unless you know the guy in the picture this is Matt diving to a depth of 16 feet with his dive buddies. right there with him doing what good dive buddies do, staying close. there if he needs something and pointing out interesting stuff, to see.  He has Duchenne muscular dystrophy This is also Matt when he is not diving he is helping put out the word that because you have a mobility issue you can do what your mind tells you that you can do what ever you want to do, it just may take a bit of adaptation to get it done.  Matt has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and is respirator dependent , he is currently the first and only respirator dependent HSA(handicapped Scuba Association) Certified diver in the world (that I know of to date), no one told him he couldn’t

Mountains I can move those

Climbers with disabilities do some amazing things because some one believed in them and didn’t say you can’t, of if they did he found some else that asked why.  Darol Kubacz was one of those that figured he could he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

Chad Jukes and his partner Chad Butrick “Two Climbers, Two Feet and Two Mountains” climb at Ouray Ice Park on Feb. 17, 2010. ” disabled people are doing things that a lot of abled bodied people would do, they have the can do attitude instead of I can’t because for what ever reason some one has given them,

Skiing, Point me down the hill

Blind Skiers take to the slopes every year as shown here in this video

It really makes no difference weather you are a abled bodied  or have some kind of injury, amputee , Spinal cord or brain injury if you want to do something try you will amazed at what you can do.

When I am finished telling my inquisitive onlookers what we at San Diego Adaptive Scuba do the look is now changed from one of disbelief to one of awe.

People are limited not by their surroundings or by their physical prowess or strength they are only limited by their will and imaginations.

Don’t let the people you know decide what you can and can’t do let the person inside you free to challenge the world to make a difference you can’t sore with the eagles if you walking with the chickens.

Believe with your hearts you mind your body will follow, ADAPT

Happy Blogging dive safe , have fun

Share

Diving San Diego – Diving with Asperger Syndrome

My New Student Louis

I had a 14  year a few  weeks ago, that did his Scuba diving class with me his open water dives. This kid I will call Louis was awesome, he taught me some new ways to teach, Yea he did, you see Louis has Asperger Syndrome which is a form of Autism, I found that telling him how to do a skill  and showing him how to do the skill  and the letting him do the skill didn’t work all of the time, However, If I showed him a skill , and he showed me then told me how to do the skill then taught me how to do the skill retention was more likely for that skill to stay with him. It takes a little patients but the out come was so worth it. A smile that big on the face of a child is something that I will never ever forget. I look forward to diving with him again in the future.

Focusing on the big picture and missing the main point is one side of Asperger’s or grasping the main point and not seeing the whole story is the other side of the coin,  Aspergers is considered by some as a higher functioning  form of Autism, often having a hard time with social interactions with people.

The thing is that even though it is a challenge Kids with this particular form of Autism can still enjoy all the things any other kids can enjoy it takes a strong parent to let them try, and of course patients.

Some things you may look for

Symptoms during childhood

Parents often first notice the symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome when their child starts preschool and begins to interact with other children. Children with Asperger’s syndrome may:

  • Not pick up on social cues and may lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read others’ body language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking.
  • Dislike any changes in routines.
  • Appear to lack empathy.
  • Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others’ speech. Thus, your child may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment literally. Likewise, his or her speech may be flat and difficult to understand because it lacks tone, pitch, and accent.
  • Have a formal style of speaking that is advanced for his or her age. For example, the child may use the word “beckon” instead of “call” or the word “return” instead of “come back.”
  • Avoid eye  contact or stare at others.
  • Have unusual facial expressions or postures.
  • Be preoccupied with only one or few interests, which he or she may be very knowledgeable about. Many children with Asperger’s syndrome are overly interested in parts of a whole or in unusual activities, such as designing houses, drawing highly detailed scenes, or studying astronomy. They may show an unusual interest in certain topics such as snakes, names of stars, or dinosaurs or fish anything that is associated with their interests.
  • Talk a lot, usually about a favorite subject. One-sided conversations are common. Internal thoughts are often verbalized.
  • Have delayed motor development. Your child may be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike, or catch a ball. He or she may have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor.
  • Have heightened sensitivity and become overstimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures. sensory integration dysfunction.

To learn more about Asperger Syndrome. signs symptoms and support for this use the hyper link that will take you to Kids Health and don’t forget that part of what holds someone back is the one wanting him to succeed.

Happy Diving Happy Blogging
Share

Diving San Diego Goes to Atlantis

Diving San Diego goes to Atlantis

The lost continent  of Atlantis, a mythical place that once thought to be a highly elaborate city of advance intellectual race of people swallowed up by the oceans around it either from a massive earthquake or as some sci-fi writers suggest destroyed by the gods for becoming greater than those on Olympus, sent the creature called the Kracken to destroy the city. Very colorful and action packed, People have spent their lives searching for the lost city. Well there have been many people that have found it.

