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Learn to dive dry with Catalina Divers Supply in Avalon and push your diving season into cooler months. This three-dive specialty teaches drysuit control, buoyancy skills, and field repairs so you can comfortably explore Catalina’s kelp forests and rocky reefs year-round.
Learn to dive dry with Catalina Divers Supply in Avalon and push your diving season into cooler months. This three-dive specialty teaches drysuit control, buoyancy skills, and field repairs so you can comfortably explore Catalina’s kelp forests and rocky reefs year-round.
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Operated by Catalina Divers Supply · Avalon, California
On the cold edge of Southern California’s Pacific, a different kind of diving season opens when you choose to dive dry. Catalina Divers Supply, based in Avalon, California, runs a focused Drysuit Diver Specialty that teaches experienced open-water divers how to use a drysuit to stay warm, control buoyancy, and push the calendar for local and regional dives. The meeting point is Catalina Divers Supply in Avalon, and the course mixes classroom instruction with three in-water dives that emphasize air management, trimming, and safe drysuit handling.
Avalon’s nearshore reefs and towering kelp forests offer a distinct winter and spring palette: forests of giant kelp (Macrocystis) and rocky reefs where Garibaldi’s orange flashes and kelp bass hide in fronds. Learning to dive dry here means comfortable bottom times and better control in the bull kelp and surge that can show up on Catalina’s exposed walls. Instructors cover drysuit types, inflation and exhaust valve use, and basic repair and maintenance so you leave with practical skills, not just theory. The course requires a PADI (Junior) Open Water certification or equivalent and a drysuit with thermal undergarments.
Why this specialty matters at Catalina is simple: cold water dives are often cleaner and visibility can be excellent outside summer thermoclines; drysuits make those months accessible. For divers who want longer seasons, local site variety, and the chance to spot sea lions, kelp bass, and migrating pelagics, the drysuit course is a gateway to more reliable diving. The training also sharpens buoyancy control, which improves safety around fragile reef life.
Plan to bring layered insulation under your suit, a properly fitting hood and gloves, and any personal regulators or BC components you prefer. Expect about three in-water sessions tied into a roughly three-hour program window, though open-water exercises may extend depending on conditions. Participants must be at least 12 years old.
This offering is more than equipment training; it’s a way to expand where and when you dive around Santa Catalina Island. The waters off Avalon deliver a collage of vertical walls, shallow reef gardens, and kelp forests that reward careful diving. Avalon itself grew into a prominent coastal resort town in the early 20th century, and today it serves as the gateway for divers seeking California’s cooler but richly alive underwater neighborhoods. Skill up with a drysuit and turn Catalina’s cold months into the most productive part of your dive calendar.
The session meets at Catalina Divers Supply in Avalon where instructors conduct brief shore-side orientation before entering the water. Students practice valve drills, buoyancy adjustments, and emergency procedures under direct supervision. Completing the specialty opens access to colder-water sites around Southern California and beyond, expanding your on-radar dive destinations and year-round exploration options.
moderate.
3 Hours.
Moderate fitness recommended; comfortable swimming ability and ability to carry gear on shore or boat is required.
You must be a PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver or equivalent and be comfortable with basic scuba skills; minimum age is 12.
The specialty includes three in-water dives focused on drysuit handling, valve drills, and buoyancy practice.
Yes — a properly fitting drysuit and thermal undergarments are required; instructors may advise on fit and type.
Temperatures around Catalina vary seasonally; expect cooler conditions outside summer and plan insulation accordingly.
Successful completion of the practical skills earns a Drysuit Diver Specialty recognition through the certifying agency (PADI or equivalent).
Dives operate from Avalon-area sites over rocky reefs and kelp forests; in-water training is conducted under direct instructor supervision.
Avalon developed as a coastal resort town in the early 20th century and remains the main access point to Catalina’s dive sites.
Kelp forests are sensitive habitats; minimize contact, avoid standing on reef, and follow local marine reserve rules to protect algae and reef life.
Catalina Divers Supply is a full-service dive center located in Avalon, California, serving visitors and local divers on Santa Catalina Island. The operation offers a broad range of scuba and snorkeling experiences, from the beginner Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) program to advanced PADI specialty courses such as Night Diver, Deep Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, and Underwater Digital Photographer. The business runs boat dives on the Scuba Cat, including a popular two-tank unguided Scuba Cat Boat Dives option that provides access to Catalina's reefs with gear rinse and hot showers. Guided scuba dive options focus on Casino Point Park and the island's vibrant kelp forests, where divers can encounter a diverse marine community. Guided snorkeling trips require no boat and let participants swim among garibaldi, bat rays, and giant sea bass in a protected marine preserve. Equipment needs are met through Individual Scuba Gear Rentals offered a la carte—masks, fins, wetsuits, and more are available to rent or purchase. Wildlife-focused outings include two-hour Dolphin & Whale Watching Boat Trips to observe dolphins, whales, seals, and seabirds along Catalina's coastline. Training programs follow PADI course structures and include multi-day formats for specialties that require multiple dives. Featured on The Adventure Collective, Catalina Divers Supply presents clear trip descriptions, accessible rentals, and a range of guided and unguided options suited to beginners through advanced divers. These verifiable services and course offerings make it straightforward for visitors to plan safe, well-supported dives and marine wildlife excursions in Avalon. Online booking and local pickup available.
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