Sightings of the magnificent... Octopus.

The giant pacific octopus in California loves the returning kelp forest, plenty of rocks and crevices for them blend perfectly into. They are sensitive to environmental changes so population numbers are unclear. We do know that with the return of Kelp Forests, cool waters and better conditions there have been repeated sightings of this magnificent creature this scuba diving season. Octopus are incredibly intelligent creature, able to use tools and solve problems. The coolest fact about this creature (and what makes it so rewarding to spot) is that they use special pigments in their skin to not only change color to their surroundings but also texture to blend in with even the most intricate plants and rocks.

This fantastic invertebrate lives about 4 years with males and females dying shortly after breeding. The giant pacific octopus can be distinguished by its large bulbous head and are generally reddish-brown color. They live throughout the California waters up the coast to Alaska and west to Japan.

They have been one of my favorite spotting in California, so go out in these great conditions and if you are lucky enough you may spot one doing it's camouflaging magic trick. One class that really helped me open my eyes to find the octopus and other cool creatures was Jason Karten's research class or the fish ID speciality. Check with the shop for details on these courses and divecenter.com for a list of all our upcoming trips.

Author: Autumn Kendrick

The El Niño and La Nina event happened after all and the sargassum has died down and the Kelp has made a triumphant return. California has some of the best diving in the world, known for the spectacular Kelp Forest that divers travel from all over the world to see underwater. Well guess what, it is back with a-vengeance and it's in our very own backyard. Nothing is more amazing than hovering amongst the kelp in this life bubbling underwater forest. With the return of kelp comes the return of the eco system and a bounty of sea life. Our divers have been awarded with sightings of the rare Giant Black Sea bass over at Catalina along with the chance to spot the elusive octopus in the kelp forest jumping from one rock to another, changing color and texture as it does for camouflage. There has even been some turtles joining in on the dives, always a special treat. The condition are never better with visibility hitting 50ft lately and calm waters, don't miss out! Dust off your old gear or come into eco dive center to get deals on all the cool new toys (have your seen the new perdix ai).

Need to brush up on your skills? Not a problem. We have refresher classes every Saturday and get on a Sunday dive boat the very next day to get right back in the salty sea.

Catalina or Anacapa, couldn't be a better time to get wet as we are having the best conditions in years. Check out the boat schedule at dive center.com for the full list of trips. Need to get your advance certification to get on the awesome Saturday and advance boat trips to Cali's top sites (Farnsworth, oil rigs or blue caverns - they are all not to be missed), call the shop to find out the latest deals.

The midnight hour is a squid boat laying on it's starboard side in 109' of water and easily one of the best local wrecks within recreational depths!

Ship rock is known for it's steep rocky structure with lush kelp forest and schools of blacksmith.

The underwater terrain varies from shallow reefs, a steep drop off down a wall, and even an underwater arch!

While these dives require your advanced open water certification, they're some of the best dive spots Catalina Island has to offer.

Oct 1st - Oct 8th 2017

Departs from: LAX to Bonaire (Group flight details will be available 6 months out)

Dive as much as you want at the shore diving capital of the world. Crystal clear waters surround the tiny Dutch owned island of Bonaire.

On average, Bonaire’s visibility exceeds 100 feet and the average water temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The fringing reef begins close to the shore, usually a short 30 feet swim or less, making Bonaire world renowned for its ease of shore diving. Reefs are covered in colorful coral and tropical fish. Caribbean squid and hawsbill turtles are common on most dive sites.

Pack as many nitrox tanks as you can into your rental truck and hit any one of the 60 marked dive sites and easily log over 25 dives in the week.

Price

$1,099 and it includes:

- 7 nights accommodation in a 3 bedroom apartment with daily breakfast

- unlimited shore diving

- 9 boat dives

- Unlimited nitrox

- 7 days manual transmission vehicle rental

- airport transfer

- resort party on Friday night

The price does not include:

- Insurance for the vehicle rental

Having scuba tanks on your back isn’t a requirement for exploring the underwater world. Many scuba divers have discovered the joy of mounting cylinders on their sides. Sidemount diving gives you flexibility and streamlining options. Plus, you don’t have to walk with heavy cylinders on your back – just enter the water, clip them on and go!PADI’s Sidemount Diver specialty is the perfect course for any diver wishing to use this increasingly popular equipment configuration. It teaches divers how to safely utilize side-mounted primary cylinders as an alternative to the traditional back-mounted method. Best of all, it's a one weekend course!

Product of the Month – ScubaPro Hydros BCD

It has been long awaited and worth the wait. Finally hitting shelves, Scubapro has

found the perfect balance between making a streamline buoyancy compensator

device great for travel and adaptable for cold water diving. The majority of this BCD

is made from the same material as Scubapro pros awarding winning seawing nova

fins (which the go fins fit perfectly on the outside of the travel backpack that this

BCD comes with, which also has room for your regulator making it a perfect carryon). This material dries almost instantly, no more soggy wet gear to pack up in your suitcase or the trunk of your car.

As durable as this new BCD is, the real gem of its adaptability. What makes the Hydros such a versatile are the two strap options that the Hydros Pro comes with.

These interchangeable straps give you one option for integrated weights and plenty of attachment points for all your gadgets while the other set oriented for travel makes for a nice streamline travel BCD. A two in one BCD! Always thinking of both men, women and all our personal styles, Scuba Pro has made men’s and ladies cuts, along with color kit options to personalize your BCD, possibly to match your colorful seawing nova fins of go fins.

This product is selling faster than we can get it in so Call Eco Dive Center now for a deal on this BCD and your name on the next order.