California Diving News – August 2026
Summary
Dale and Kim Sheckler explore Indian Rock off Catalina Island and Fisherman's Cove in Orange County, spotlighting California's best warm-water diving in the August 2026 issue of California Diving News. The magazine, self-billed as "The Authority in California Diving Since 1984", covers Central California and Orange County with practical dive guidance.
Robert N Rossier's "Your Buddy's Keeper" (page 14) offers tips for improving buddy communication and safety underwater, while the #AskMark column (page 30) answers reader questions about US vs UK diving units (feet/PSI vs metres/BAR), drysuit inflation using a wing, and wetsuit front-zip design rationale. The dive boat calendar, scuba events calendar and dive centre directory provide trip-planning infrastructure.
Regular departments include the Dive Boat Calendar (page 24), Scuba Events Calendar (page 26), Dive Center Directory (page 28), and Dive Club Directory (page 29). Industry news opens the issue at page 8.
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Content Guide
▸ Dive Spotlights / Safety & Skills / Q&A / Directories
p.10 · Catalina Island — Indian Rock
The Shecklers explore Indian Rock off Catalina Island, describing encounters with huge shoals of jack mackerel and anchovies. The piece includes depth profiles, visibility notes and the best anchor points for small boats. The site reaches 60 feet at the rock base, with viz averaging 30-40 feet in August. Go mid-week — the Shecklers note weekend boat traffic can be heavy.
p.10 · Orange County — Fisherman's Cove
A companion dive guide to Fisherman's Cove, with advice on entry points, current patterns and marine life. The best time to avoid crowds is mid-week or early morning. The site is known for bat rays, horn sharks and the occasional sea lion. Enter from the south end of the beach to avoid the kelp beds that tangle fins on the north approach.
p.14 · Your Buddy's Keeper — Robert N Rossier
Rossier offers practical advice for improving buddy communication and safety underwater. The column covers pre-dive briefings, hand-signal refreshers, air-check frequency and emergency ascent procedures. Rossier's core argument: most buddy incidents stem from assuming, not confirming. His rule: confirm the turn-pressure signal with a touch-and-respond before every dive, not just on the first dive of the day.
p.30 · #AskMark — Mark Newman
Newman answers reader questions on US vs UK diving measurement differences, using a wing for drysuit inflation, and why wetsuit front zippers are rarely on the actual front of the suit. The units question gets a clear conversion table. A wetsuit's front zipper is set at an offset because a centre-front zip restricts chest expansion during breathing — Newman explains the biomechanics.
p.24 · Dive Boat Calendar
A month-by-month listing of California-based dive boat schedules, covering Channel Islands, Catalina and coastal trips. Each entry includes departure ports, trip durations and booking contacts. The August-September schedule shows weekly Catalina trips from Long Beach and San Diego.
p.26 · Scuba Events Calendar
A listing of upcoming scuba events, classes and club meets across California for August and September. Events range from beginner try-dives to advanced wreck-penetration workshops. The Ocean Adventures Club meet on August 20 features a guest speaker on cold-water photography.
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Editor's Take
A no-frills regional diving magazine that serves its core audience reliably. The Shecklers' site guides are the main attraction — specific, current-tested and practical. #AskMark delivers real value on equipment questions that online forums get wrong. Weak area: the dive centre directory is essentially paid listings with no editorial overlay. Best for: California-based divers planning August-September trips who want current local site intel.
Strengths
• Catalina and Orange County dive spotlights with specific site condition data
• #AskMark column with accurate equipment biomechanics
• Dive boat calendar with bookable trip details
Weaknesses
• Dive centre and club directories are pure listings with no curation
• Industry news section is thin — mostly press release rewrites
Verdict: Selective read — Excellent site-specific content for California divers; skip the directory pages and go straight to the Shecklers' spotlights.
