Have you ever wondered what it's like to swim through a kelp forest?
Experience the unique diving of Southern California's Channel Islands,
consistently rated in the Top 5 of Scuba Diving Magazine's Top 100
Reader's Choice Awards in multiple categories, including Top
Destinations for Beginners (North America). We'll spend three days
logging lots of bottom time on the liveaboard dive boat Sand Dollar out
of picturesque Ports O'Call Village in San Pedro.
Some of the things we might see: sea lions, harbor seals, dolphins,
giant sea bass, horn sharks, leopard sharks, bat rays, electric rays,
moray eels, scorpionfish, lingcod, sheep crab, guitarfish, the
bright-orange garibaldi -- and all the small creatures inhabiting the
kelp forest environment. Coral reefs are cool, but there's no
experience quite like swimming through a thick kelp forest, especially
with the sun shining down.
Pictures -
Channel Islands underwater photos
Video clips
-
San
Clemente Island Kelp Forests
This 3-day liveaboard trip includes the following:
- All meals: Breakfast before breakfast, then breakfast,
snack
after breakfast, snack before lunch, lunch, snack before dinner,
dinner, and then dessert. Sorry, no dessert after dessert. Well, okay,
if you really want it. And great meals -- no frozen burgers or canned
soup.
- Tanks, weights, all air fills. Nitrox fills also available
at an extra charge (1 fill $10, 3 fills $25, 6 fills $40)
- Diving, diving and more diving (including night diving).
SoCal dive boats are not luxury liveaboards. You won't have your own
stateroom, but you will have your own private bunk with curtain. Double
bunks available for couples or those who want to share. The Sand Dollar
features one cold shower outside and two hot showers belowdecks; full
galley with seating for 22, two heads, heating and air conditioning,
and a fantastic full-service crew.
Our basic schedule:
- Fly into LAX or Long Beach Airport on Wednesday
- Board the boat in San Pedro (Los Angeles Harbor) by 9 PM
Wednesday night
- Wake up at the first dive site Thursday morning
- Dive! Dive! Dive! Thursday through Saturday, tentatively
planning to visit Santa Catalina, San Clemente and San Miguel islands.
- Back in port by 5 PM Saturday evening; enjoy the many
restaurants and shops at Ports O'Call Village, stay overnight at local
hotel (not included)
- Fly home Sunday (try to schedule your flight in the
afternoon, so you can dive more on Saturday)
Cost for this trip is
$599 per person.
Air fare, hotel and transfers to the boat are not included, but sample
air fares run $300-400 as of this writing (6/11/07). Rooms at Vagabond
Inn (within walking distance of Ports O'Call Village) are approx. $75
for that Saturday night (checking on group discount, more info to
follow). Super Shuttle and Prime Time Shuttle both offer van shuttles
from the airports to the boat (Ports O'Call Village, 1100 Nagoya Way,
San Pedro, CA) for about $25 one way for the first person, with $9 per
each additional person.
More information to be posted later, but feel free to send any
questions to
Mike
S.
NOTES
All deposits and
installments are NON-refundable. Please purchase trip
insurance to ensure you don't lose your money due to illness or other
legitimate reasons.
* $200 deposit due by July 15
* $399 final payment due August 6
** Pay by check and receive $20 off! (all payments must be made by
check to qualify)
* PLEASE DO NOT RSVP "YES" TO THIS EVENT UNLESS YOU PLAN TO PAY YOUR
DEPOSIT WITHIN ONE WEEK. RSVPs will be removed for those who do not do
so.
Forms that you need to fill out and return to Oceanblue Divers:
Oceanblue Divers Diving Liability Release
Initial where indicated, sign and return to Oceanblue Divers
Oceanblue Divers Terms and Conditions
Sign and return LAST PAGE ONLY to Oceanblue Divers
PAYMENTS:
Credit card payments:
Click to download Oceanblue Divers Credit Card Authorization
Form
Fill out and fax to 212.254.0803.
Payments by check:
Make check out to "Oceanblue Undersea, LLC" and send check or money
order to:
Oceanblue Undersea
P.O. Box 1153
New York, NY 10009
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