Dangers to watch out for diving in Monterey area?

I'm a new diver (been freediving a lot before though) and there are things that just scare me diving here. I realize that with education I can overcome these. Heh, when I first started diving here kelp freaked the hell out of me. Now I swim towards the kelp when I want to feel safe (although I heard sharks will go and hang out in the kelp regardless).

Are there any tips you guys can give for dangers to watch out for in the area? Sea creatures, general things not to do, undercurrents, etc?

Just this weekend I did a dive by myself after my buddy left for home.

Breakwater, 45ft, near metridium fields, but no kelp in sight. 4PM, visibility about 10ft, low light. I was swimming and suddenly hundreds of jellyfish started appeared out of the darkness in completely open water. Before I knew it I was boxed in on the bottom with hundreds of jellyfish crisscrossing slowly all over me. At this point I was getting kinda scared. I saw a big grey thing off in the distance which I hoped was a mola mola eating the jellies and not something else that's big and grey. I ascended protecting my exposed face, and surface swam back near the beach.

Was I really in any danger? Any other tips you can give besides "I should have had a buddy?"

Glad things turned out ok in the end but this may be a good read:

New Monterey Diver Information

One thing to watch out for if you are diving near the breakwater wall are the fishing lines. They are hard to see and easy to get entangled into. I got entangled on both my dives last month and my son got a hook stuck in this wetsuit (good thing that he was wearing a 7mm). Both times, I had to get out my knife and cut the lines.

Don't dive breakwater without a sharp knife (and know how to use it!!)

Last Friday I was doing a night dive at the Breakwater and had some currently-in-use monofilament get in the skirt of the top of my mask. That stuff's terrible to see with a rubbish light.

I'd say by far the biggest danger when diving Monterey is ... addiction. It's just that good that it'll have you coming back for more.


Oh, and it's colder water, so you have to address thermal needs or you risk a miserable time. I've seen plenty of mono at BW. Some of the beaches are notorious for their steep entries and pounding surf.

Other than the above, I haven't noticed anything there that's too different from other areas I've dived.

What kind of jellies were they? If you can describe them you'll get a better answer.

I am certain that they were sea nettles, the metridiums are infected with them right now.
They sting, if you're planning a trp to the metridiums you should probably make sure you've got vinegar back at the car.

Hold on, you are a new diver and did solo dive in Monterey?



Please don't do this again. If you need a dive buddy there are tons of us on this board who can dive with you.

pacificgal:

I am certain that they were sea nettles, the metridiums are infected with them right now.
They sting, if you're planning a trp to the metridiums you should probably make sure you've got vinegar back at the car.

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Yup, they were sea nettles. Hundreds of them everywhere. I actually got stung on the face by one earlier. Not too bad at all. Got stung by a Portuguese Man of War when diving down in Mexico (Puerto Penasco aka Rocky Point) and I was fine, so I guess I have some natural resistance to jellyfish stings. Still, not in the face, thank you very much.

Farty:

Hold on, you are a new diver and did solo dive in Monterey?



Please don't do this again. If you need a dive buddy there are tons of us on this board who can dive with you.

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Yup... It was 4PM and my dive buddy had already left to go home but I still wanted to go dive, so I did. There was no one else around at that time. Why do you guys clock out so soon?