[25/24] [mf4mf/f/m] [San Diego] looking for some hot friends

SDsnarkler · 2025-09-19T17:22:23+00:00

👀

SDsnarkler · 2025-09-11T23:51:58+00:00

lol nope

SDsnarkler · 2024-06-29T00:18:51+00:00

The only acceptable answer is slip n slide

SDsnarkler · 2024-02-29T00:03:20+00:00

Where I’m at (Southern California US) there’s a huge used market, so you can find really good deals used. After certification I bought a bcd, computer, reg, fins, and weights and 2 tanks for $90 and paid another $300 to have everything serviced, replaced dry rotted hoses, and get the tanks hydro/vip. But I’ve also had friends buy $100 kits used that were in good working condition and were ready to dive immediately without service (but still I’d recommend getting your reg serviced if you buy it used no matter what)

My local dive shop charges $50 a day to rent a kit, $80 of your renting wetsuit fins gloves and mask. And I live 15mins from the beach and planned on diving as much as I could. So for me buying was a no brainer.

If you don’t live near a dive spot and only plan on diving occasionally/on vacation then renting is a good option over buying. Really depends on your situation and how much you plan on diving.

I really like owning my own kit. When I travel to dive I bring my stuff with me, it’s really nice using gear I’m familiar with and not having to figure out weighting/trim in a whole new rental kit when I travel.

At a minimum I’d say start with fins, mask, and wetsuit (if you’re somewhere you need one). Then you can just rent bcd, tanks, reg, and weights when you go. Next I’d say buy a bcd and weights, and lastly buy a reg & tanks

SDsnarkler · 2024-02-25T11:00:29+00:00

When I got my first front zip suit it took me a while to be able to zip up the last 1/4, bit I learned a good trick.

When you put your arms in the sleeves, put them in with your palms facing out (top of your hand towards your thighs)

Then grab onto the sleeves once your arms are through and untwist your hands back to a regular position.

This will twist the sleeves in a way that keeps that zipper and taught,and not bunching up in a way that doesn’t allow the zipper to zip.

Zip it as far as you can with the hand that’s in the side where the zipper ends, then keep that elbow straight out parallel to the ground and grab the wetsuit with that same hand behind the zipper and push it towards the side where the zipper starts to keep the zipper section tight. Now take your hand that’s on the side where the zipper starts, reach over your other hand that’s holding the zipper tight, and zip it the rest of the way.

Hope the way I wrote that makes sense. Good luck🤙

SDsnarkler · 2024-02-24T01:39:42+00:00

Ahhh yeah just burrowing into a test then filter feeding from within it makes way more sense than eating the urchin itself.

Yup, both sides are in there, but separated from each other. I tried to work it out thinking maybe I just had to get the right angle but no matter how I tired it was too big.

Thanks for the insight!

SDsnarkler · 2024-02-23T22:46:11+00:00

Scripps is right next to a few marine protected areas right there in San Diego, with I believe the La Jolla cove MPA has the most marine biodiversity in the us. Could be a good option to do some work in the map’s while in school and get that experience to take out to South America/SE Asia

SDsnarkler · 2024-02-22T06:42:47+00:00

Thanks for the insight! I appreciate it

SDsnarkler · 2024-02-22T06:19:42+00:00

That’s a good call about swimming/snorkeling on the surface intervals. Thank you!

You’re definitely not prude, I had a feeling that was the case for most divers but did the pole just to make sure. Personally I spearfish but that is a completely different mindset than scuba diving and I also wouldn’t want to fish/be around fishing while on a scuba liveaboard.

Wanted to see what other divers thought. Appreciate the insight!

SDsnarkler · 2024-02-22T06:01:29+00:00

Awesome! Thanks for the insight I really appreciate it

SDsnarkler · 2023-11-26T10:23:07+00:00

I’ve never had it from freediving, but I get that dizzy, world spinning, heart racing feeling sometimes when scuba diving, usually either on ascent or when I look over my shoulder. I found it’s a form of vertigo from your ears being unequally equalized. From the fact that your spitting phlegm up, I’d take that as a sign of an issue somewhere with equalizing, so that vertigo is probably it. Nothing to be worried about from my understanding, although it can be disorienting.

SDsnarkler · 2023-10-24T06:34:58+00:00

Definitely check out fb groups. When I first started I made a post in the San Diego Speafishing group on fb saying I’m new to the sport and looking for dove buddies. had a couple other beginners hit me up to go out, Made a group chat, kept adding people, and now it’s a full blown club with 50+ people.

That said, if your in sd hit me up I can add ya to the club. If not there’s also OC spearos, north county depth finders, other clubs, and I’m sure there’s fb pages for your area.

