“This area’s great for new divers,” local diver Christian Vonstentzsch said of the South Bay. “It’s great for training, there’s both shallow and deep as well as a ton of sea life. It’s a diverse area.”
Dive N’ Surf student Kim Merritt, of Redondo Beach, made her first ocean dive off the beach at Veteran’s Park in Redondo Beach.
“I felt secure,” she said. “There weren’t a whole lot of factors to manage.”
Merritt along with friends Ashley Carnes, Rob Spencer and Jeff Trueman, dove to 30 feet.
“I was worried about becoming anxious but I didn’t feel it,” Carnes said. “It really opens up this whole other world.”
Her group saw ghost shrimp, halibut and other marine life.
“The biodiversity is probably the best part of local diving,” said Dive N’ Surf dive master Robert Prieto. He said that the Santa Monica Bay offers kelp diving as well as rocky reef, straight beach and sand diving.
A favorite dive for experienced divers is Cable Car Reef, a reef made from a streetcar, 14 automobiles and 330 tons of quarry rock that were dumped in 60 feet of water a few hundred yards off the Hermosa Beach pier in 1960. Other popular dive spots include the old Redondo fishing barge, a sunken ferry boat and the 441-foot USS Palawan Liberty Ship, which that was purposely sunk off Torrance Beach in 1977. The Palos Verdes Peninsula also offers spectacular diving options just off the beach.
“There are things down there you would have no idea about and no access to without diving,” Spencer said. “Snorkeling is amazing, but there’s still a barrier. With diving you become part of it.”
Tony’s Picks
Dive N’ Surf Dive Master Tony Vanore’s top six South Bay dives.
1. Malaga Cove: An easy entry for new divers. You can go off sand or over rocks. There’s more sea life than at 2.
2.Veteran’s Park: Beginner level. Sandy bottom or rocky
3. Terranea Resort (formerly Marineland): “If you catch a golf cart they’ll bring you down and if the wind direction’s right it’s a pretty cool dive.” Beginner to intermediate level. Kelp and structure dive.
4. Abalone Cove off Flat Rock: Intermediate dive. Abalone is down to 70 feet and flat rock is from 30 to 40 feet. Intermediate level. Kelp dive.
5. Anywhere off a boat: “If you’re just driving along the coast in a boat you can just drop anchor and dive. Some sites have structures or ledges and can be great for lobster and spear fishing.” Beginner to intermediate level. Mostly kelp dives.
6. The Palawan: Local wreck from 100 to 130 feet. “It’s a big, intact wreck that’s an advanced level dive, plus it’s in our backyard. Pretty much anyone with a boat can access it.” Advanced level wreck. B
Resources:
Dive N’ Surf, 504 N. Broadway, Redondo Beach. (310) 372-8423. DiveNSurf.com.
Sea D Sea, 1911 Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach. (310) 378-4032. SeaDSea.com.
Freedive N Spear, 950 Aviation Blvd, Hermosa Beach. (310) 374-7333. FreeDiveNSpear.com