Where was Atlantis found

Puerto Galera the heart of Oriental on the peninsula you will find Atlantis – One of the best dive resort and dive centers in the Area . A short jaunt  from The capital city of  Manila, Puerto Galera the port of  Galleons; sits in a secluded portion of a  sheltered bay has been a place where sailors have found refuge from the fury of the seas for many years. More recently it is visited by travelers, Scuba Divers looking for top notch waters to dive, and photograph, with  scenery that is  awe inspiring that has divers and non-divers alike vowing to return as soon as they can year after year.

The Atlantis Puerto Galera offers great over 30 dive sites within the local area of the the archipelago that offers thousands of species of fish, hundreds different types of  corals here you can combine  coral reefs, pristine clear water, with the multitude of schooling fish with shore diving.

Dive spots minutes away by boat:

The Dive Operation at Atlantis offers a dive schedule that works for those who like to get out there early and dive or those who like to sleep in and dive later in the day of course diving off the shore is available any time of the day or night, the dive guides are skilled and know their waters so that if there is something you want to see all you have to do is ask the guide and your dive will be tailored to that area. because most of us want to dive, with out the distractions of people ruining the visibility while trying to get that perfect photo, the groups are limited to 6 divers per trip, but enough area’s that every one will get to dive where they want to dive, also private trips are available to those who are compelled to do so. There are also trips that like Diving San Diego‘s Coronado Is. the Atlantis has Day trips to dive sites like Verde Island, and at least 6 others

Photographers you will be happy also:

There is a work area for those of us who only mission in diving is to capture something on film or digitally and post what we photograph on our website or face book, or where ever we share our best shots. Laptops are safely stored clean work space charging adapters for any type of diving camera or computer to recharge your electronic device. a little privacy goes along way when processing your dive pictures. so private cubicles give you a bit of privacy so you can concentrate and to perform your daily maintenance on your photo equipment.

The Atlantis wants each diver and non-diver to have the best experience that they can, so the Atlantis does its best to make sure that happens, Safety and Customer satisfaction share the number one spot on the Atlantis Puerto Galera list to assure the  divers, and those non-divers have that great experience,

Diving

Diving, the clear waters of the Philippines giant sea fans attract the divers to take thousands of pictures off the reef. colorful fish cruise the reef , giving divers plenty of willing and some not so willing candidates to be photographed,  wrecks, Cuttle fish, eels, can be found all over the dive sites of Puerto Galera diving from the shore or boat the dive sites are abound with something to see and photograph.

Weather your a seasoned diver with hundreds of hours or a novice diver you will find diving around the Atlantis fulfilling in every way. even those that don’t dive and would like to try the 5 star PADI Dive shop offers you Discover scuba diving. so your non divers that have come with you can understand why we do what we do, it will open a new world to them and gives you another dive buddy.

Atlantis prepared a map of the dive sites in the area , more than you can dive in the first trip, I am sure that after the first experience that you share with Atlantis Dive Resort, you will want to go back again and again, and with the wonderful personal attention you receive from the resort staff, you will not be able to stop talking about your dive trip.

Hope you have a great trip , hope you have fantastic diving. send us some pictures when you can.  we always love to see pictures that our Diving San Diego friends take.

Happy diving , Happy Blogging

Share

San Diego Life Guards, Diving San Diego

What Happens When Things Go Wrong

a Jolla Shores  is a sandy beach approximately one mile long, nestled in a small beach community only about 1 mile long of beach. A west facing beach where waves are usually great for those just learning to surf and for those learning to Scuba Dive many novice scuba classes are held at La Jolla Shores. Or for those wishing to learn to surf a surf area is marked after 9:00 for surfing only where you could find Surf Divas out giving beginning surf classes,  and for those more skilled to practice techniques. Even though the waves are gentle  most of the time the beach, rip currents that can be quite strong at times.

The Park area where children can swing in the sand filled play area or climb on the child safe forts and slides while families picnic, or stroll on the broad walkway that runs the distance from the La Jolla Inn to the far end of the park area, along this walk way of about a mile long are several towers, and one main building that house the best of the best at La Jolla shores  the San Diego County Life Guards, stand ready to be there when you need them the most. watching the ocean for the rip currents that most of us would never see. Rip Currents can be Identified by the white foamy water being pulled seaward. When these currents get strong and swimmers not paying attention to the water around them tragedy can strike very quickly and silently, pulling a swimmer to deep water, panic can set in quickly bringing other non qualified persons to the rescue only to become another part of the already bad situation.

