Dive Report - S Monastery - 18 Mar 07

Date: 18 Mar 07
Dive Location: South Monastery
Buddy(ies): Kevin, Jonathan, Delia
Bottom Time: 60
Max Depth: 100
Vis: 30 below 70
Wave height: 1-2 ft
Temp at depth:50
Surface Temp: 52
Tide information: Low
Gas mix: 33%
Tanks: Double E7-100's
Other gear: X-Scooter short body
Comments: Swell was coming out of NW so our plan of diving Carmel River Beach was nixed and we checked out S Monastery... Not too bad on waves and long lulls between sets so we set up our tables and went for it.

We had 2 X 2 man scooter teams on 32% with scooter burn time as the limiting factor (25 out 25 in) After picking our way thru the kelp and surface scooter out a little we hit the triggers and went off searching for clear water. The vis in the shallows was a milky 10 maybe 15.

There were plenty of walls and canyons in the 40-60 foot range to keep us happy cruising along and checking out the critters... somewhere around 50 I get light wave from my buddy.. While we are buzzing along the wall he finds a 20 dollar bill! Talk about eagle eyes... Anyway the vis did start to open up at around 70-100 but unfortunately we had hit our battery limit and turned the dive.

On the way back we ran into the other scooter team and the other guys (Ted and David-kicking with doubles) and so we clipped off and enjoyed their company for a little while....

The scooter in was un eventful and exit was a workout with the doubles and the scooter up the beach... I think I'll do some more cardio this week

Ben_ca:

...somewhere around 50 I get light wave from my buddy.. While we are buzzing along the wall he finds a 20 dollar bill!

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Hey! That was my twenty from when I was there last fall!

Please send it to me right away.

Someone was telling me that one weekend 3 different divers found 100 dollar bills at the Breakwater... Now who goes around bringing 100's when they dive...

It was nice diving with you guys again Ben. Jason and I, being on single tanks and no scooters, dove in the 30' - 35' range with that 10' milky vis and a bit of surge. Not anywhere near the conditions you guys got when you got out deeper. Nonetheless, it was a nice dive. This was my first time out at S. Monastery, and I was amazed by how much life is out there on all those rock walls. Can't wait to get out there again.

-John

Oh, I remember my S. Monastery dive. Tons of life and beautiful structure. And great fun getting out of the water . . . NOT.

Sounds like you all had a good time.

LG/John... it's was really a bad vis day... normally it's really bright and clear right there in the 40 fsw range.. there's tons of invert life... the fishies are a little sparse but non the less a good dive spot.

Lynne.... Tables.... and shore suppport... I was dying coming out of the water with the doubles on and the scooter in hand...

TSandM:

Oh, I remember my S. Monastery dive. Tons of life and beautiful structure. And great fun getting out of the water . . . NOT.

Sounds like you all had a good time.

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Hehehe, Jason and I both tried to walk it out, and both got tossed on our butts and spun around. He ended up doing the Monastery crawl out. I somehow managed to walk out backwards with one fin still on (don't ask). Not sure which is more fun, getting out, or getting home and spending the next two hours getting those little monsterberries out of everything. I ended up having to pull the covers off both regs to get that stuff out, as the purge buttons were stuck on both of them.

Well, I did a night dive at the Breakwater after Monastery humbled me, and my drysuit dump valve leaked like a sieve. That coarse sand gets into everything and causes all KINDS of trouble!

Its just not a normal Monastery dive unless you are picking the gravel out of your gear on the way home. :blinking:

The water sure was green out there.

I never dive in Monastery by shore diving, most of my dives are now from both the Monterey Express or the Beach Hopper 2. The whole ocean was completely green on Saturday, vis was about 3ft-5ft at Pinnacles then went back to Hopkin's Reef where condition wasn't that too great. The afternoon charter which I did was at least better where the ship just stayed in Hopkin's Reef was better but overall wasn't the best diving I've ever done. Other then that, did four dives using nitrox and that ended my Spring Break.