Janeane and I will be diving Lobos on Saturday, but that doesn't really help much.
As for Breakwater particulars, here's a quick run down:
1) Parking - Parking is usually hit or miss at Breakwater to get the good spots, but there are usually spots even when everyone is there. You may have to walk a bit, but you should be ok.
On Saturday and Sunday, you have to get there early to get a good spot on the wall (lower parking lot along the break wall). Those are the best spots because you can use the wall to setup on, and the walk is shorter (depending on how close you get to the stairs). After 12 pm, you can park in the trailer spaces, which isn't quite as nice as being on the wall, but it's convenient if your friends are in the area.
The next best spot is along the grass or next to the showers. These usually fill up quickly when classes are going on, but you can often squeeze in after 12 pm or if a non-diver was there to enjoy the beach / bike path.
You can usually find a spot in both of the upper parking lots, but the walk is further. In doubles it kicks my butt, but a single tank isn't the end of the world. Don't hesitate to bring the gear down to the wall / benches / grass area to cut down on the walk.
On a worse case scenario, you can usually find parking on the street, especially since Manta Ray Dive shop is no longer there. The walk kind of sucks, so plan on bringing a tarp to setup on the grass.
On a Friday over Thanksgiving weekend, I wouldn't worry about it too much. There may be a couple of classes going on, but more than likely there won't be a ton of people there. Pt. Lobos is full which could prove me wrong on the number of divers that will be there, but I still wouldn't worry about it too much. Get there before 7 am if you want a nice spot, and before 6 am if you're paranoid. We often show up at 9 am on a really busy weekend, and still find spots in the lower parking lot.
2) The dive site - There are basically 3 primary dive sites at Breakwater that go from insanely fun / easy to a bit more advanced kick / navigation / gas planning.
Dive 1 is usually along the Break wall itself. We usually kick out along the rocks until you get to that metal fencing that hangs over the wall just past the bathrooms. This point will drop you in 10' to 20' of water based on the tide and which part of the slope you drop down on. If you drop down on a metal section of an old anchor you're just before the fence, and if you see a rather large square boulder toward the bottom of the slope, then you're just past the fence. Heading out, keep the wall on your right, and coming back it will be on your left. Easy navigation.
There are lots of rocks along the wall where critters hide, a bit of kelp the further out you get, and if you get far enough, you'll have a good chance of diving with several sea lions that hang out further down the wall. To get an idea of what I'm talking about, walk down the wall a bit. You'll see the kelp further down the wall followed by the sea lions hanging out if the weather is nice.
Max depth depending on tide is 40' to 50', but that's at the sand. You can choose to glide over the rocks which is a bit shallower. If the surge is up, be careful of hanging out high on the rocks in the 20' range. The surge close to the wall has a tendency of changing your depth upwards of 10' at a time based on the upward force of the water hitting the wall. In these conditions, hang out deeper around 40' at the sand for a easier ride.
Dive 2 is middle reef. We do a bit of training out there, and many classes will head in this direction to find open sand. Call me a dive snob, but this dive is a lot of fun on a scooter. The reason is that the rocks are sparse, and you have a chance of just looking at lots of sand inbetween the reefs. It's great on a scooter because you can cover a lot of ground fast, and it shortens the time over sand that you'd have on a kick dive.
Dive 3 the Metridium Fields. This dive requires a bit of navigation, a long kick, and deeper water. Max depth at the far end of the reef is around 70'+, but it's very difficult to get that far on a kick dive. The average depth will likely be in the 60' range. It takes a long time to get out to the dive site when kicking, and if you don't have someone that has been there before, the navigation is a bit tricky. It might be better to keep this dive as a future goal.
The site itself has a ton of life plus the large white metridiums that cover the reefs. Something you don't often see in the bay unless you're on a boat diving deeper water (60' +).
3) Logistics - There are 2 dive shops in the area: Aquarius (II) and Monterey Bay Dive Center (MBDC). These are within walking distance of Breakwater. Aquarius is a smaller shop that has quick air fills that tend to be wet. If you're using your own tanks and they're steel, you may want to avoid Aquarius. MBDC is a bit larger, a bit slower on fills, but they offer Nitrox and Mix (Helium).
There's a cafe across from the bathrooms (sorry I go there all the time, but can't remember the name). They have an ATM machine, and are known for their BBQ Tri Tip sandwiches. I prefer the clam chowder myself, but they have water, food, and a nice area to warm up if the whether is cold. There are other restaurants just past MBDC and further down Cannery Row.
I'll leave it at that. Let me know if you have any questions, and we'll see whose diving there on Friday to see if we can get someone to join you.
~ Jason
