Post your rules of thumb for predicting visibility!

[famouslongago]

As a new Monterey diver, I'm quickly learning that conditions can change by the hour, and that a glorious 40'+ dive one day can become pea soup the next. I also understand that visibility depends on a number of factors, including time of year, swell, recent wind shifts, Poseidon's state of mind, etc.

That said, do you have rules of thumb you use to decide whether visibility is likely to be good in Monterey or Carmel? Please share them here!

 

[fisheater]

Prayer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

It will be what it is. If it's bad, look for little stuff. If it's really bad, do the second dive at the Aquarium or into a pitcher of craft brew.

Chuck

 

[zf2nt]

Get close to the MBARI report at MBARI - M1 Contour CTD string Metsys plot - last 30 days. On the top of the page, they post the dominant winds of the day, indicating both direction and intensity. Those winds are very directly correlated with upwelling currents. (Look up Eckman Transport Mechanism on the web for an explanation.) Below the wind plot, this page indicates, on a daily basis, the temperatures found down to a depth of 300 meters. These readings are taken at Oasis, up by Moss Landing, but I've found it still correlates strongly with what we see down here. Whenever you see several days of stiff NW or NNW winds, plus cold water coming up from the deep as indicated by the color-coded plot beneath the wind vectors, it's a good bet that you're going to see some clear water. This assumes, of course, that you don't have big seas (or student divers) stirring up the sediment on the bottom.

 

[cbm32]

My rule of thumb.....if I can see my thumb the viz is GOOD!

Oh wait, that wasnt the question was it? Never mind......

 

[Peter_C]

If someone raves about 40 ft of vis, when I arrive the next day it will only be 10 ft.

We have seen tropical vis in Monterey, and dead flat conditions with less than 2 ft of green pea soup. Not all days are worth diving, but most any day is worth a hike at Lobos, or an afternoon at the Aquarium.

 

[MrSpock]

Throw a coin.

 

[Hawkwood]

It will always be less than you want or expect. Never did see the "gin clear" waters of Little Cayman, or the amazing visibility in Fiji,...etc., etc, etc.

 

[volauvent]

Chuck Tribolet's Monterey Conditions page:

Monterey Sea Conditions at a Glance

happy diving,
Teresa

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Chuck Tribolet's Monterey Conditions page:

Monterey Sea Conditions at a Glance

My page doesn't do much to help visibility prediction. Yes, if the swells are 15', the bottom will be stirred up,
but you wouldn't want to dive anyway.

I just go, if the sea condition forecasts are auspicious.