Hours vary by season. Current hours are always posted on the website and Google Business Profile.

Yes. The shop operates all year with adjusted hours during winter.

There is no penalty for cancellations received 7 days prior to your activity. If you need to cancel between 48 hours and seven days we will attempt to rebook your activity, but you may be assessed a rebooking fee. There will be no refunds for cancellations within 48 hours of your scheduled activity. No-shows will be charged the full price. If you arrive and your instructor determines that you are not eligible for your activity, either due to lack of certification or a safety issue, you will not be issued a refund. Anyone who arrives under the influence of drugs or alcohol will not be allowed to participate and there will be no refund. Customers will receive a full refund in case of operator cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Contact us by phone to cancel or inquire about a cancellation.

All boat tours meet at the Green Pleasure Pier. We can outfit you with any rental gear you need before departure.

All shore diving, guided tours and Dive Park rentals meet at #1 Casino Way, right next to the park entrance.

Casino Point hours differ from the Pier shop. Check the site for the most up-to-date times.

Yes. Early openings are offered on select days for classes, guided dives, and Scuba Cat trips.

Yes. All rental gear must be returned before the posted closing time unless prior arrangements are made.

Yes, CDS offers two different boats for dive operations, the Scuba Cat and the Scrambler. The Scuba Cat’s normal operation is typically an unguided boat in which divers plan and execute their own dives, after guidance from crew. Divers can opt to hire a guide for an additional fee upon availability. Alternatively, CDS offers an exclusively guided boat on the Scrambler, for up to six divers.

Catalina Island boat diving is a genuinely world-class experience. The island sits in the path of the California Current, which drives cold, nutrient-rich water along the coastline and supports one of the most biodiverse marine environments on the West Coast. Boat diving unlocks the outer edges of that ecosystem — remote kelp forest systems, dramatic rocky pinnacles, and offshore sites that sees no shore divers. Visibility at Catalina routinely runs 30 to 60 feet, and on the right day can exceed 100 feet. Water temperatures range from the mid-50s°F in winter to the low 70s°F in late summer, with a quality wetsuit making year-round diving comfortable. Marine life is abundant: garibaldi (California's state marine fish), harbor seals, bat rays, moray eels, leopard sharks, sheep crab, and dense schools of fish are common encounters. During certain seasons pelagic species move through. The kelp forests themselves are stunning — cathedral-like columns of giant kelp rising 60 feet from the seafloor, filtering sunlight into something almost otherworldly.

CDS runs trips to a range of sites around the island, chosen based on general experience level of divers on board, as well as daily and seasonal weather conditions. With over 200 dive sites around the island, there are many possibilities for any given day. Our local knowledge is the biggest advantage we offer - we’re not following a script.  Our most frequented dive sites are on the leeward side of Catalina, which offers more reliable and favorable conditions that match the average diver’s experience level. Many sites offer various features such as lush kelp forests, boulder gardens housing mollusks, urchins, crustaceans, and sharks, rock pinnacles covered in soft corals, or sandy patches hiding flat fishes and rays. Popular dive sites include: Hen Rock, Long Point, Italian Gardens, Red Lava Wall, West End Quarry, Sea Fan Grotto, Bird Rock, Isthmus Reef, Indian Rock, Starlight, and many more. There are also “advanced only” trips offered throughout the year that target notably deeper and more difficult sites like Ship Rock, Blue Caverns, and Little Farnsworth. Additionally, the Scuba Cat can be chartered for more personalized trips allowing access to dive sites such as Farnsworth Bank or the neighboring Channel Islands.

Depth varies significantly across Catalina's boat dive sites, which is part of what makes them suitable for a range of certified divers. Most recreational boat dives run between 20 and 80 feet — deep enough to access mature kelp forest structure, rocky reefscape, and the full range of marine life, while remaining well within recreational dive limits. Many kelp forest sites offer excellent diving in the 20 to 40 foot range — ideal for Open Water divers or anyone who prefers to maximize bottom time at shallower depths. Our guides assess site depth and conditions before every dive and match the profile to the group on board. Some sites go considerably deeper. Ship Rock and Farnsworth Bank, for example, are advanced sites where the bottom drops away sharply, and qualified divers can push to 100 feet and beyond.

No, CDS runs boat dives designed for all certified divers. We pick dive sites catered to the experience level of the divers on the boat on any given day. We offer “Advanced or higher” days on the boat for more experienced divers multiple times a year, and our boat is also available to charter for custom experiences.  That said, an Advanced Open Water certification opens up more of the island. Sites like Bird Rock and Farnsworth Bank involve depth, current, or both, and are reserved for appropriately certified and experienced divers. If you're an Open Water diver who wants to unlock the full range of Catalina boat diving, CDS offers Advanced Open Water training right here on the island — one of many certification courses we offer from Open Water through Instructor Trainer level. Our instructors know Catalina's dive sites better than anyone, and completing your advanced training here means you learn in the exact environment where you'll be diving.

