2-Day Trip: Santa Barbara & Catalina Islands (Farnsworth)!

RARE TRIP... Santa Barbara Island and Catalina (Farnsworth)!

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Santa Barbara Island (day one): This is a fairly rare destination for us and yet dives here can be remarkable. Part of the island is a preserve, so it's possible to see ginormous lobster and schools of fish. Oh, and there'll be a Sea Lion or 100 here. (The island is a rookery.) Our dives begin here in the morning (be ready) onsite, with 4 day dives plus a night dive. Bring your lights.

Catalina (day two): Two tanks at Farnsworth and one at another backside spot. The kelp is back at the west end and diving there is once again great! On the last trip we saw Tope sharks, Giant Sea Bass, a school of Barracuda, and more, all surrounded by giant kelp. It's beautiful!

*** You must be a decently-experienced diver for this trip. ***

COST: $267.99

MANDATORY ITEMS: A good safety sausage, knife, and whistle. (At a minimum.) Don't show up on the boat without these.

BOAT LOCATION: 22nd St Landing San Pedro, Ca Take I-405 N toward Long Beach. Take exit 32B to merge onto I-710 S (be careful of the exits ramps. It comes on you quickly.) Follow the detour signs, as applicable. Continue onto CA-47 S/Seaside Fwy and over Vincent Thomas Bridge. At the base of the bridge, take exit for Harbor Blvd toward Catalina Island/Ports O Call Village/San Pedro. Turn right onto N Harbor Blvd . Continue on S Harbor Blvd. Continue onto Miner St/Viaduct St. Take a right on 22nd St. Boat is docked behind 22nd st Landing Restaurant. Drop your gear off on the right corner of the building and find parking across the street.

BOARDING: You should sleep on the boat Friday night. (Starting at 8 pm on Friday night.) Boat leaves the dock 2:00 AM Saturday morning. Don't miss it. (Please treat the boat, and its crew, with respect and you'll get it in return. That means no drunken revelry and stay quiet after 10 pm so people can get rest for the next day.)

BUNKS: Bunks are first come, first served. (A drawn curtain means the bunk is taken.) Cabins go to couples first.

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The Pac Star rocks with with excellent safety, service... and TASTY FOOD!

FOOD: Continental breakfast when you first wake up (6:30 am), full hot breakfast before or after the first dive (Capt's call), full lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks.

AIR TANKS: Boat has steel LP 72s (overfilled to a + rating) for your use (free) or you may bring your own tank. Caveat: Their compressor fills to 3,000 psi. No HP fills.

NITROX: Boat pumps Nitrox into O2-clean tanks (only). $10 per fill. You may bring your own O2-clean (dedicated) Nitrox tank, but bring it FULL. No fills on the way to the rigs. (They have steel LP 72 Nitrox tanks for your use for the cost of the fill. Tanks are overfilled to a + rating.)

BOTTOM LINE: Bring your own tank if you can.

GEAR: Bring all your own gear (except for tanks if you so choose). Boat has some weights, but probably best to bring your own.

BOAT: Pacific Star (http://www.pacificstardiving.com)

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Would-be Car-poolers: Speak up in the comments section below!

UPDATE (from the captain re boarding): We {the boat crew} are usually done with dinner by 7pm so come on down and board the boat. There are dock carts and I will have people in the parking lot to help with gear and directions from 8pm to 10pm. (Before and after, you're on your own.)

REFUNDS: If you back out less than one week before departure (or "no call, no show") you are on the hook for the money. No refund unless your seat fills. Less than two weeks and you get 1/2 your money refunded. To back out fully you must cancel your RSVP here and request a Paypal refund. Two weeks or more = full refund. All refunds subject to a .31 Paypal fee and 9% admin fee (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/32049962).

Cancelling an Event: When and why Power Scuba might do it (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/20706002)

Pointers:

• Bring your certification card.

• Hydrate really well.

• Take Bonine if you think you're at all inclined toward seasickness. If you aren't sure... take some Bonine (or similar)!

• Eat a decent, non-greasy breakfast.

• Bring something to keep you warm between dives (overcoat, boat jacket, etc).

• Bring a torch for peering into nooks and crannies.

• End your dive close to the boat (unless you enjoy long surface swims).

• ALWAYS bring your dive essentials: A safety sausage, knife, and whistle (at a minimum)!

• Don't forget to tip the boat crew if they do a good job for you. This one's just as important as any other point in this list. The DM is there for your safety. Take care of him/her.

Boat Etiquette Reminder:

• Show up on-time. Boat leaves at the listed time and does not wait for stragglers.

• Space is limited on a boat. Stow all your gear where directed to by crew.

• Keep gear out of the walk-way, damnit.

• Put your fins on at drop-in point (not forward and then flip flop over people's feet and gear).

• Don't rinse your mask or other gear in the CAMERA BUCKET!

• Don't clog up the marine head with Baby Ruth bars or similar.

• If you have to puke, do it downwind (leeward).

• If you have to cancel, do it well before the cutoff time so Bill has a chance to sell your seat.

Dive Boat/Trip Tipping Guidelines: Tipping Info & Advice here (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/21783462/)

Sign up today!!!

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ADMIN STUFF:

The Virtual Donation Jar (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/9702303) will be out (for the Meetup site costs and general fund). It's strictly voluntary, but is very much appreciated and needed: DONATION JAR (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/9702303)

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If you have not filled out a liability release for Power Scuba Meetup, please follow this link to the file, print, sign and bring to the event, along with your C-Card (scuba certification card). You only need to do this once a year: Liability Release and Assumption of Risk (http://files.meetup.com/1307107/New_Liability_Release.doc)

You must also read this: Disclaimer and Clarification... AKA Terms and Conditions (https://www.meetup.com/Scuba-Diving-San-Diego/messages/boards/thread/5914647)

Anyone with a medical condition possibly counter-indicative to diving must have a doctors signature on a diving waiver form and submit signed form to Bill Powers (or an organizer) before they may attend any Power Scuba event. YOU MAY NOT ATTEND AN EVENT WITH AN UNDISCLOSED MEDICAL CONDITION. Doing so is grounds for expulsion from the group. Here is our medical statement: Medical Statement (http://files.meetup.com/1307107/Medical%20Statement%20and%20Questionnaire.pdf) Therein you'll find a Doctor Waiver form as well.

Attending any scuba event Power Scuba facilitates constitutes attendee's affirmation they are medically fit to dive, have read the Terms and Conditions, and have submitted a signed Liability Release to an organizer.

Important Note: It is not the organizer's role to lead your dive. He/she merely facilitates you getting to the pre-dive meeting location. The Organizer will not assign you a buddy nor will he/she be leading the dive as a "group dive". Visibility and liability do not allow for that. When you enter the water, you are on your own. You must plan and execute your dive with your dive buddy only. Once members arrive at the meeting spot, the Organizer becomes simply another diver.

For Boat Dives: A few dollars have been added to each person's cost. This is a voluntary donation on your part. This money goes directly into the group's Boat Underage (is that even a word?) fund to protect against non-full trips. No other use is made of this money.

Your participation constitutes your affirmation you agree to these above rules and disclaimers... and that your buddy agrees to the same.

This is a no-take (except for scallops & lobster, if you have a permit) event. If we dive in Reserves then, of course, you can't take anything there.