Dive Review of Dive Catalina/Villa Portofino in
The Continental USA/Catalina Island, CA

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Dive Catalina/Villa Portofino, Nov, 2012, by Neil Burgess, NF, CA ( Sr. Reviewer 9 reports with 2 Helpful votes). Report 6804.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food	N/A
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	My wife and I really enjoyed two days of diving on Catalina Island in mid-November. Coming from Newfoundland, the weather was beautifully sunny and warm in California. We dove comfortably in dry suits, but most other divers were in wet suits. There are only three dive operators in the town of Avalon. We chose to go with Ron Moore and Dive Catalina, based in part on past news items in Undercurrent. Ron and Connie treated us like friends, right from our first phone conversation. I had booked a boat dive and Ron was good to his word. He agreed to take my wife and I out in the boat, even though we were his only divers that day. That meant a lot to us. The two boat dives were our first in kelp forest and Ron's dive briefings were informative and safety-oriented. The dives at Long Point and Hen Rock were fabulous. Lots of giant kelp, a large variety of fish and inverts (all new to us), and lots of bottom structure to keep it interesting. We had freedom to set our own dive plans and the sites were well suited to our level of training and experience. The hot freshwater shower and rinse tank on the dive boat (Catalina Grace) made rinsing our gear easy after we finished. Our second day was at the Avalon Underwater Park by the casino. Ron met us there with our dive gear and tanks, and provided a good briefing on the highlights to see, the depths, navigation and potential hazards. The Park provides an excellent setting for shore diving with entry stairs, lockers, washrooms, fill station, and cafe on site. The kelp forest holds a wide variety of fish and inverts, with some very approachable for photographers (especially "Oscar" the sheephead). The Cousteau plaque and the several sailboat wrecks provide some spots to visit beside the giant kelp. The bottom has some steep drops towards the end of the breakwater, which were interesting to explore. I imagine the Underwater Park must get very crowded in the summer months, but it was treat in November. We stayed at the Villa Portofino and had a normal-sized, clean motel room for a mid-range price. (Hotel rooms tend to be small and expensive in Avalon, especially in summer.) The Portofino does not cater to divers and had no rinse tank or gear-drying area. The Seaport Village Inn is another choice; it caters more to divers with rinse tanks, diver shuttles to the Underwater Park and boats, and cheaper rates. But the rooms are not as nice as the Portofino. I highly recommend the Lobster Trap restaurant. It's where the locals go for food (a tip from our dive boat captain, Clint). Excellent seafood and good prices. The best source of information on dive sites is Bruce Wicklund's 2005 book "Boat, Dive & Fish Catalina Island". Lots to do on Catalina besides diving with island and casino tours, zip lines, kayaking, snorkeling, "submarine" excursions, and Zodiac trips to see dolphins and sea lions. Have some fun and rent a golf cart for an hour, and tour Avalon and the surrounding hills for some stunning views. It's hard to believe how laid-back, relaxed and affordable Avalon is in November, given it's close proximity to Los Angeles. It's a hidden oasis of calm for those not familiar with diving in southern California.
Websites	Dive Catalina Villa Portofino
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	101-250 dives
Where else diving	Atlantic Canada, Ontario, Cozumel, Yucatan cenotes, Guadeloupe
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm, no currents
Water Temp	60-61°F / 16-16°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	40-50 Ft/ 12-15 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish	N/A
Small Critters	N/A	Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Abundance and variety of fish in kelp forest of Avalon Underwater Park was very good. Fish were not shy of divers and were easy to photograph.

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Dive Review of Dive Catalina/Villa Portofino in The Continental USA/Catalina Island, CA

Dive Catalina/Villa Portofino, Nov, 2012,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Dive Catalina/Villa Portofino in
The Continental USA/Catalina Island, CA