La Jolla Life Guards play a variety of roles at the beach from obvious life savers to finders of lost children, mediators of disputes, someone to talk to about the waters, minor first aid providers, to Emergency first responders, putting their lives in danger to save another.

Trained to swim threw the waves fight the rip currents, and bring you back to shore  maybe a little worn out from your ordeal but still able to say thank you, that’s what counts.

A Thankless Job

Some time the job of a life guard comes down to making people obey the rules of the beach no drinking, dogs off the beach by 9:00, even parking , but the fact is they are doing their job and are not there to ruin your day no  matter what you may think. Because even though you may get mad at them for telling you to get out of the swim area with a surf board or site you for having a dog on the beach after hours, or launching your boat or kayak at the wrong place, if something happens to you no matter how nasty you have treated or talked to or about them if you get in trouble in the ocean and need their help they will be there for you.

So Boat smart , dive smart , swim smart and respect those that have taken on the job of making sure you are safe, in out and around the water Your San Diego County Life Guards.

Happy Blogging

Share

Diving San Diego – Los Coronados

A Day in the  Los Coronados

Horn shark,

Just 15 miles south of San Diego, this is the best half-day trip for scuba diving in San Diego.  A small conglomerate of uninhabited islands just off the coast of Rosarito, Mexico (just South of the border), the most popular dive spots are at ‘North Island’, including ‘Keyhole’ and ‘Lobster Shack’. With depths ranging 15 – 100 feet, and even an old small wreck near ‘Lobster Shack’, the Coronados are a great dive for all skill levels and a “must see” dive site.  With visibility between 50′- 150′ on average, it’s not uncommon to see lots of purple coral, octopus, Moray Eels, Horn Sharks, Harbor Seals, Sea Lions, and Garibaldi.  Making the Coronados Islands a dive you’ll always remember of San Diego dive site

Once the trip is complete, You arrive at the dive site Lobster Shack a few moments later your boat is anchored, and the dive brief is over and your ready to dive. Several dive boats will take you there, The Marissa, the Water horse Charter , and the Lois Ann.

Doing a giant stride, into the cool waters, you descend the first thing to catch your eye is anchored in 40 feet of water you can see the bottom, obscured only by the thousand of fish that may get in your way, the water is a beautiful blue, the bottom has a great deal of structure bolders covered with grass. and soft growth, from the shore the bottom is rocky with eel grass as you move away from the shore, the bottom drops abruptly and becomes a rocky haven for eels lobster octopus and other ssorted fish, invertebrates.

Dropping further the bottom turns sandy with sparse plants and old wheels. and parts of a old cabin cruiser, that stories change with the amount of people that have been out to see whats left of this wreck, one story goes that two doctors went out on a fishing trip set the autopilot, fell asleep and ran aground. before it could be retrieved it was ran picked over by fishermen and left to sink off of lobster shack in about 65 feet of water. the ocean has taken it’s toll on this little boat and has been reduced to some boards and structural supports.

To dive this spot once is a great introduction to Diving San Diego, even though its really in Mexico, you start in San Diego. diving it again you find more and more things to look at. Sea Lions lay on the shore and the young pups come out to see what your doing. playing with your fins. you may surface with a group of young sea lions surrounding you wanting to be your friend.

Moray Eels hid in the rocks accompanied by cleaner shrimp, that craw in and out of the monster eel’s mouth, cleaning parasites form within and roaming over its body cleaning its skin as well. a strange partnership but it seems to work, for both the eel and the shrimp.

Moray Eel and cleaner shrimp

looking in the rocks you may see the Key hole limpet  Megathura Crenula the scientific name attaches itself to the rocks where it lives out its days eating algae, tunicates and sponges. related to Abalone. mussels, sea hares, and  Sea Snails.

key hole limpet

Diving San Diego boats out to the Coronado Islands can be one of the best vacation dives that people do when coming to California. Diving with a guide on the Island can also improve your diving experience by being shown the hiding places of some of the local sea life, with out worrying about navigating around the dive site.

Other dive sites on the Mexican Islands are key hole. Middle ground to name just a couple,  are also just as close as a few hundred yards to maybe a mile or two across  to the next Island. what ever your dive site on the Los Coronados you will have a great dive.

So come dive with us, enjoy what San Diego Diving has to offer you and your friends. Hope to see you soon happy Blogging

Share
Tinkerbell Personal Checks |Garden Planters | Jewellery For Women | Best Dog Foods | Budget Wedding Gowns | Shop For Jewellery | Vintage Jewellery| Diamante Jewellery | Car Finance Credit | DoorStep Loans