LA - Casino Point

A really amazing dive site, and the protections that Catalina Island has afforded the area have paid off in incredible kelp and fauna. Dived for a week in Feb 2012 for about 4.5 hours. My first cold water diving experience (51 f at the bottom) and I loved it. For those not used to cold water, I am 170 lbs and used 11 mm of neoprene with about 18 lbs of weight. Hoods, gloves of course. I felt really comfortable for 50 minute dives. The whole park is really excellent diving, and amazing for u/w photography. The only thing I would add to others' descriptions is a highlight from my dives - about 25 minutes with sea lions...A first for me! They were slightly beyond the park, so me and my db surface swam to the buoys at the end of the park, then u/w navigated to them and back to minimize any risk (boats occasionally go close to the buoy). What an AMAZING experience, they are so incredibly playful. My advice - go to where they are and then they make the decision to come to you. If you do go beyond the boundaries of the park, be very careful and highly confident in your navigation abilities as it feels pretty much like 'blue ocean' once you are past the park. A diver's flag would be a wise choice. However, there's loads to see in the park itself as well.