What are the prerequisites for this specialty?

You must be a PADI (Junior) Open Water Diver or equivalent and be comfortable with basic scuba skills; minimum age is 12.

How many in-water dives are included?

The specialty includes three in-water dives focused on drysuit handling, valve drills, and buoyancy practice.

Do I need to bring my own drysuit?

Yes — a properly fitting drysuit and thermal undergarments are required; instructors may advise on fit and type.

How cold will the water be?

Temperatures around Catalina vary seasonally; expect cooler conditions outside summer and plan insulation accordingly.

Is certification issued after completion?

Successful completion of the practical skills earns a Drysuit Diver Specialty recognition through the certifying agency (PADI or equivalent).

Where do the dives typically take place?

Dives operate from Avalon-area sites over rocky reefs and kelp forests; in-water training is conducted under direct instructor supervision.

Drysuit Diver Specialty: Dive Dry Around Avalon, Catalina Island

Adventure Brief

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.

3 Hours

moderate

From $445.20

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.

Drysuit Diver Specialty: Dive Dry Around Avalon, Catalina Island

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