Monterey Breakwater Stairs - A Circus

[scubadan.com]

We've been teaching at the Monterey Breakwater, San Carlos Beach for years and years. Setting up camp on the grass, or diving off the rock wall with your class are great. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. When classes set up on the grass, the use of the large block stairs as a staging area is excellent. Students can finish their buddy checks, and then congregate on the stairs, waiting for the rest of their class to join them as they make their way to the open water.

Recently, over the past month or so, certain schools have been setting up camp on those stairs. They leave their bags, cylinders, etc.. there, and prevent any other school from using that area for staging. Further, it becomes a hazard, and gear is not kept tidy, and students climbing up, or going down the stairs have a high risk of tripping over some other schools gear that is just lying around.

The stairway has always been a staging area. It would be greatly appreciated if we can take this area back for all the schools to use as a staging area, instead of being monopolized by 1 school. Schools should continue to camp on the grass or on the rock wall on a 1st come, 1st serve basis.

Thoughts?

 

[cmburch]

Request signs to keep the stairs clear of gear?

 

[Ben_ca]

Ever since they put that ugly fence up there's been a shortage of spots to gear up at. The wall used to be a great spot for classes with plenty of room to spread out

 

[Hawkwood]

It got to the point here in Banff National Park, that the Parks Wardens significantly restricted where we could set up and the number of vehicles we could have near the good training sites.

The actions of a few really screwed it for the majority. People could not play nice and respect others and now it's become a real pain.

Hopefully you folks can work it out before something is done about it.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I noticed this yesterday, and it was pretty outrageous.

Chuck

 

[3D diver]

Agreed...but, being clumsy, I always use the other stairs because of the hand rails. Don't want to take a tumble, eh?


On a related note: tried to get to the water hoses at Lobos lately? They're getting buried in a sea of tank tables and rinse buckets. Had to ask for hose access my last dive & never was actually handed a hose---just rinsed by someone deeper in.

 

[scubadan.com]

Yeah, the fence was a bit of a damper, but not nearly as bad as equipment falling over the side, or even a person falling over. Lots of room up on the grass. Which brings me to another questions... why on earth do all the schools pile up right on top of each other up on the grass. There is soooo much room to spread out up there. It's crazy how they set their tarps right next to another school, where equipment is then easily mixed together and mixed up.

 

[scottm]

We've been teaching at the Monterey Breakwater, San Carlos Beach for years and years. Setting up camp on the grass, or diving off the rock wall with your class are great. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. When classes set up on the grass, the use of the large block stairs as a staging area is excellent. Students can finish their buddy checks, and then congregate on the stairs, waiting for the rest of their class to join them as they make their way to the open water.

Recently, over the past month or so, certain schools have been setting up camp on those stairs. They leave their bags, cylinders, etc.. there, and prevent any other school from using that area for staging. Further, it becomes a hazard, and gear is not kept tidy, and students climbing up, or going down the stairs have a high risk of tripping over some other schools gear that is just lying around.

The stairway has always been a staging area. It would be greatly appreciated if we can take this area back for all the schools to use as a staging area, instead of being monopolized by 1 school. Schools should continue to camp on the grass or on the rock wall on a 1st come, 1st serve basis.

Thoughts?

They're not just preventing any other schools, they're preventing access to the beach by anyone (independent divers or not). We only dive breakwater a few times a year, but I noticed this last month. My wife and I generally gear up at the car and walk down the steps, it was a minefield of discarded gear and observing parents/spouses. I thought it was a one-time deal, but I guess next time I'll stick around and say something to the instructors. Hauling doubles down those stairs is tough enough!

 

[UWPhotoKeith]

Signs or/and a polite conversation among the instructors using the stairs as a camp spot would be a start. Another idea that I have seen in Florida and Hawaii at popular dive spots are permanent kitting up stations on the lawn. Of course that would cost money and there would be the aesthetic issues to deal with. The lawn is a very large area and there seems to be enough room there to accommodate all the divers without having to fight for space on the stairs down to the beach. Seems like common sense but you know how that goes....