Spectre
Just what is three-quarters of a day anyway? Simple: It is three great island dives and home in time for an early dinner without having to get up before dawn. That is just one key secret of success for the dive charter boat Spectre. The Spectre’s mid-week open boat, three-quarter day trips to Anacapa Island are the perfect solution for those with the itch that can only be scratched by playing hooky from work and getting wet in some wonderful kelp forests over beautiful reefs.
The Spectre is based out of Ventura Harbor, which just happens to be only a few miles from Anacapa Island, the nearest to shore of all the Channel Islands. A fast boat, the Spectre makes it to the Anacapa in about 75 to 90 minutes, depending on the section of the Island to be dived. With that, on her three-quarter day dives, she leaves the dock at 8 a.m. and you are diving before 9:30.
Anacapa Island (actually three small islets) is the second smallest of the Channel Islands but bountiful with dive sites. Each of the three dives is at a different location. Some of the great sites visited might include Cathedral Cove, Landing Cove, Underwater Arch, Coral Reef, Island Reef, the Channels, Rat Rock and Cat Rock. And there are easily two dozen more possibilities.
Captain Ted Cumming has been skippering boats for nearly three decades and not only knows just where to put the hook for a great dive, but how to place the hook, or hooks, if you will. Ted and his crew use a two-point anchoring system, one from the stern (usually directly on the dive site), and a bow anchor. With this you always know where the boat is relative to the dive site and it is a short swim. Boat movement is minimized and boarding is much easier. The three-quarter day trips are low-keyed, perfect for the beginner or rusty diver, or the diver looking for something just a bit slower paced.
Layout of the deck of the Spectre is excellent. Rows of benches, port and starboard, each hold individual dive stations with storage behind for tank assemblies, below for dive bags and a small shelf above for masks and small miscellaneous items like lights and gloves. It can get a bit crowded on deck with a full load, but another joy of the mid-week open boat trips is a passenger load of over 20 is unusual.
Additional amenities of the Spectre include a large galley (wetsuits welcome) with plenty of seating with tables for arranging camera gear, a large sundeck, comfortable bunks below, and best of all, a hot tub for washing away the post dive chills.
On these special three-quarter day open boat trips, a BBQ chicken lunch (excellent!) and air fills are included, and the price is quite reasonable. These three-quarter day mid-week trips are one of the best values in Southern California diving.
These trips to Anacapa are generally run on Wednesdays and Fridays but schedule may vary slightly. In the summer three-quarter day trips to Santa Cruz Island are sometimes added for Thursdays. Weekend single-day trips vary according to the charter group but the three-quarter day format is occasionally run.
For more information or reservations on the Spectre, call 805-483-6612 or e-mail spectre@calboatdiving.com.

Kim Sheckler is executive editor of California Diving News and co-author of the book Southern California's Best Beach Dives (Saint Brendan).