Dives that stretch your limits

[lindenbruce]

I love the kelp around Monterey. So much life there to see. The spot you dove looks like it was a real blast!!! B.

 

[Divenomad]

I do a lot of surf entries and I must say you have lost your mind. Either that, or there is a deep an abiding need for a sarcasm font. LOL

... don't get to practice surf entries much around here ... that looks like gobs of fun ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[stevensamler]

I learned something interesting about surf. It has the most power over you when you need to stand up where it is coming in. Once we were no longer land-based animals (once we were floating and horizontal) surf the size of what you see in the pictures had no power over us to speak of at all. If you could swim well enough to make some progress seaward, you were fine (and those of us with scooters were in clover).

You can see the sheltered pool we actually walked into the water in, in the photo with me and Kirk. We got all our gear settled and our minds focused before we had to go out through the rough water. It turned out to be almost trivial.

Great dive planning the only thing I would add to it is you could have gone in with full skin and acclimated to the conditions , then you can ask yourself can I do this with all my gear. I love it when people do their homework.

 

[AfterDark]

Nice post! Looks like a challenging dive. We have spots similar to that in RI. One is Beavertail. The water is unpredictable and can go from "lets dive" conditions to "are you crazy?" "I'm not diving in that!" during the dive! I've spent as long as 20 minutes in surge trying to move 30ft to grab a rock in order to egress. The currents are almost never the same as last time you dived it and can carry a diver very far from shore. It is a dive I never recommend without the caveat that is an advanced dive for experienced divers with experience in rough surf ingress and egress, currents and strong surge, and they must be in good physical condition. These days at my age I only dive it from a boat. I don't believe I am physically up to shore diving that site anymore.



Beavertail on a calm day at low tide.


A calm winter day. Oh my is that fog in the background?



This picture really gives one a idea of the diving conditions, had to add it.
That small pool right at the point is the easy ingress/egress. We dived the right hand side often which is very difficult. It drops to almost 100fsw 50 yds from the rocks. The left side is more "civilized" with coves and protected spots. and shallow water.

 

[aprivetera]

Great read! A great example of thinking through the dive before you even get into the water! Very inspiring!

 

[TSandM]

AfterDark, I'm glad you added the last picture! That whole site looks incredibly forbidding

 

[AfterDark]

AfterDark, I'm glad you added the last picture! That whole site looks incredibly forbidding

Definitely need to pick the right time to dive and have at least 2 plans for egress when diving sites like those.
It's also smart to be more afraid of the site than thumbing the dive. I've thumbed more dives at Beavertail than all the other sites combined. As you and others like to say risk management.