Casino Point Catalina Island

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Casino Point Catalina Island

If you have friends visiting from out of town that would enjoy a quick look at what Southern California diving has to offer, consider a trip to Catalina's Avalon Underwater Park. You'll find a lush kelp forest, mini-walls, pinnacles, sand flats, even a few small wrecks, and an abundance of marine life. It' a 'sampler platter' of California Channel Islands diving. 
I don't know where you're staying, but the one and only time I've been to Casino Point / Catalina Island, the hotel had a small storage room off the lobby and allowed us to store our luggage in there while we dove. We left our dive gear at the benches near the stairs at Casino Point and no one touched them. Welcome to the board. The Avalon Casino Dive Park on Catalina Located in the shadow of the iconic Catalina Casino, the Casino Point Dive Park is the first park in the country dedicated to underwater exploration. Featuring a convenient set of stairs into the water, the park attracts thousands of divers from around the world.
Avalon is a delightful and charming small town on Avalon Bay, Catalina Island — the only municipality on any of the Channel Islands.
Catalina is easily accessible by ferry; helicopter service is also available. The Park lies in the shadow of the Casino building on the western end of the bay. A beautiful round art-deco structure, the Casino was built in the late 1920s by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. Surrounded by the sea on three sides, its casino era was short-lived; today it houses a movie theatre and the world's largest circular ballroom, with a 180-foot (55 m) diameter dance floor.
The approximately two-acre park is roped off, restricting boat access. This area is a no-hunt zone, which accounts for the abundant diver-friendly fish species seen here, including bright orange garibaldi, señoritas, and perch. Even the large, tri-colored male sheephead, usually wary, are welcoming. Large and bold calico bass (a.k.a. kelp bass) are commonly seen, and in late spring and summer, huge black bass cruise the outer edges of the kelp forest.
Before entering, take a moment to check out the lay of the kelp. While usually calm, the area can have strong currents flowing from west to east.
The kelp clearing area directly in front of the stairs is marked by a buoy and is reserved for scuba training. Most divers head east (to the right of the stairs), keeping the reef on their right. Cruise along at 35 feet and you'll notice a monument to undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau. 
At a depth of about 45 feet, you will find a large ridge. Before the Casino was built, rocks were added to make this into a breakwater for the small harbor. This was a natural reef and much of the original structure remains. Nestled in the nooks and crannies you'll find lots of marine life, including blue-banded gobies. 

Further to the east are more reefs with thick, lush and healthy kelp sloping to a sand bottom at 65 to 80 feet. At the extreme outer eastern edge of the park, almost directly under the buoy, is the wreck of the Suejac. The 54-foot long cement-hulled sailboat was driven up on the rocks in 1980 by a storm that punched a massive hole in its hull. The wreck lies bow down with the stern in 65 feet and bow in 95. Resting on her starboard side, the gaping hole points skyward on the port side, for a great wide-angle photo opp. 
Directly out from the stairs in about 60 feet of water you'll fins the remains of a glass-bottom boat. Other small wreckage can be found to the west and east but tend to get moved around in storms. On the outer reaches of the park to the west is the sunken swim platform. This is a great spot for nudibranch photos.
Catalina Island FerryUnderwater photographers will find plenty of subjects; carrying a camera into the water is easy here. As with much of the mainland side of Catalina Island, the waters are nearly always calm. Entry is down concrete steps with handrails specifically installed for divers. Water entries are on the right, exit on the left. The stairs can get crowed at times so arrive early. From the end of the stair the water drops off quickly to 10 to 15 feet of water.

In addition to Avalon Underwater Park being a popular dive spot, the town of Avalon is truly a Catalina Island vacation destination. Accommodations range from luxurious resort hotels to delightful cottages. You'll find great restaurants, spas, shopping and other activities, including one of the world's most challenging miniature golf courses.

Location: West end of Avalon Bay on Catalina Island in the town of Avalon.
Casino Point Catalina IslandAccess and Entry: Down a few steps to the water's edge into usually calm waters.

