the greater los angeles council of divers (glacd) and the los angeles county underwater instructors association (la co. uia) have joined forces to produce an entire series of courses designed to safely introduce divers to popular, local dive sites.

conducted by certified los angeles county scuba instructors, the rocks, rips, and reefs course includes a short educational seminar covering safe beach diving skills, certain aspects of the local marine environment, and other valuable, site-specific information. conditions permitting, the seminar is followed by an in-water demonstration and practice session that includes a skin diving tour of the actual dive site.

topics and skills covered in the course include:

• choosing appropriate entry and exit points, and safe entry and exit skills
• identifying, anticipating, and navigating hidden obstacles in the surf zone
• how to use the ocean’s natural wave motion to your advantage
• how to plan your dive by reading the ocean’s surface and using tide tables
• how to find interesting stuff at each location

participants are required to wear a full wetsuit, mask, snorkel, and fins (refer to "what do i need to bring" below). a weight belt with no more than half the normal diving weight is optional if used, please bring a snorkeling vest or bc. tanks and regulators are not allowed during the program, but may be brought along if you plan to make a dive after the class is over.

after completing the in-water practice, we finish the session with a noon time get-together and social, so bring along a picnic lunch and plan on socializing afterwards.