Catalina, California, by John Budinger

Sun, 10/25: Pulled into Avalon from Long Beach on the Catalina Express (only 1 hr. 15 min. boat ride). My fiance and I each had a big gear bag and a smaller bag and were fortunately spared the walk to Casino Point by a local driving a golf cart (very few real cars on the island). Catalina Divers Supply has a truck at Casino Point on the weekends so we rented tanks and geared up. There are lockers at the site but most people just leave their stuff in a pile while they dive.

Getting into the water is interesting - rocks, concrete, steep, and slippery, with occasionally heavy swells from mother nature or boats passing just outside the Underwater Park. Best to keep 2nd stage and computer close or they will get banged around. Once in the water, there are several choices - a group of old pilings at 75' that attract the usual California fish (Garibaldi, Bass, Yellowtail, etc.), part of a large sailboat wreck at 70' that is sort of cool, and my favorite - the kelp "forest" (in quotes because it's the largest concentration of kelp in the park) which was really pretty and was where the seal buzzed us. This was also where we saw a horned shark that actually let me pet his head several times.

Stayed overnight at La Paloma - no frills, but quaint, friendly, and a rinse tank and hooks for gear. Discovered that taxis were the easiest way to haul gear back and forth.

Two more dives the following day - all in all, a good trip for one or two days.