Catalina Island is one of North America’s top scuba-diving destinations. Divers of all abilities flock to numerous Catalina dive spots, including the Casino Dive Park, Italian Gardens and the challenging Farnsworth Bank. For many divers, Catalina Island is their first scuba diving experience, whether as part of a Discover Scuba guided tour or when they take the plunge at the end of their Open Water class. Once divers are certified, Catalina Island is a frequent destination, its ever-changing environment calling underwater explorers back again and again. Each year, tens of thousands of dives are logged at Catalina, including shore dives and boat dives.
On the very rare occasions that something goes wrong on a dive, either at the island or on the mainland, treatment at a hyperbaric chamber may be warranted. Catalina Island hosts one of the few hyperbaric chambers in Southern California. Located near Two Harbors, on the island’s more remote West End, the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is used regularly to treat divers. Once a year, scuba divers from throughout Southern California come together in what is the largest single-day scuba-related fundraiser in the United States. Each year Chamber Day, which features scuba diving on donated dive boats, raises more than $100,000 to help fund the hyperbaric chamber’s operations.