Near Miss: Monastery 2/6/2011

[Not Now John]

All club dives are lead by a divemaster trained through the same program as the afore mentioned class, and is generally familiar with the training they have received. The dive leader or another sufficiently trained individual stays on the beach, in a wetsuit, to help with any potential incident. In my experience, the casual atmosphere and encouragement to be comfortable with your own limits keeps the divers from doing things beyond their skill level. As g1138 stated, side entries are preferred, never turn your back on the water.

 

[Anti-Hero]

The entire situation was a CLASSIC case of what I have heard people call "Sacramento Syndrome".

We should really start calling that "poor decision making syndrome" - Sacramento has nothing to do with it.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

I wonder how many near drownings he expects the kid to have for this one to be, "his first."

 

[P-DUB]

We should really start calling that "poor decision making syndrome" - Sacramento has nothing to do with it.

Well, besides the nice alliteration, it's a classic example of a place you'd drive a long ways from, with potential "only here for a weekend kind of 'whatever let's just do it'" attitude. I'm sure Sacramento is a nice place.

 

[mikeguerrero]

As many have posted ahead of me:

Monastery is a very treacherous beach in both enter/exit. I have entered it with ankle slappers only to have my nightmare a reality on exit, with large breakers.

I came out like a silent sub all the way in close to shore and then when my knees touched loose gravel, I started crawling as fast as possible.

Clenching the mouthpiece feeling it pull like mad wanting to come out, I kept forward. I could feel the pounding of my tank and waves crashing over my tiny body.

I am no stranger to large swells growing up in Orange County as a surfer, so making no progress with my crawl, I took in the powerful white wash up the steep bank. When it would pull me back I would dig in to the sand, awaiting the next wave to crash and move me closer.

It is something I wish not to repeat ever, and can only say please be aware of that treacherous entry/exit.

The ocean can change at any time for any reason.

Nuff said....

MG

 

[MaxBottomtime]

 

[ChadK]

Very interesting thread! The fins are one of the hardest parts for me. What do you all think about the spring ones that you can just pull over your ankle quickly? Could something like that be knocked off by the waves?

 

[TSandM]

I had heard of Harry's video, but this was the first time I'd watched it. First off, I wouldn't set foot in the water there if the surf looked like that! But secondly, anyone watching this should be aware that a) Harry is a VERY experienced diver, and b) Harry is in VERY good shape -- and he's beat to a pulp from the experience. And if you get "Monastery berries" (the big, coarse sand there) in your regulator, it may freeflow and make it very difficult to stay calm.

This just isn't a beach to take lightly.

 

[aquaregia]

Two things I've never understood are the 'back to the waves' entry (or back-to-the-waves anything really) and the 'holding hands so we fall together' entry.

I almost always enter with my fins on my wrists. If it's flat I can't be bothered waddling for five minutes, and if it's rough I want to get through it quickly. On long, rocky, shallow entries I've pulled myself quite some distance on my stomach with my fins on my hands so that I could push off rocks with my feet. My mask is on my face and my reg is in my mouth, even at Breakwater.

Any way you look at it, Monastery is serious $*#$.

 

[aquaregia]

Very interesting thread! The fins are one of the hardest parts for me. What do you all think about the spring ones that you can just pull over your ankle quickly? Could something like that be knocked off by the waves?

I basically denounce anything that costs extra money as a gimmick, but spring straps are totally worth the cost. They aren't likely to fail (rubber ones go surprisingly fast) and you can don your fins in seconds.