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About the 3R's
Information about Los Angeles
County's Rocks, Rips and Reefs Program |
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3R's Origins
The goal of our programs is "Education, Diving and
Safety", and the 3R's program evolved from that
philosophy. Our mission is to support the diving
public by making you a better, safer diver through
education. |
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| Learn Beach Diving Skills |
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The 3R's is
solely focused on beach diving skills and the program
will expose you to many diverse dive conditions you will
find up and down the beaches of Los Angeles County. |
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The Program
The 3R's (Rocks, Rips and Reefs) program is an entire
series of courses designed to safely introduce divers to
popular local dive sites. Conducted by certified
Los Angeles County Underwater Instructors, the 3R's
program includes a short educational seminar covering
safe beach diving skills, certain aspects of the local
marine environment and other valuable, site specific
information. |
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| Public
Safety Awareness |
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Site
Specific Lectures |
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Open
Water Training |
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Topics and skills covered in the course include choosing
appropriate entry and exit points, identifying and
navigating hidden obstacles in the surf zone, how to use
the ocean's natural wave motion to your advantage, how
to plan your dive by reading the ocean's surface and
tide tables, and how to find interesting stuff to see at
each location.
Conditions permitting, the seminar is followed by an
in-water demonstration and practice session that
includes a skin diving tour of the actual dive site. |
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Requirements
Anyone who is interested in California's local beaches
is welcome to attend the lecture portion of the program.
If you plan to participate in the in-water activities,
you should be in good physical health and condition.
Participants are required to wear a full wetsuit, mask,
snorkel, and fins. A weight belt with no more than
half the normal diving weight is optional; if used,
please bring a snorkeling vest or BC. Tanks and
regulators are not allowed during the program, but may
be brought along if you plan to make a dive after the
class is over. |
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| Learn While Having Fun |
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To participate in the in-water activities, minors must
be 10 years or older and must be accompanied by their
parent or legal guardian. An exception to that
rule is for recognized youth groups (such as the Boy
Scouts of America). Such groups must contact the
Department of Parks and Recreation at least three (3)
weeks in advance of the event for special instructions
and required forms processing.
For more information regarding youth groups, contact
Gary Liebsack at (310) 965-8227. |
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What to Bring
Full Skin Gear (FSG) is required
for the 3R's. Full Skin Gear consists of a full wetsuit,
mask, fins, and a snorkel. We highly recommend sturdy
booties with open heel fins to provide foot protection.
A hood and gloves are also recommended for comfort and
safety. |
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| Safety |
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Education |
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If you desire to wear a weight
belt for practicing skin diving, you need to wear a
snorkeling vest of buoyancy compensator and wear only
half the weight you would normally wear for scuba
diving. Don't forget to bring sunscreen and other
exposure protection (depending on the day) as well as
drinking water to maintain hydration.
It is recommended that you also bring something to sit
on like a folding beach chair during the "downtime"
periods of the program.
You do not need to be scuba certified to take this
course. It is useful for the entire family, friends, and
anyone going into the water. At special times, we often
get the opportunity for the lifeguards to come out and
do a talk on the surf conditions and the type of beach.
After completing the in-water practice, we finish the
session with a noon time Bar-B-Q, so bring along a
picnic lunch and plan on socializing afterwards! |
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Can I Scuba?
Absolutely! Our main focus of the
3R's is advancing your knowledge of the ocean/beach
environment. Once 3R's is finished, you are free to dive
with your buddy.
Unfortunately, liability reasons do not allow us to
scuba dive as part of the 3R's program. |
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