Diving Into Danger

Some jut out like mini-headlands into the crashing surf, while others are no more than stumpy promontories. Yet each creates a natural protective cove as intriguing to fish and marine life as to a growing number of scuba divers.

Thousands of scuba and free divers from all over the world have started their summer descent on Laguna Beach’s famous coves, prompting the city’s lifeguards to step up enforcement of strict beach regulations and staff the lifeguard roster with two dive instructors and one dive master.

This is one of the most dangerous and most alluring places along the Southern California coastline.

“We have more scuba diving rescues and contacts [with divers] than any other agency on the coast,” said Mark Klosterman, the city’s chief of marine safety. “We have to be highly knowledgeable and trained with scuba.”

Laguna Beach has an average 200 diver rescues a year, accounting for more than 10% of the lifeguard department’s total rescues. About three divers die here each year, Klosterman said.

It is believed that no other coastal area in the state, including picturesque La Jolla Cove in San Diego County, attracts as many divers as Laguna Beach. Along its seven-mile coast, the Laguna area harbors 21 dive spots, including Diver’s Cove, Shaw’s Cove and Agate Street Beach.

“There’s excellent marine life everywhere,” said Gregory Deskin, owner of Beach Cities Scuba in Lake Forest. “Because of the shelter created by those big rocks that go out it has a tendency to protect the coves and you have rocks and fish all over giving students and divers something to look at.”

There is growing evidence that too many people are visiting Laguna’s coves and marine preserve areas.

“There’s just a tremendous amount of use and abuse,” said Peter Haaker, state Department of Fish and Game associate marine biologist. “Many tide pools are getting stripped because there’s not sufficient enforcement. Just so many people walking on tide pools . . . results in a lot of animals getting trampled.”

“We like to stress to the divers that they’re welcome here in Laguna Beach,” Klosterman said. “Don’t misread the ordinances, it’s not a restrictive thing, but for the general public’s safety. A lot of times, we’re just trying to monitor the masses.”

Klosterman said lifeguards are encouraged to initiate dialogue with all divers. If they have scuba gear, they ask to see the diver’s certification. During the talk, lifeguards search for clues about the diver’s ability and whether they have a dive plan.

In Laguna Beach, divers must have a mask, snorkel, fins, buoyancy compensator and a diving buddy for safety, as required by ordinance.

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“If not, they don’t dive,” Klosterman said, adding that violators can be cited. The fine is a minimum of $50 and court costs, he said.

While diving is growing in popularity, the exact number of divers who visit Laguna a year is not known. The Santa Ana-based Professional Assn. of Diving Instructors conservatively estimates 4 million scuba enthusiasts in the United States and about 6 million worldwide. Diving organizations believe there are an additional 12 million free divers, who do not use scuba gear.

Recently at Laguna’s Agate Beach, Adrian Robinson, a 30-year-old diver from Temecula, hurriedly parked his truck and grabbed his gear from the cargo bed.

“I’ve been diving 20 years now,” said Robinson, who was joined by four other free-diving companions. “We like this area. It’s always been one of my favorite places to go out and hunt.”

One of Robinson’s companions, Jason Smith, 23, of San Diego, said he preferred diving in Laguna instead of La Jolla Cove, calling Laguna the “MacDaddy” of dive spots in Southern California.

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“There’s lots of sea life out there, including sand sharks, which we’re after today,” Smith said, adding that they eat the sharks’ meat and also make shark fin soup.

With diving’s popularity soaring, Laguna’s lifeguards are encountering “push-button” divers--described by city lifeguard Bill Brown as novice divers who get certified in lakes, swimming pools and while on vacations.

“Then, we have them coming here to Laguna, which can have a difficult shore break and numerous rocks and they get into trouble,” he said.

When the surf is big, lifeguards hoist yellow flags for moderate surf and red flags for dangerous surf. Lifeguards have discretion on whether to allow divers in the water with a yellow flag flying. If it’s a red flag day, no diving is allowed.

Both Brown and Klosterman said the message is simple. If you dive, get to know your equipment. It’s heavy and cumbersome, so take many practice dives, preferably by snorkeling first and then graduating to scuba tanks.

“Pick your beach conditions and match them to your ability,” Klosterman said.

Contrary to popular belief, most diving accidents in Laguna are not caused by faulty equipment or coming up too fast. Most problems happen because of poor judgment, Klosterman said.

“It’s just basic water skills,” he said. “There are those people who are equipment-dependent and not skill-dependent. And in the surf line, they don’t have the skills to deal with waves. . . . They’re all excited and they need skills to help them adapt to the conditions.”