Vision
California island diving comes with a great bunch of dive charter boats to serve underwater explorers wanting to venture into the kelp forests of the Channel Islands. Most of these boats, however, specialize in just single-day trips. A small handful of large, top quality vessels are experts in live-aboard diving the Channel Islands and the Vision is one of the best.

The Vision in the largest and flag ship of the Truth Aquatics fleet based out of Santa Barbara. The other two vessels, the Truth and the Conception, sit beside the Vision at Sea Landing, only a few short miles from many of the best dive sites in the northern chain of the Channel Islands—Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel. These are four of the five Channel Islands National Park. Sea Landing is the closest harbor to two of these islands—Santa Rosa and San Miguel—and a good portion of Santa Cruz Island. Furthermore, the Truth Aquatics boats are the only dive charter boat that visits Central California coastline sites as far north as Big Sur. And the Vision makes several excursions to the Southern Channel Islands every year.

The Vision is 80 feet of solid dive boat, built from the keel up, bow to stern specifically as a dive boat for California diving.

Let’s start with the where most dive trips start—the bunks. Each bunk has forced air ventilation. Fresh air is key in keeping divers comfortable. The fresh air makes it easier to sleep, so you wake up refreshed and dry. The sleeping quarters are also well insulated for warmth and sound-proofing. Each bunk is also smartly equipped with a privacy curtain, bunk light and small gear shelf. In the bunk room there is a good amount of storage for personal dry gear and a large changing room.

Forward of the bunk-room, in a separate compartment, is the shower room with two hot freshwater showers, two sinks and a lot of room to clean up.

The dive deck is excellent with benches port and starboard for comfortable seating while organizing your dive gear. Gear bags can be stored under these benches or on the large engine room housing. Long air fill whips reach your tanks where you place them. Fills are quick and complete. Below deck, just under the same housing and astern of the engine room, is a utility room with a freezer for game and a ventilated area for hanging wet wetsuits and dry suits to dry overnight.

The Vision occasionally does some pretty advanced diving. In designing the boat, this was taken into consideration with the installation of a bow gate. Jumping into the water off the boat’s bow gate allows for immediate access to the anchor line, important in a strong current. It is a bit of a drop, but with this feature the Vision is able to dive locations not normally accessible.

At each gate—port, starboard and bow, is a small rinse basin on the rail with circulating sea water. This is a very useful feature and, as far as I know, unique to the Truth Aquatics boats.

In the galley seating is abundant, the food is fresh and tasty and often gourmet. My favorite, however, is when they do good old-fashioned American BBQ—chicken, steak, tri-tip—yum! You may burn a lot of calories diving the Vision but you won’t lose any weight. A sun-deck above the galley completes the day.

Diving the Channel Islands on multi-day trips is a treat that no serious California diver should miss. And diving on the Vision is one of the best ways to do it. Multi-day trips are common throughout the year with an occasional single-day trip thrown in here and there. They also do Channel Islands hiking trips as well as kayaking excursion. For more information, including an up-to-date schedule of trips, visit www.truthaquatics.com or call (805) 962-1127.

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