@TacomaSailor- Your dive service is giving you bad information. Here is the gist of what is happening in San Diego, beginning yesterday (11/1/11): All dive services intending to work on Port property must obtain a Divers Permit from the Port of San Diego. To qualify for the Permit, the dive service must show for each diver proof of insurance, proof of training for in-water hull cleaning Best Management Practices and pay a fee for the permit. The Permit makes no stipulation regarding a mandatory hull cleaning frequency and while there is language about possible penalties, certainly no mention of a $25,000 fine for failure to obey the rules (and in the event of an infraction, the dive service is laible, not the marina and certainly not the boat owner.) As far as the actual hull cleaning goes, the Permit does require that no "plume" is created when performing in-water hull cleaning activities. There is no Port "observer", each marina is required to make sure the Permit regulations are being followed.

All that being said, I assure you that a 3 or 4-week hull cleaning frequency in San Diego is not only the norm, it is essentially necessary. It is extremely unlikey that your hull has "almost no bottom growth at the end this summer and last summer" after 3 months of not being cleaned. That wouldn't be possible here in the Bay Area, much less San Diego. Maybe your dive service is using the new Permit regulations to urge you into a more reasonable cleaning schedule, I don't know. But the information you've told us that they related to you is incorrect. I've included a link to the Port's Permit web page so you can read the actual permit yourself.