Shore diving and boat diving at Catalina each offer a genuinely excellent experience — they're different, not competing. The Casino Point Underwater Park in Avalon is one of the most accessible and well-regarded shore dive sites in California. You can gear up, walk in off the stairs, and be in mature kelp forest within seconds. It's ideal for training dives, relaxed exploration, and multiple dives in a single day without any scheduling constraints. For those who are used to diving in more tropical waters, it's also a great place to acclimate to cold water diving. Boat diving is about reach and discovery. It gets you to sites along Catalina's outer coastline that are impossible or impractical to access from shore — remote pinnacles, offshore kelp systems, and deeper structure that rarely gets dived. The marine life at these sites tends to be less habituated to human presence. You're also covering more of the island, which means a more complete picture of what Catalina's underwater world actually looks like. For divers who want to experience Catalina fully, we recommend doing both. Catalina Divers Supply operates out of three locations in Avalon — the main dive center at the Casino building, the green Pleasure Pier and our canyon location at Catalina’s Adventure HQ — so whether you're heading in off the rocks or heading out on the boat, you're covered.

Both of our boat dive operations include two tanks, weights, and lunch. We have fresh water onboard and cups (but reusable water bottles are always encouraged!), soft drinks, and snacks. We recommend a towel for after diving, and something sun/wind resistant for between dives. If you’re prone to seasickness, don’t forget your Dramamine, or you can purchase it from us upon arrival. Don’t forget your (reef safe) sunscreen!   If you need to rent gear, full sets are offered at a discounted rate for boat divers and have everything you need, head to toe. If you’re bringing your own gear, please keep in mind that we recommend a 7mm wetsuit most times of the year, 5mm are okay (for warm-blooded folk) certain times of the year.  We require proof of certification so please bring your physical or digital cards. Dive logs are always a great way to document your Catalina experience.

You can rent everything you need for a boat dive through Catalina Divers Supply. Our rental inventory includes BCDs, regulators, wetsuits (we recommend 7mm most times of the year, 5mm in warmer months), masks, fins, booties, hoods, gloves, dive computers, and tanks and weights — which are always included in the boat dive package. If you're flying in to visit Catalina or just prefer not to travel with gear, a full CDS rental package gets you on the water without checking a bag. Our rental equipment is regularly serviced and inspected. That said, if you dive regularly and are ready to own your own kit, we also run a full retail shop. Our staff can walk you through equipment selection and fit you properly — they dive these waters themselves and know exactly what works here. Rental gear packages are offered at a discounted rate for boat divers.

It depends on which boat you're on — and the difference matters. Scrambler is our fully guided dive boat, with a maximum of 6 divers per trip. Your divemaster is in the water with you, knows your experience level, sets the pace, and is genuinely present for every dive. This is the experience we recommend for divers new to California diving, anyone who wants a personal introduction to our local kelp forests, or those who simply prefer a more intimate, guided adventure. Scuba Cat is our larger dive boat, carrying a maximum of 24 divers. After a thorough briefing from our crew about what to expect at the dive site, it's a self-directed experience — you plan your dives, manage your buddy team, and operate autonomously. Scuba Cat is built for divers who are comfortable in the water and ready to explore on their own terms. Divers can opt to hire a dive guide for an additional fee upon availability. A word about California diving: cold water, surge, and reduced visibility make our local conditions meaningfully different from tropical or warm-water diving. If you're new to Pacific diving, we strongly recommend booking a guide for your first dive or two — or bringing solid open-water experience in similar conditions. It's not about skill level; it's about having the right introduction to a genuinely different underwater environment. Not sure which boat is right for you? Contact us directly — we'll help you pick the trip that matches your experience and makes the most of your time in the water.

Catalina is a year-round dive destination, and every season has something to offer — the "best" time depends on what you're after. Summer (June through September) brings the warmest water temperatures, frequently reaching the low-to-mid 70s°F at the surface. It's the most comfortable season for divers and a popular time to visit, though visibility can be reduced by plankton blooms. Fall (October and November) is widely considered one of the best seasons for Catalina diving — water clarity improves significantly, temperatures are still reasonable, and marine life activity remains high. Visibility of 50 to 80 feet is not unusual in fall. Winter and early spring bring the coldest water (mid-50s°F) but often the clearest conditions, with visibility up to 100 feet. Spring sees returning kelp growth and increasing marine life activity as the season builds. Catalina Divers Supply runs boat dives throughout the year, so whenever you're coming to the island, we can put you on the water.