Coming to Monterey in July, Anyone interested in a visiting diver?

[guyharrisonphoto]

My wife and I are coming to Monterey in mid-July. I have always wanted to dive the California kelp beds (we are thus far Florida/tropical divers) and are really looking forward to it. We have advanced level experience but no cold water/kelp environment or similar types of dives (reefs and wrecks), and will have a 7 mil semi-dry with hood, gloves and boots, and I could even bring a drysuit if I want. We have done shore diving.

We would love to get tips for the very best diving in the area, boat or shore, and how to go about it. Very interested in seeing sea lions and otters, other mammals, and even macro stuff if it is good.

Even better, if we could meet up with some fellow scubaboarders to show us around and who we could treat to beer and dinner afterwards and of course make new diving friends!

Thanks,

Guy

 

[fisheater]

My best advice is to (a) read through the information on Chuck Tribolet's website (links below) and (b) hire a DM for at least your first few dive(s).

MANY a tropical-only diver, even at the instructor level, have had serious issues with our cold, dark waters and the rather confining exposure protection we wear and the resultant huge buoyancy shifts. Take your dives here VERY seriously.

New Monterey Diver Information
Bibliography of Northern California Diving
Monterey Sea Conditions at a Glance

And these sites, too:

San Francisco and Monterey Diving Info
Monterey SCUBA Diving Charter Boats

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Thanks fisheater, having read a little more on this forum I also came to believe that hiring a guide would be well worth it. However if an experienced group would be willing to have us along, we would always like to meet new diving friends, who we could show along in FLA if you visit!

For guides, I would be very appreciative of recommendations, or to even hear from some guides in the area via pm to me here.

Thanks for the links. We will read them well.

 

[fisheater]

If you're shore diving, any of the Monterey dive shops can hook you up with a guide.

If you're boat diving, just ask them when you book your dive(s).

You'll likely only need a guide to get yourself properly weighted and "dialed in" for your first day. I'm sure that you'll find some SBers dive with as your trip gets closer.


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[g1138]

Yup, definitely give another post when the days draws nearer and you'll be sure to find one of us who would be happy and able to link up with you for a dive.

 

[dannobee]

Well, if you have drysuits, you'd probably have more fun that with wetsuits, assuming you've used them enough to be comfortable in them.

Chances are, you won't see the "very best" of Monterey/Carmel diving without hooking up with someone who has their own boat. The shore diving on the Monterey side isn't great, but it is convenient. Shore diving on the Carmel side is a lot better, and it gets better as you go further south, but the entries/exits get progressively harder as you travel further south, until you're practically climbing up and down cliffs when you go south of Point Lobos.

I could be coerced into taking my boat down south, let me know your exact dates. I usually go out on Saturdays, and if it's flat, I'll head as far south as Diablo Pinnacles or Lobos Rocks. Here is a glimpse of some of our diving. https://picasaweb.google.com/103013424689692386565

 

[NCadiver]

I would say first do a shore dive off of Breakwater to get use to our cool waters and equipment also you may run into Sea Lions on that dive as well. After that then do a boat dive. Make sure you have flashlight as well it helps with the colors.
Kevin at www.bambooreef.com does a great job and Jim at www.mbdcscuba.com does a great job as well.

 

[Nami]

I am planning to drive down to Monterey from San Francisco the weekend of June 22/23 to dive -sea condition permitting - and all these links and advice are very helpful. Just a few more questions:

1. Average water temp. in June? I just want to understand how cold the water will be that will be trickling down my spine under the rented wetsuit. Ok, and I also can plan better if I will do just one dive or be able two per day since I have not been diving wet in cold water for a couple of years now.


2. Shore or boat diving? One of the links provided recommends going shore diving for the first few dives to get used to the environment, but.... I am only 5'1 - each wave from shore looks like a tsunami to me. Will I miss out anything if I just go diving on a boat from the beginning? I am used to cold water diving, but not with kelp.

Thanks!

 

[dannobee]

Water temps will be around 50F deg/10C deg.

Boat or shore diving is your choice. Diving in kelp isn't that big of a deal. Just don't spin around and tangle yourself up in it. ;-)

 

[Kimgglenn]

I have been familiarizing myself with Monterey diving in the past several months, 30 dives with 10 of them from shore and the rest from the Beach Hopper II. The boat dives are worth it for the extra support, the possibility of going to the Carmel sites if weather permits, and the hot shower on board (I'm using a wet suit). Twice diving Eric's Pinnacle in the Monterey Bay we were joined by playful and curious sea lions. The shore dives were great but I did hire a dive master for two days at Point Lobos, one day at Monastery Beach, and one day at breakwater. I'll send you his name and contact information by PM.

-Kim