Monterey conditions. (let's keep it going )

[3D diver]

Fun dive at Point Lobos' Middle Reef today.

Bottom Time: 41 minutes
Max Depth: 51 Feet
Visibility: 5 feet in the shallows, 20 feet as we got into deeper water.
Water Conditions: Rising tide, glassy surface with big swell rolling through.
Water Temperature: 52.2 to 57.9F (Buddys dispute my computer's logged air temps)

Kicked well out along the boat channel and dropped into 36 foot of water. The surface was clearly visible from 36 feet, but the lateral visibility was 20 feet at best. The surface was glassy, with a big swell rolling in, but there wasn't much surge during the dive. We followed the western side of Middle Reef for 17 minutes then turned back. There weren't a lot of fish, but we did encounter a big school of Blue Rockfish and many schools of Senoritas. We tried to follow the boat channel back into the cove, but drifted a bit toward the end and surfaced about 20 feet east of it.

 

[Rob Wilks]

Sorry to bring this up, but I was at the Breakwater this afternoon (9/9) and witnessed a nasty brown plankton bloom moving into the area. I was topside only, and along the wall looked like it may be 1-3 ft. Vis at best. If you are planning a monterey dive this weekend, consider Carmel.
Perhaps it will clear out over night, though be ready to find alternative dive spots. Be safe and happy diving

 

[3D diver]

Couple-a dives at the breakwater today. Surface was pretty calm but the viz was, at best, 15-20 and much, much, worse at times.

First dive:

Bottom Time: 75 minutes
Max Depth: 34 feet
Visibility: 5-10 feet in the shallows, 15-20 feet out further
Water Temperature: 52.9 to 60.1F
Surface conditions: Overcast, Flat glassy water

We kicked out to the 10, where I discovered only 3 of my 4 lights worked (d'oh), and dropped into 15+ feet of vis. We worked our way out toward the end of the wall, staying less than 25 feet deep most of the way. When we started getting buzzed by Sea Lions we popped up for a look-see. My ears weren't too happy dropping back down, but they cleared eventually and after moving a little further out the wall and hung out for a while as the Sea Lions checked us out in force. I reached half air 53 minutes (!) into the dive and we turned around. I had visions of an epic bottom time...but the natural consequences of long immersion in cold water dictated a quicker return.

Besides the Sea Lions, my buddy spotted a big Lingcod and an eel in the rocks. I mostly saw Surf Perch, Blue Rockfish and Senoritas. On the way back to shore I encountered a big harbor seal resting on the bottom that gave me a dirty look as I approached.

After the dive I discovered I'd never put a battery in the dormant light---best possible outcome, if you think about it, eh?

Second dive:

Bottom time: 73 minutes
Max Depth: 49 feet
Visibility: Brown soupy 3-5 feet on the surface kick, 15-20 feet of pea soup after we descended
Water Temperature: 54.3 to 60.8F...though it seemed colder
Surface conditions: sunny as we geared up, but the overcast returned as we kicked out. Small waves.

My first buddy left & I waited a bit for my second buddy to surface from their first dive. After an air fill and lunch, my ancient (1998) sudafed got my ears happy & we returned for a late afternoon dive. Some small waves had kicked up, but didn't prove to be an issue. Once we got in we discovered the water was an ugly brown soup. Hoping for the best, we kicked out to the 8 and dropped. It finally cleared to 15 feet vis when we got close to the bottom (42 feet) and stayed 15 to 20 feet for the remainder of the dive.

We tooled around in the sand for a while, each finding our own octopus to photograph/video, then went to the wall to see what we could see. Not much, was the answer, but there were a lot of small fish milling about preparing to hide from the evenings hunt, some Sea Hare clusters, more Surf Perch, etc. I finally signaled to surface when we got into about 10 feet of water and we popped up near the 4.

 

[KevinG58]

Is Monterey as nice as the models and web cams are making it look today, I'm signed on the Beach Hopper tomorrow, any reports?

 

[mobeeno]

 

[mobeeno]

Here is another report available online
Monterey Dive Reports :: View Report

 

[KevinG58]

So yesterday on the beach hopper;
Octopus reef (off Lovers, I understand that others may know it by a different name) 58 ft/ 55 minutes / 58 degrees.
15 feet viz with a green tint. Not much surge. Lots of nudis

Eric's Pinnacle 50 ft/ 50 minutes.
Below 35 feet 20 feet viz with green tint on the shady side of the pinnacle. On the sunny side, 10 feet viz a particulate haze and green. Not too much surge. Above 35 feet surgey and a layer of 10 feet viz to the surface. A couple of largish ling cod and the usual blue rockfish.

Traffic from Monterey to the East bay, hideous.

 

[elgoog]

Night dive under a full moon at the Breakwater Wall with @Ouvea yesterday. Craptastic viz, 10ft at the most once we got to 40ft. We found a red octopus in the rocks. Chewie dropped in on us too and hung out for a while - basically made the dive. 48min, 44ft, 57F water temp.

 

[raftingtigger]

Weekend of diving.

Sat was kayaking off of Lovers #2. Calm seas and very little swell. Nice patches of kelp all around. Got out there, dumped my tanks in the water and went to gear up. My HP hose was bubbling like a sieve. Reloaded and back to the beach, retrieved my other regulator and swapped HP hoses/SPG. After paddling out again (this time it was about noon) had a nice dive under the kelp. Viz was a large particulate 25+. Best find was a chain of salps on the ascent.



On Sunday my buddy and I took his Boston Whaler out in the bay. Swell was long period but building. I can't estimate the height well. Top vis was large particulate 10 feet with a layer of brown yuck between about 10 to 25 feet. After that it opened up to 30 or so. Very healthy fish population. Strawberry anemones encrusting lots of areas.

Second dive was in lower swell near Coral St. We parked in 50 feet on the outside of some good kelp beds. Vis was brown muck to about 15 feet then opened up nicely. We spent most of the dive under the kelp. Very dark in there. Nowhere as many fish here but still lots to see.

Water temp 53 and surface temp back at the boat launch about 80.

 

[uspap]

Did two dives yesterday with Mubin at Del Monte Pier. First dive was about 10ft +/- vis. A bit of a current running through the pier. Tons of Nudibranchs. Finally saw an Octopus this year. Second dive was 5-10ft. By the end of the dive it was less than 5. Could be because of tide change that vis dropped off. Water temp 57. Nice dives.