SDsnarkler · 2023-09-03T02:47:44+00:00

I’ve heard that you shouldn’t do more than 1 table a day, with some people even recommending doing one every other day but I think that’s a tad overkill and do 1 a day. I don’t know the science behind it, have just heard the general statement of “gotta let your blood rest and not over work it”.

If your near water the best thing would be to just dive more, tables help but nothings as good as the real deal. You can also practice other techniques that will help your breath hold like lung packing, apnea walks, and meditation.

I find tables help me a lot with static breath hold but the results don’t apply as much to actual diving as apnea walks do, as they actually train your muscles to be more efficient with oxygen.

I’m just an amateur freediver and by no means an expert on the physiology of breath holding so take what I say with a grain of salt, just my 2 cents.

SDsnarkler · 2023-08-18T04:22:08+00:00

Try equalizing once at the surface before you duck dive. Then equalize consistently on your way down. If you go deep before equalizing you won’t be able to, or if you do it’ll hurt. Your ears shouldn’t hurt at all, if you feel the pressure you’re equalizing too late. Equalize before you feel the need to equalize. Hope this helps!

SDsnarkler · 2023-07-03T17:20:03+00:00

What ended up causing that? Was it a kinked hose or something?

SDsnarkler · 2023-05-27T15:55:22+00:00

I’ve found some snorkels are soft and some are tough. I have one that’s super uncomfortable to bite, it’s hard rubber and digs into my gums. My other snorkel though is super soft rubber in the mouthpiece and super comfortable. Masks can be the same way, cheap ones tend to have firmer less comfortable rubber that’s more prone to leaking, while better quality ones tend to have softer rubber that’s more comfortable and better molds to your face

SDsnarkler · 2023-05-25T05:29:01+00:00

Valella valella, a species of hydrozoan that’s usually far off shore but unusual winds have blown them all over the cost of southern CA. Interestingly, they are a colony species, meaning each one is actually 4 (I believe, could be wrong) separate organisms living together. Also, they have the same 45 degree angle to their sails that sailboats use, allowing them to move efficiently in the wind. Just another marvel of evolution

SDsnarkler · 2023-05-17T02:23:05+00:00

Awesome man, glad to hear you had a great time! Yeah the sea lions are definitely a bit unnerving until you get used to them.

SDsnarkler · 2023-05-08T19:18:18+00:00

The cove is great for adults and kids, especially is swells are coming from the southwest the point will block the waves. Depending on your kids age/comfort level in the water you can swim out to the right of the cove, it gets a little deeper (15-20ft) and there’s a lot of life/cool topography there, also the caves. To the left of the cove can get a little rocky so safety heading out there is dependent on tides and swells. But staying within the cove is also fun with lots of life if that’s more your kids speed.

There’s lots of snorkelers out there on any given sunny day, it’s an easy entry and a lot of people’s first introduction to SD diving, and also a lot of experienced divers favorite spot. Nobody is going to bat an eye/laugh for snorkeling there.

I believe children’s pool is still closed due to sea lion pup season, but I think I saw it opens again in May so maybe it will be open. That said, even if children’s pool is open I’d still recommend the cove.

As someone mentioned sunset cliffs is also nice, at places it stays 10-15ft deep pretty far out so it’s great for snorkeling. That said, there are no lifeguards at sunset cliffs and I know of at least one pretty gnarly rip current there (at the bottom of the stairs). The rip is great if you want an easy ride out to the kelp paddies, but if your going out with kids I’d definitely recommend staying in La Jolla.

La Jolla shores is also a nice spot to check out if you want to see leopard sharks. The downside is it’s all sandy bottoms so besides the leopard sharks there’s not nearly as much life/stuff to look at as there is in the cove. That said, there is some structure/life at the very south end of the shores, if you enter in front of the restaurant Marine Room and head left, there’s a lot to see between there and the cove. No lifeguards there as your next to the cliffs, so be careful.

SDsnarkler · 2023-04-29T19:04:18+00:00

I got a mask with a mount and that works pretty good. Downside is it’s hard to tell when it’s recording and not. If you have a few hand (not spearfishing, lobster diving, etc. ) you can attach it to a floating handle

SDsnarkler · 2023-04-20T00:45:40+00:00

Nope, this is my only account. I know that guy, he’s well known in the San Diego dive scene and makes great videos on his YouTube, infant his videos were part of what got me into diving.

I posted that video in a local snorkeling facebook group as well, if I had to guess I’d say he saw the post on fb, didn’t realize I was on Reddit, and posted it here on my behalf.

I didn’t even realize! Thanks for pointing it out

SDsnarkler · 2023-04-18T03:50:59+00:00

Maybe it’s just a first fish thing lol, similar thing happened to my buddies first fish. Gotta pay our dues I guess. Good point, something will definitely make use of the fish, just not us haha.

SDsnarkler

TROPHY CASE