Cortes Banks, how often are the conditions ideal for diving?

I have never talked with anyone who has been out there and was just interested in getting some feedback. Thanks.

For surfing, fishing, spearfishing, or diving?

The dive boats don't often schedule trips to Cortes for a variety of reasons:
1. It's a long, long trip - so the charter is a multiday trip.
2. Fuel costs! (especially recently).
3. Conditions are often not favorable for diving. I would guess that only one of three trips actually get there.
4. Cortes is exposed and subject to very large swells.

I've been there, done that, and probably won't go back. I found diving on Cortes to be boring - lots of flat bottom covered in bull kelp. IMHO, there're just too many other spots that I would rather dive like San Clemente Island or the pinnacles off of San Miguel Island.

ive only been out there once, for fishing though, but when i went out there, the conditions were nice in the morning, but got ugly later that day. its a long haul out there, and its gonna take alot of research(weather) and some guts to plan to go diving out there

Cortes Banks is like any other dive site, in that there are good spots and not so good spots. If you are going to make the trek out there, make sure you get to the good spots. I have to say I thought it was some awesome diving. We were in a school of tuna so big we couldn't see each other. I have made it out ther 3 times and the first time was to the sandy spots with lots of bull kelp like jlyle mentioned , but the other times were incredible.

Karen