Dive site recommendations

[Keith.M]

Hi all,

I took my newly certified 16 year old son for his first couple of post cert dives last Saturday at the Breakwater and had a couple of nice dives. One out into the kelp and the other along the wall.

I have been able to get Monday - Wednesday off this next week and he is on Spring Break so we are heading back down for 3 days of diving.

I think we will dive Point Lobos on Monday for 2 or 3 dives. Not sure he can do 3 as he just doesn't have any extra "insulation".

I would like to take in a different dive site or two on our other two days.

From shore, I have really only been either to Point Lobos, or San Carlos beach. I have done quite a few other sites, but that has been off of boats.

I am thinking of doing Lovers Point on Tuesday but I have no experience there and would like to see if I can get some recommendations as to a couple of good, easy dive plans for the site.

Looking at google earth"
Lat: 36°37'30.44"N
Lon: 121°54'51.91"W

It would seem that heading out through the sand channel and descending and going north for one dive and south for the other might be reasonable generic plans.

After we do the two different sites, we'll make a descision if we want to try a third site for Wednesday or just go back to Point Lobos, which hardly ever is a bad choice.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Tuesday will degrade as the day goes on. Pick a sheltered spot, get an early start and keep a weather eye on sea conditions.

My recommendation for Wednesday is the Aquarium, it's gonna get ugly.

Chuck

 

[Keith.M]

Yeah, Wednesday may be the Aquarium. Bummer.

So what are your thoughts on Lovers? I am starting to think that maybe I should dive Lovers on Monday and Lobos on Tuesday.
Or just dive Lobos. Always plenty to see and usually the better visibility.

---------- Post added April 12th, 2014 at 01:21 PM ----------

I am surprised to see you posting now, the conditions today look ideal!

 

[zf2nt]

You will almost certainly have better visibility at Pt. Lobos than at Lover's. Lover's can still be an interesting place to dive, though. It's more interesting if you go out at Lover's #3, which is the set of steps just to the west of the point, than if you go out Lover's #1, which is the beach entry off the beach below the deli stand. For #3, either go out due north or swing more eastward so that you are following the rocks off the end of the point. If you go out #1, which I save for days when the surf is really rough, then follow the rocks just on the west of the sand channel as you head out.

Another one you should consider is McAbee, which is the beach just to the west of El Torito Restaurant. If you go there, swim out as far as you can, drop down and follow a heading of 045 out and 225 back. You'll see it drop in stages down to about 65'. After that, it's just bare sand and time to head back in. McAbee is almost as protected as Breakwater and, for my nickel, offers more to see.

If the seas are calm enough, I've always enjoyed Coral Street Beach. It's an easy entry/exit, provided the seas are calm, but it is a long surface swim. Again, it leads down in a series of steps, and I have followed it out to about 95'...but that's a long way out. You'll go over a succession of ridgelines on the way out, and if the seas are rough the surge as you go over those ridges can be amazing.

Other sites worth investigating are Butterfly House and Carmel River Beach, both around the corner from each other in Carmel. They're a bit more work than the Monterey sites, and certainly more than Pt. Lobos, but they're both great shore dives.

Bruce

 

[Vegan Shark]

Coral St. has really beautiful topography, and I've seen huge schools of fish there about a mile out. Pretty unprotected and surgey, though.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I think I would just dive Pt. Lobos Monday, and IF conditions permit, Tuesday. There's always something new to discover there. A dive you probably haven't done there is go out in the open water at the mouth of whalers. There's lots of purple gravel and lots of critters trying to look like purple gravel.

I conditions are marginal Tuesday, go for a hike. This will be a good lesson for your son. If conditions are marginal, they probably aren't fun, and there's lots else to do on the Monterey Peninsula.

Chuck