Mark Perlstein
Los Angeles
My passion for diving has only increased since my first SCUBA dive in the summer of 1960.
J T
Los Angeles
Dive Master based in Asia (SG. HK, HK, Australia), but do travel often to LA, SFO and San Deigo often, love to max out time underwater and try diving in Northern Hemisphere. Logged over 700 dive without drama and keen to meet new buddies and learn new stuff about local dive sites in USA. Hope to meet up someday.
Andrew Chan
South Pasadena
Love diving in those far off places. Can’t beat the Ocean Safari “arenui” experience! Waiting for the next one.
Jonathan Dawang
Pasadena
I did not know that doing scuba meant getting wet. Well too late, Ocean Safari said, "No Refunds". I'm not sure I agree when they told me this fact was self evident, it was never mentioned during the entire signup process. At least every body in the shop was real nice. Lesson learned, will do more reaserch before signing up for something nextime. I'm just hoping we won't be required to wear funky rubber suits and oversized web boots, that would be horrible. Who would want to walk around looking like a cross between an Orca and a Duck. Well lets see, I am very hopefull and sure that every thing will turn for the better.
Karin Avila
New York
Hello! I recently took my first Ocean Safari trip. I obtained my DM cert through OS in 2012. I'm interetsed in joining the Community to share stories and photos from the recent Sea of Cortez trip.
Andrew Moore
Pasadena, CA
I started scuba diving in 1997 in Southern California. I have had the good fortune to dive in New Zealand , S Korea, Yucatan , Sea of Cortez,Dominica, Puget Sound, Hawaii, Florida and extensively in Channel Islands. Very happy to have found Ocean Safari and their knowledgable staff. Looking forward to many future adventures!
Mario Leszczuk
Temple City
Brand new to scuba diving and looking forward to be trained by the best at Ocean Safari Scuba!
Nareg Kadehjian
Pasadena
I am from Pasadena, California and recently I have taken on scuba divng and truly enjoy it. I go driving with my dad and my cousin and we have the best time. Seeing different animals in the ocean and different plants are really cool. I just got certified and excited to start exploring.
Alvin Li
Irvine
In the beginning, I think I will love underwater photography, but quickly I found I love underwater hunting more. Delicious food makes me feel satisfy more.
Jacob Alder
Lake Isabella
I have been diving for off and on since 2001, but after a lengthy hiatus, I have decided to get back into the sport and much more seriously than before. I just wrapped up my SRD and am continuing to look forward with my training and exprience. I started diving with Ocean Safari back in October 2021, and have enjoyed every interaction I have had with their team ever since. I am looking foward to more dive trips with them and even taking a few classes in the future. I am looking forward to seeing even more of the world that most people never get to see.
Harold Hinrichs
South Pasadena, CA
Started diving with Ocean Safari during Covid to fulfill a lifelong dream of diving. Open water certified and can't get enough.
Kathy Pierre
FLORIDA
Every so often, Ocean Safari hosts night diving trips- single-night excursions solely for those who love the thrill of the underwater world after the sun has gone down. This night happened to land on a full moon, and the 26 divers aboard the Bottom Scratcher were fortunate enough to dive under it at Catalina Island. With lobster season opening just a few weeks prior, the main objective of this trip was to try to catch and hunt our local bugs- California Spiny Lobster. It's usually easier to find and catch lobsters during the night considering they're nocturnal creatures that usually hide in crevices and rocks during the day. Although it might be tempting to bring back the more easily caught undersized lobsters, it's crucial to leave them be so that they can grow bigger and help maintain healthy seabed communities (not to mention that a hefty fine awaits anyone who brings back an undersized bug). Our first dive took place right after sunset at Black Rock, a site located at the western end of Catalina's frontside. Although it was dark and nearly impossible to tell, the rocks poking out of the water around here are all black, hence the name "Black Rock". This site was pretty shallow, with most of the diving taking place between 15-30ft of water; The deeper reef below was rocky and created many crevices and holes for the lobsters to hide inside of, but the ground slowly transitioned to more of an open space with smooth rocks and pebbles as we got shallower. This shallow area was active with round stingrays, hermit crabs, and other nocturnal bottom-cruising creatures. The sandy bottom nearby was a feeding ground for dozens of baby calicos- a type of juvenile fish that we rarely see during the daytime. Next on the agenda: Parson's Landing. Next to Black Rock, this site was also located at the western end of Catalina's frontside. Bountiful amounts of palm kelp and seagrass sheltered the crevices and rocks here which made lobster hunting a little more challenging, but much more fun. Often, blacksmiths would be hiding in these crevices, waiting for the sun to rise again so that they could congregate back into schools. Although visibility would be 80ft here during the daytime, our true visibility only went as far as our flashlights would shine. But that wasn't a problem; The light from our dive lights really exposed the beautiful colors that decorated Catalina's reefs- from yellow gorgonian corals to red southern kelp crabs, diving here was the furthest thing from dull. Our last dive of the night took place at Arrow Landing, a site east of Parson's. The lush kelp growth here provided a reliable food base for all the surrounding life, creating a large community with healthy diversity. Large abalones were flourishing and black sea hares were out and about wandering the reef. We encountered larger, fully-grown fish that had avoided us at the two sites before. As we started to ascend towards the end of the dive, thousands of bioluminescent pyrosomes (free-floating colonial tunicates) surrounded us, like nature's confetti falling from the sky. Against the black backdrop of the dark water with soft rays of moonlight shining through the ocean surface, nothing was more captivating in that moment. After all the divers returned back to the boat at a little past 2:00, it was time for the boat ride back to San Pedro Harbor. The excited talk between all the divers proved that although night diving is slightly colder and less comfortable than daytime diving, the unique experience and lasting memories are worth every shiver.
