Monterey conditions. (let's keep it going )

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Dove Stillwater Cove (Sonoma County) yesterday, Thursday, on incoming tide. Water temp was in mid 50's, vis was 5' despite the surface being VERY calm. We did not venture beyond the cove or to any appreciable depths since we were doing a training dive. We had I assume the same Harbor seal, but not certain, hang near us toward the end of the day. My guess is he/she is used to grabbing an easy meal from the hunters that frequent this site. Every dive I've done at this site I have see one Harbor seal hanging out spying us from the left side of the cove and then show up during our dives to follow us. Hoping for better underwater conditions Sunday in Monterey....
 
Funny how the viz can look great walking along the breakwater yet disappoint when actually diving...

We had so much fun last week wandering around the middle reef at San Carlos Beach we decided to try again. It was dead flat, sunny and low tide when we entered to the left (west) of the exposed rocks. We headed more-or-less north checking out whatever rocks we found 'til we came to the small pipe (that parallels the one leading to the metridiums). We followed it for a while then headed back south for more of the same.

The viz was a lumpy, green, 5 feet. My poor old eyes can't focus close enough to tell what the lumps were, but they weren't swimming noticeably so I assume they're algae or some lethargic jelly like critter. The water temperature was 52, warmer shallow. Saw one sea hare, lots of those grey spotted critters that resemble sea hares whose names I can't recall, a cabezon, etc. 41 feet max, 53 minutes.
 
Butterfly house: 8' murky green and very dark when under the heavy kelp canopy. Entry was flat. Water temp by my computer was 50F. Our second dive was off the end of Sea Palm Ave (between Lovers and Coral St) on the Monterey side. Viz was maybe a foot better, also with flat seas. There were some interesting mini pinnacles at 30-40'. Not sure the Kellet's Welcks appreciated our observing their orgy. I have never seen such a pile before. At least 30 of them piled up. We took a look at Coral Street but the wind waves were big with a lot of whitecaps.
 
pea soup at lobos even at 100ft :(
 
'"Ballbuster" and "Ballbuster Deep" Today: visibility was 5' from the surface down to 35' then it opened up to 15'ish. Max depth 100' & 130', no current, no surge but lots of wind and wind chop on the surface, especially after noon. Lots of large fishing boats in the bay today moving in a big mass, just be heads up if you are underwater and are surfacing.
 
pea soup at lobos even at 100ft :(

You should have stayed shallow. 2 dives out of Pt Lobos yesterday. First was HITW to LM to (oops) the backside of Middle Reef ending up all the way across the cove from the entry. Followed by a shallow swim back under the dense kelp canopy. Second dive was across Middle Reef towards Granite Point Wall and back.

Viz ranged from 20 - 30+, with the better viz across the cove and fairly shallow. We met up underwater with several instabuddies -- 2 of which were human. The other 4 were 2 lingcod, a male sheepshead, and a seal. I call them instabuddies since they were easily big enough and friendly enough to qualify.

Surface conditions were flat, and flatter in the morning. There was no surge - the anemone tentacles were hanging limp. The only problem was the extremely low tide. I almost slipped and I watched 2 single tank divers actually fall. Didn't see any doubles divers. By 3:30p the swell was really starting to come up and I watched a small RIB in Bluefish Cove sway and bounce as they geared up and entered. That wouldn't have been you andrewy?
 
Snotty pea soup at Breakwater today - at best 7' of vis on the jetty, and a chunky 5' in the kelp beds. Vis was a little better out beyond the kelp beds, at depths of around 30-35' (at low tide).
 
Took the zodiac to 'Shale island' yesterday. Thick cloud of plankton down to 45' but under that vis was 20-25 ft. Won't be long before this stuff sinks. First time diving this site but dropped the hook spot-on the reef and had a great dive.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom