Safety in Scuba Diving
Contrary to what you might hear in the media or from friends and family, scuba diving is not an inherently risky sport. However, just like anything in life it’s better to be prepared for anything life might throw at you. We’ve taken many steps to ensure your safety while diving with us.
Professional Education
Each member of our team is a PADI professional certified in both Rescue Diving and Emergency First Response, including providing emergency oxygen (on hand for use by anyone at the Park in the event of an emergency), AED use and specific techniques used with infants and children. Your dive instructors are also certified to teach in these areas and our credentials are updated regularly.
In addition, Lisa is qualified to teach Adaptive Support and Techniques and has training with the Handicapped Scuba Association specific to disability-related emergency issues. She will earn her HSA Instructor certification this summer.
Cleanliness
We go above and beyond to ensure that all gear is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized to the highest standards after each use. If we wouldn’t wear or use it, you won’t either.
We use a product called Timsen which is a concentrated disinfectant, sanitizer and deodorizer that is specifically designed for institutional uses, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. It dramatically reduces the danger of transmission of many infectious organisms (including COVID-19 and its variants), as well as cross-contamination from environmental surfaces.
If you prefer to have a new mouthpiece for your rental regulator, please just let us know and we’ll switch it out immediately. Hand sanitizer and fresh rinse water are available for your convenience as well. We have each of these available on-site, every day.
For Rescue certification classes, we require and provide pocket masks (or can help you purchase your own), as well as face masks and gloves.
Emergency Medical Services
As Catalina Island is part of Los Angeles County, we have the same agencies working for our safety as you do on the mainland. In fact, EMS response time to the Casino Point Dive Park is less than 5 minutes.
Directly to the right of the stair entry to the water, you will see a tall blue pole. As cell phone service on the island can be spotty, this is a direct 911 line to local EMS. Once they are notified, multiple local agencies will respond. The entire area in front of the stairs is kept open (and clearly marked with red paint) at all times for EMS vehicles and care for injured divers.
Catalina Island Medical Center is nationally recognized for excellence in healthcare and provides all emergency medicine on the island. The ER is staffed by rotating emergency care trained physicians from UC Irvine. In case of any serious emergency beyond local capability, helicopter ambulance service with in-flight physicians is provided from the Pebbly Beach heliport less than one mile outside of town.
We also have a Hyperbaric Chamber located on the island with highly trained staff. It is one of very few facilities in the country that is available 24/7 to handle dive-related accidents.
- City of Avalon Harbor Patrol: 310.510.0535
- City of Avalon Fire Department/ Paramedics: 310.510.0203
- Los Angeles County Fire Department/ Baywatch: 310.510.0424
- Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department: 310.510.0174
- Avalon Hospital: 310.510.0700
- USC Hyperbaric Chamber: 310.510.4024
Dive Insurance
We carry DAN insurance for the company, ourselves as professionals, ourselves as individuals and we purchase their Travel Insurance for our personal dive trips too. Like everything else you’ll hear from us, we won’t recommend it unless we use it or would buy it for ourselves. It’s just the best there is.
We require you to be insured for some of the advanced and specialty certification classes we offer, for your safety and ours.
Pre-Dive Briefings
Before each day of diving with us you will receive a site and dive briefing that includes emergency procedures and protocols required both during your dive and at the surface. Please feel free to interrupt at any time with questions or concerns. We’re here for you!