September 8-10th are the dates for the club’s annual Leo Carrillo Camp/Dive trip. This a great, local getaway weekend that offers our members the chance to chill and enjoy some of the best things that the California Coastal Region has to offer.

Just 28 miles north of Santa Monica, Leo Carrillo State Beach sits 1.5 miles of beautiful state beach. The site is perfect for hours of relaxing exploration; beach combing, surf fishing, kite boarding, wind surfing and swimming. For the more ambitious, there are some challenging hiking trails as well. Conditions permitting, the club sponsors a beach dive on Saturday morning. Just off shore there are numerous small kelp beds interspersed with sand beds and rocky shoals that host a healthy variety of sea life like perch, bat rays, lobsters, garibaldi, and even octopus. After a tranquil day at the beach and a sundown cocktail (or two), the evening the meal is on us. We’ll provide the appetizers, main course and dessert.

Some members take advantage of the site’s proximity and opt to come out for part of the weekend or just the day. It’s all good to us! Just please be aware that we need to know if you plan on joining us for Saturday’s catered dinner so we have enough on hand to feed everyone. If you want to overnight with us, you can sign up here. The cost just $25 dollars for the entire weekend. Space is somewhat limited, but we have managed to squeeze multiple tents into some pretty small spaces!  Don’t have a tent you say? Well if you let us know what you need, we may be able to help you out!

 

 

As part of Buck’s monthly PADI certification classes, there will be a contingent of new divers (and instructors) heading over to dive Casino Point this weekend. If you’d like to join them, make a reservation on the Catalina Express and then email Buck letting him know you plan to join. If there are any last minute schedule changes, he’ll email to let you know. Make sure to book the boat leaving Long Beach at 7:15am and returning from Avalon at 5pm. Hope you can make it!

This month we’ll be back in Silver Lake for our monthly club meeting. The date is Wednesday, August 16th and we’ll be gathering at Casita del Campo. Join us to see what’s new and reconnect with the membership. Also this evening we plan to screen the first half of the Netflix documentary “Chasing Coral” about the decline in healthy marine ecosystems. Can you think of a better excuse to justify that hump day margarita?

Did you know that the latest group of dive students are heading out to Casino Point this weekend to demonstrate their skills in the open water?  That means it’s the perfect opportunity for all you already-certified divers to join them on this day trip and to get in a couple of dives at the marine park there. There have been many giant sea bass sightings recently and we can’t think of a better way to beat the resurgent heat wave than jumping into the cooling California ocean water and exploring the deep. Afterwards you can grab lunch with the group at one of Avalon many beachside restaurants and raised a toast to the newly certified divers!

Since this dive is a “come as you are” event, you will need to bring/rent your own gear; tanks and weights can be rented on site. Also, you will need to book your own travel aboard the Catalina Express via this link. The plan is to leave the Long Beach landing at 8:15am and to return from Avalon Harbor on the 5pm return. Please be sure that you email Buck (rainbowdive@sbcglobal.net) if you’re planning to join us. If there is a last minute cancellation due to conditions, he will email you to let you know the trip is off. Hope to see you there!