Hello From Central Calfornia!!!

[Phychotics]

Hey there everyone!!! Ive already posted a bit, already conversed with some of yall. But this is my official hello. I thought i would just put some stuff about me...Im 17 years old. I live about 20 minutes from Fresno, California. I am SCUBA certified since i was 16.....i have only 5 dives under me since im about 3 hrs from the ocean. My father has over 300, and my grandfather has well over that. I hope to start freediving/spearing soon. Going to give it a go on my Catalina island trip in 5 days...so there. Talk to me on this thread if u wanna converse, or if ur a cali diver and wanna go blow some bubbles or converse!!!

[Bill McIntyre]

Welcome. Come on over to the California West Coast Forum and wake it up.

[BatRay]

Well hello! I too am located near Fresno, in Reedley. Who are you going with to Catalina? Which dive shop do you use? I'm glad to have another Central Valley diver here, since there aren't many of us diving in the semi-arid climate Where else do you dive?

[Phychotics]

lol...well batrey take a little drive down Dinuba ave. and come say hi in Selma....thats where i live.....nice to see that someones so close. I am going to catalina june 30th-july 5th..i dive out of Aqua Sports in Fresno. Never used Bobs dive shop. I just got certified last summer, so catalina island is the only place ive dived.....wow...this is kinda neat t know ur only like 15 minutes away

[BatRay]

That's cool. Then you are quite familiar with Sal's, then? I was certified with Bob's, but started going to Aqua Sports a few years ago. They are a bit more freedive and spearing-oriented. They have some awfully nice spearguns there, that Hammerhead is gorgeous It was hard to leave it behind.

[Phychotics]

haha, i just went to sals last night.....GREAT food. yeah i love going to aquasports and just looking. That spear Mike has overhead of the counter is awesome....He is in papua new guinea for 12 days right now....5900$....wow. Maybe sometime in the future we can go dive sometime. My grandfather keeps a pontoon boat up at Shaver Lake and i have been curious about whats in there...its at like 5200ft, so high altitute is in effect....but it shouldnt be too difficult. CLEAR WATER....so i dunno, im considering it. Or maybe millerton/pineflat....just an idea

[BatRay]

I worked for So Cal Edison's Forestry Department last summer, and one of my interpretive activities was diving (snorkeling, really) in Shaver Lake. There's definitely a lot to see up there, but sadly, I don't think spearfishing is allowed. There are smallmouth bass, catfish, carp, brown and rainbow trout, bullfrog tadpoles, kokanee salmon (never saw those), and that's all I can think of for now. The viz is pretty good, but the boating activity stirs up silt as the season goes on. Sometimes you run across sunken logs from the old logging operations. Those are really, really cool. I haven't tried Pine Flat or Millerton, though I'd be interested in giving it a shot.

Yeah that big Riffe gun is amazing. I was with Mike at the Riffe clinic when he got it. Very, very cool.

[Phychotics]

WOW....yeah we fish ALL summer....we troll for kokanee....normally cath 7-10 per day(limit). We spend the night on the boat, and i catch catfish and trout. We will go out and catch bulfrogs with spotlights and eat them. I have a crayfish trap and we eat those. would love to dive under the boat docks witha mesh bag and catch crayfish ....they taste sooo good. I see carp every once in a while..they get fairly big. We always dream of seeing a german brown....but we have never gotten too. It ould have to be on a week day...so there is less boat traffic. Pine flat would be cool....not that we can dive to it, but some parts of that lake clear 400' deep.....imageine being able to see whats down there...

[twentytwomonk]

Don't forget about Monterey...

[Phychotics]

i've never dove monterey...my dad says theres good stuff to see...but its COLD water..and terrible viz...ill stick with catalina for now

[BatRay]

Monterey is quite nice. I did my Open Water dives there, and have been freediving in Monterey several times. My last one was at the Breakwater. Cold...bah! I wore a loose-fitting 3mm O-Neill surfing wetsuit that wasn't even opencell, and my younger sister wore only a bathing suit. The viz isn't always as good as Catalina, but it's very good. I highly recommend Monterey.

[twentytwomonk]

The water here never really gets over like 55, and depending on when and where, the viz can go from 20-30 feet, to less than 5, depending on the photoplankton bloom and the kelp. Worth checking out, though. There is a lot to see here. If you've got any wuestions, drop me a line and let me know!

[Bill McIntyre]

Originally Posted by BatRay

Cold...bah! I wore a loose-fitting 3mm O-Neill surfing wetsuit that wasn't even opencell, and my younger sister wore only a bathing suit. The viz isn't always as good as Catalina, but it's very good. I highly recommend Monterey.

You and your sister are tough broads.

I went in the water at Monterey in a bathing suit in late summer one time, and I was glad I already had all the kids I wanted to have.

[BatRay]

Yeah, we're hardcore We used to boogie board in Santa Cruz for hours at a time in only bathing suits. My sisters still do that, but I have gotten spoiled with wetsuits.

[twentytwomonk]

Yeah, I went swimming once in Carmel in board shorts and that was enough for me.

Hey Bill, remember last year how we almost did our ling opener without suits? I'm kinda excited that I didn't do that...