THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Pose with Santa beneath the waves at Casino Dive Park on Catalina Island—an hour-long, family-friendly photo session set among kelp, garibaldi, and rugged reef. Book early for holiday slots and expect vibrant, unmistakably Catalinan underwater portraits.
Pose with Santa beneath the waves at Casino Dive Park on Catalina Island—an hour-long, family-friendly photo session set among kelp, garibaldi, and rugged reef. Book early for holiday slots and expect vibrant, unmistakably Catalinan underwater portraits.
Book with Catalina Divers Supply
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Catalina Divers Supply · Avalon, California
On a crisp winter morning in Avalon, California, you can trade tinsel for tide and pose with Santa beneath the surface at Casino Dive Park. Underwater Photos with Santa offers a compact, one-hour experience that stages festive portraits amid Catalina’s kelp forests and rocky reef. Check in at the Casino Dive Shop in Avalon, get briefed by guides who know local currents and fish behavior, then suit up and slip into water often lit by shafts of sunlight. Groups are deliberately small—usually capped at ten people—so photographers can compose clean images and everyone gets a turn near Santa. You can snorkel, swim, or dive for the photo; you do not need advanced certification, but you should be comfortable swimming and able to hold your breath for a brief shot. The visual ingredients are distinctive: fronds of giant kelp sway over encrusted volcanic and metamorphic rock outcrops, bright orange garibaldi patrol territorial patches, and schools of kelp bass and opaleye weave through the scene. Above water you can orient to the rounded facade of the Catalina Casino, a 1929 landmark in Avalon that helps place the dive visually within the harbor. This blend of holiday theater and marine natural history is part of why the activity matters locally: it supports small dive shops, seasonal guides, and a tourism rhythm that keeps Avalon lively through winter. Practical advice: book early in December when slots fill, bring reef-safe sunscreen and a wetsuit in colder months, and leave jewelry and loose gear ashore to avoid damage to the reef. Guides will ask participants not to touch wildlife or the kelp holdfasts; low-impact interaction preserves the reef and maintains healthy fish behavior for future visits. For families this is playful and unexpected—holiday cards and social media posts get a shot that no mainland studio can reproduce—but it also acts as an accessible entry point into Catalina’s dive culture. The experience lasts about an hour, accommodates children age five and up, and meets at the Casino Dive Shop in Avalon; group sizes and the timing make it manageable for first-timers and seasoned divers alike. Book through the provided referral link to secure a holiday slot, arrive early to sort gear, and treat the dive as both a snapshot and a lesson in how Catalina’s underwater places remain worth protecting. After the shoot, stroll Avalon’s waterfront, pick up a local guidebook or talk to shop staff about year-round dive sites such as Lovers Cove and Farnsworth Bank, and consider a follow-up snorkel when water clarity is high; these small choices extend the visit beyond a single photograph and connect you to the island’s living seascape. Bring a waterproof case for extra images and share responsibly online too.
Minimum age is five years old; children should be comfortable in the water and able to follow guide instructions.
No certification is required—participants can snorkel, swim, or dive; basic swimming ability is sufficient.
Check in at our Casino Dive Shop in Avalon before gearing up and heading to Casino Dive Park.
Cancellations must be made no later than 48 hours prior to the scheduled time according to the booking terms.
Guides document the session; photo delivery methods and timing are provided at check-in—confirm specifics when you book.
Yes—groups are small and family-friendly; non-divers can still participate by snorkeling or swimming for their photos.
Catalina Divers Supply is a full-service dive center located in Avalon, California, serving visitors and local divers on Santa Catalina Island. The operation offers a broad range of scuba and snorkeling experiences, from the beginner Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) program to advanced PADI specialty courses such as Night Diver, Deep Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, and Underwater Digital Photographer. The business runs boat dives on the Scuba Cat, including a popular two-tank unguided Scuba Cat Boat Dives option that provides access to Catalina's reefs with gear rinse and hot showers. Guided scuba dive options focus on Casino Point Park and the island's vibrant kelp forests, where divers can encounter a diverse marine community. Guided snorkeling trips require no boat and let participants swim among garibaldi, bat rays, and giant sea bass in a protected marine preserve. Equipment needs are met through Individual Scuba Gear Rentals offered a la carte—masks, fins, wetsuits, and more are available to rent or purchase. Wildlife-focused outings include two-hour Dolphin & Whale Watching Boat Trips to observe dolphins, whales, seals, and seabirds along Catalina's coastline. Training programs follow PADI course structures and include multi-day formats for specialties that require multiple dives. Featured on The Adventure Collective, Catalina Divers Supply presents clear trip descriptions, accessible rentals, and a range of guided and unguided options suited to beginners through advanced divers. These verifiable services and course offerings make it straightforward for visitors to plan safe, well-supported dives and marine wildlife excursions in Avalon. Online booking and local pickup available.
Book with Catalina Divers Supply