Experience with Mendocino / Van Damme State park area

[pacificgal]

You should! North coast is hardcore!

 

[Peter_C]

North coast diving is for crazy people.

I'll take that as a complement.

I have had worse experiences in Monterey, which I dive much less than the North Coast!

North Coast diving is for people who know when to walk away and enjoy a day at the beach, or go for a hike.

North Coast diving also requires good navigation skills using a compass. Checking the compass every 20 seconds or less to make sure you are on track can be the norm.

 

[Anti-Hero]

I've never been diving up north. I did do some Ab diving once, but it's not the same I'd imagine.

 

[Peter_C]

If you can dive in Monterey in bad vis you can dive the North Coast. Plus our can lights definitely help keep buddies in contact and make signaling easier. The key really is to know when to walk away and dive another day. Falling at the Breakwater in sand is one thing. Falling on boulders the size of basket balls is another.

 

[tzeller]

I'm figuring now he was playing with us. It kind of sucks, I know.
But if nothing else, responding to these kind of posts at least can be to the benefit of other divers reading this stuff.
So in that respect I guess it's not a total waste of time.

Hello ZKY,

I just registered here and was searching for info about Russian Gulch dive sites. I appreciate how you handled the bizarre post about not needing a dive buddy and the other comments. It was a classy way to handle it and right on in terms of other divers benefiting...
Anyway, my question: do you think the Russian Gulch area in Mendocino county (russian gulch is the name of the camp site and I read there is diving near by) is beyond the skill level of someone with only 19 logged dives? My experience is all in Monterey with the exception of 3 dives in Maui. My dive buddy is at the same skill level and we were thinking of checking out Mendocino.
Your thoughts are appreciated. thanks!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Hello ZKY,

I just registered here and was searching for info about Russian Gulch dive sites. I appreciate how you handled the bizarre post about not needing a dive buddy and the other comments. It was a classy way to handle it and right on in terms of other divers benefiting...
Anyway, my question: do you think the Russian Gulch area in Mendocino county (russian gulch is the name of the camp site and I read there is diving near by) is beyond the skill level of someone with only 19 logged dives? My experience is all in Monterey with the exception of 3 dives in Maui. My dive buddy is at the same skill level and we were thinking of checking out Mendocino.
Your thoughts are appreciated. thanks!

I think diving at Russian Gulch would be fine for you guys. There is a beach right there under the bridge and the parking lot is right there also.
It's a bit of a surface swim, but head out as far as you can go and stay to the right side. It's get's rocky out there before the point and the bottom typography is a cascading slope down to about 60 feet. You can choose your depth as you head out and back on the slope. It's a protected dive when the swell is coming from the north west. If it's a south swell it's not so good.
Many of the North Coast's giant pacific octopusses I've seen have been there.
I used to kayak dive it and get way out towards the point and into the more dramatic structure, but you can shore dive it also and have a great dive.

Good luck!

Join us sometime for a North Coast Divers club dive.

 

[Peter_C]

I am not as classy as Eric but would say Russian Gulch is one of the calmest site in Mendo. I have been there on a really ugly day when the wind was blowing 50+ with 16' swells and Russian Gulch almost looked diveable. Once you are out of the beach cove to the right headed out, you can drop and will be in around 25' of water. There is plenty of good structure within the entire cove. If we camp there we just normally drive down to the beach due to distance. Entry and exit are super easy.

Van Damn is a good site too. Just pick calm days to go out on.

 

[fisheater]

And be sure to check us out at The North Coast Divers.