When you think of diving under the surface of the ocean, do you think of forests? The giant kelp forests abound all around the waters surrounding Catalina Island. These forests are home to all kinds of sea life—from sharks to shrimp, octopus to eels, garibaldi to giant sea bass. Divers of all levels can come to dive Catalina. Taking a dive class is a great activity on Catalina Island, whether you’re an expert or novice diver. Catalina Divers Supply offers a variety of classes for divers who are looking for adventure. Read on to learn about 5 of the best dive classes on Catalina.
1.) Avelo: Don’t miss out on one of the newest ways to enjoy diving. Avelo is a system that was made to help divers navigate under water more safely with a neutrally buoyant product. Different than typical tanks, the goal of Avelo is to help you feel lighter, like you’re flying through the water. The Avelo system is approximately half the weight of standard scuba gear. Avelo is the result of adventure driving innovation. This open circuit diving system relies on the tank as the buoyancy control device. Two components—the Jetpack and the Hydrotank—help you to control buoyancy and reach a state of perfect, stable buoyancy. Adding water to the Hyrdotank makes you heavier; releasing water makes you lighter. There’s no need for weights or inflatable buoyancy compensators when you use Avelo on a dive. Catalina Divers Supply has a team ready and certified to help you learn the latest in diving with Avelo.
2.) Discover Scuba: If you’re just getting your feet wet—so to speak—when it comes to the world of scuba, a great class that Catalina Divers Supply offers is Discover Scuba. Divers connect through their experiences in the ocean. Whether you’re on the lookout for all kinds of Catalina sea life or searching for shipwrecks, learning to scuba opens up a whole new world underwater. Discover Scuba is a great way to experience diving without the major commitment to a certification course. This course is a fun introduction to scuba diving, and what better place to learn than on Catalina Island? These Discover Scuba dives run daily through Catalina Divers Supply at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., and 2 p.m at beautiful Casino Dive Park. You’ll learn diving basics from an experienced and knowledgeable instructor. All gear is included, and these dives usually last 2-3 hours, including instruction and dive time. Discover Scuba participants must be 10 or older, but no experience—other than knowing how to swim and being comfortable in the water—is needed.
3.) Open Water: When you’re diving in Catalina, it’s all about the ocean. Many other scuba programs will have divers starting and ending in a swimming pool. At Catalina Divers Supply, classes offer divers the real thing—ocean experience in clear waters. The open water class requires divers to be physically fit and to have experience with snorkeling and ocean swimming. Our class instructors are experts and ready to help with guidance, skill development, and safety. There are a few different options for divers who want to do an open water class. You can start with PADI E-learning, a 2-to-3-day course that combines online learning with in-water training. Once you’re ready, you can do about two days of water work, including confined water dives and open water dives. Another option has divers starting their dive education in person at their local dive shop. You can finish your education with Catalina Divers Supply in ocean water. Yet another option includes a certification course with lectures from an instructor, class work, and water work. There are final exams and reviews, and these performance-based programs may require divers to demonstrate their proficiency before earning PADI credentials and doing open water diving. All dives are done from shore, unless divers choose the option to upgrade and reserve a space on Catalina Divers Supply’s boat: the Scuba Cat.
4.) Advanced Open Water: This course allows divers to build on skills that they’ve already learned. It also introduces new material. You can get more dives done while you work with a PADI instructor. Adventurous advanced open water dives with Catalina Divers Supply include skills like navigation and deeper diving. Some adventure options include underwater photography, wreck diving, and night diving. This 2-day course requires prior open water certification, and it is open to dives 15 and older (or 12 and older for Junior Advanced Open Water Divers).
5.) Drysuit diving: Catalina Divers Supply offers a basic scuba package that includes everything you need to explore the underwater world, including a tank, weights, wetsuit, regular, and BC as well as a mask, snorkel, and fins. If you’re ready to become a cold-water diver, you might want to try diving in a drysuit. Drysuits are well-made neoprene suits, created for warmth and durability. The fit of your drysuit is super important for function and comfort. Drysuit diving can open up a whole new world of adventures in scuba.
Catalina Divers Supply offers divers access to one of North America’s highest rated and most popular dive destinations. Check out more about our classes online or call 310-510-0330 for more information.