Dive Equipment and CIMI Dive Store
At Catalina Sea Camp, we provide regulators, tanks, Buoyancy Compensators, weight belts and wet suits. Over the years, however, we've found that divers are much more comfortable and successful if they own and use their own basic skin diving gear: mask, snorkel, booties and fins. Campers taking any SCUBA course, SCUBA Underwater Photo or SCUBA Underwater Video are required to provide their own basic skin diving equipment, as well as a dive watch. Campers in Snorkeling courses are not required to bring their own gear -- Sea Camp will provide them with Masks, Snorkels, Booties and Fins -- although we do still recommend that these campers provide and use their own basic equipment.
If a camper owns any other SCUBA equipment of her or his own, a wetsuit, Regulator, BCD, etc., he or she is welcome to bring it to camp and use it. We can provide a storage area for such gear at our dive deck.
If a camper doesn't already own her or his own skin diving equipment, one option is to buy it through our CIMI Dive Store Catalog
The Dive Store Catalog contains great deals on basic dive gear: masks, snorkels, fins, booties, dive watches, etc. Campers may pre-order this equipment by returning the order form to us by June 2. Campers will then receive their gear when they arrive at camp.
If a camper's dive course requires that they provide their own basic gear, they are by no means required to order their gear from us. Campers are welcome to bring their own gear if they'd prefer to.
By ordering from the CIMI Dive Store, campers are assured of getting the highest quality gear at a discount price available only to Sea Campers, usually far below prices at retail outlets. Gear purchased at the CIMI dive store also comes with an unconditional guarantee, if a camper's gear breaks while at camp, for any reason, we will replace it.
Safety in the Diving Program
Catalina Sea Camp has an impeccable diving safety record. We take every possible precaution and safety is always paramount. All of our instructors are experts in their field and are certified by the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI), this includes being certified in CPR and as lifeguards. We keep our class sizes small and each class is taught by both a NAUI instructor and a NAUI Dive Master. Additional dive masters and lifeguards are always stationed on our dive deck and dive boats. All of our Dive equipment is inspected and certified often and kept in exceptional working order. We have guidelines and thorough emergency action plans which are practiced often by our entire SCUBA staff. Catalina Island's Baywatch is always on-call and available for emergency situations and there is a Hyberbaric Chamber located on the Island.
As part of our safety guidelines, we have developed a set of eligibility requirements, following those set forth by NAUI, that all campers must meet in order to SCUBA dive.
SCUBA Eligibility Requirements
SCUBA diving is a very exciting and demanding sport. When performed correctly by someone in excellent health, the risk can be minimized. If a diver does not follow safety procedure, or she or he is not in excellent health, there are dangers present.
To SCUBA dive, a diver must be in excellent health, in good physical condition, be comfortable in the water, and show good judgment.
Diving is a strenuous sport. A diver's respiratory and circulatory systems must be in excellent shape. Certain conditions may pose a threat to the diver (heart trouble, current cold, congestion, bronchitis, epilepsy, asthma or a past history of asthma, wheezing upon exercising or breathing cold air, history of black outs or fainting, diabetes, eating disorders, emotional instability, head injury, pneumothorax, smoking, inability to equalize body air spaces, ear surgery or other serious medical problems).
Campers with asthma, allergic asthma, reactive airways or a history of asthma may not enroll in the SCUBA program.
If a camper has, or has had, any of the above conditions or other serious conditions or are taking or prescribed certain medications (e.g. an inhaler) he or she may be prevented from participating in the diving program. This decision will be made by the Catalina Sea Camp Diving Director based on the recommendations of a physician with a DIVING MEDICINE background.
Additionally, age requirements are required for all courses. These are nationally recognized requirements based on industry standards and required by insurance companies. Campers must be the required age for each course on the first day of their camp session - no exceptions!
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