Dive at Monterey

[Nuts4koi]

I grew up in San Jose and spent a lot of time in Santa Cruz surfing, but I have never been able to dive Monterey. My wife and I are going to visit her sister in Gilroy in February and I would like to dive February 17, 18, and 19 if possible. As my wife does not dive, can anyone give me some suggestions of where to dive and who to contact?

Thanks in advance.

Jay

 

[dannobee]

Most of us dive weekends, but there area a few who dive during the week. Are you ok with cold water diving? 7mm wetsuit with hooded vest or a drysuit?

 

[Nuts4koi]

Oh yeah. I dive in Colorado and got certified here. We have to dive 7mm in the summer. If you do any diving in the winter or in the high altitude lakes, it's a dry suit. I just have never dove around kelp.

 

[fisheater]

Check out the info here: New Monterey Diver Information

Then, be sure to post again as your dive dates get closer, to see if you can scare up a buddy.

 

[Nuts4koi]

Are there any dive ops that offer dives I should check out?

fisheater, I appreciate the link. I will definitely check it out.

 

[dshorwich]

Check out the info here: New Monterey Diver Information

Then, be sure to post again as your dive dates get closer, to see if you can scare up a buddy.

We ought to just make Chuck's page a sticky and stick it up on top of this forum and be done with it - that link seems to get posted about every 6-8 weeks.

 

[zf2nt]

Are there any dive ops that offer dives I should check out?

The problem is that most of the people who go to a dive shop and ask for a divemaster to take them really do not know how to dive. I know, because I just got out of the dive business in Monterey after doing it for 7 years. A big part of our business was sending people out on tours with a divemaster, and over those 7 years I accumulated a lifetime's worth of horror stories. The typical person who comes in and asks for a divemaster to take him out got certified in Hawaii or Cozumel 5 years ago and has not dived since. He can't even put the gear together correctly, much less put his own fins on in the water. If you're lucky, he does manage to get down without going into a full panic, but then after bouncing up and down like a yo-yo for 20 minutes he is out of air. And no way is he willing to go back in for a second dive.

As a consequence of this, most divemasters are unwilling to take you anywhere but Breakwater or some other really benign--and dull--spot. If you do go for a professional guide, get their commitment in blood that they will take you to Lobos or Monastery (conditions permitting) or some place like that.

 

[g1138]

Seven Seas has some UCSC scientific divers employed as DM's under them. You won't have an issue of bad DM's if you get one of them. We're practically trained as TA's for the UC once we reach the Rescue class, so guided dives are pretty much second nature by the time we get our DM rating. And most of us actually like to dive slow and point out critters, if that's your thing.

PM me when the day's closer and I can drop you a few names to ask for. Other than that I have Mondays free and often try to get down to Monterey to dive. Give me a holler in January and we can plan a fun dive.

 

[deadbilly]

Just to decode: when he cryptically says "TA's for the UC," he means teaching assistants for the university's recreational dive program. Which is an excellent and rigorous program that makes capable thinking divers. The implication being that teaching assistants are divemasters in all but insurance and that once they've gotten their actual DM rating, they're more than able.

 

[Nuts4koi]

Well January is almost half over and it's time for me to get back on here to see if there is anyone who can dive during the week of February 17. I have no problem going to an "easy" location as I have zero experience in the Pacific much less Monterey. Dove as a kid for abalone, but that was long enough ago I really don't want to think about it.