Further to the east are more reefs with thick, lush and healthy kelp sloping to a sand bottom at 65 to 80 feet. At the extreme outer eastern edge of the park, almost directly under the buoy, is the wreck of the Suejac. The 54-foot long cement-hulled sailboat was driven up on the rocks in 1980 by a storm that punched a massive hole in its hull. The wreck lies bow down with the stern in 65 feet and bow in 95. Resting on her starboard side, the gaping hole points skyward on the port side, for a great wide-angle photo opp. 
Directly out from the stairs in about 60 feet of water you'll fins the remains of a glass-bottom boat. Other small wreckage can be found to the west and east but tend to get moved around in storms. On the outer reaches of the park to the west is the sunken swim platform. This is a great spot for nudibranch photos.
Catalina Island FerryUnderwater photographers will find plenty of subjects; carrying a camera into the water is easy here. As with much of the mainland side of Catalina Island, the waters are nearly always calm. Entry is down concrete steps with handrails specifically installed for divers. Water entries are on the right, exit on the left. The stairs can get crowed at times so arrive early. From the end of the stair the water drops off quickly to 10 to 15 feet of water.
In addition to Avalon Underwater Park being a popular dive spot, the town of Avalon is truly a Catalina Island vacation destination. Accommodations range from luxurious resort hotels to delightful cottages. You'll find great restaurants, spas, shopping and other activities, including one of the world's most challenging miniature golf courses.
Location: West end of Avalon Bay on Catalina Island in the town of Avalon.
Casino Point Catalina IslandAccess and Entry: Down a few steps to the water's edge into usually calm waters.
Snorkeling: Good but most snorkelers head to Lover's Cove on east side of Avalon.
Hunting: Not allowed.
Photography: Excellent for wide-angle in kelp vistas, wrecks, and reefs. Small fish and nudibranchs offer macro photo opps.
Facilities: For air fills and gear rentals, including onsite, call 800-353-0330 or 310-510-3175. Restrooms located in the Casino building. Lockers onsite. Large dive staging area with a few benches.
The Casino Point Underwater Park is located next to the world-famous Casino Building. First established in 1962, this park is the first nonprofit underwater park in the country (and maybe the world), and offers the best shore diving in California! To make entry and exit in and out of the water as easy as possible, there are cement stairs with handrails. The Park is about 2.5 acres in size, which means it is large enough to do several dives without traversing over the same areas. The Park's boundaries are clearly marked with a line of buoys to keep boats and divers away from one another. The diverse under-sea world at the Underwater Park offers both beginner and expert divers a dive experience like no other area
Casino Point Snorkeling Catalina IslandScuba diving and snorkeling enthusiasts who come to enjoy clear waters and abundant sea life find it free of mainland pollution and surf. The depth ranges from the rocky shoreline to 95 feet deep. Primarily the park consists of the fastest growing plant in the world, Giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera).
Casino Point Catalina Island MapThe park's bottom contour reveals rock walls and outcroppings, boulders, pinnacles and a sandy seafloor on its outer edges, which is truly representative of Catalina Island's different characteristics.
Water temperature ranges from 70-74 degrees in the summer to 55-59 degrees in winter, with September to mid-October being the warmest. It's not uncommon to enjoy 100' visibility in the late summer to early fall.
Because of strict local laws prohibiting taking of game or salvaging artifacts, the park has become a home for a large variety of marine life. Plant life of all colors abounds, from the Giant kelp to the smallest algae. Living within the rocky reef are lobsters, abalone, octopus, small fish and moray eels, including our friendly 'Fang'. Numerous mollusks and nudibranchs also make their homes on the reef.
Catalina Island WeatherSwimming freely in the kelp forest are Kelp bass, Senorita fish, Sheephead, Opaleye, Blacksmith and our state marine fish, the Garibaldi. Where the rocky reef ends, the sandy bottom begins. Scuba divers may find angel sharks, bat rays, banded guitar fish and halibut. Numerous wrecks are also found in the sandy areas, which have become home to many types of marine life.
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Casino Point has become a mecca to scuba divers and snorkelers worldwide.