Tell me about Stillwater Cove (sonoma)

[reefvagabond]

I was in the Sonoma area over the weekend of the 4th and dropped by Stillwater Cove. I have heard a lot of people like to ab dive there but saw a warning that the beach was one of the most dangerous beaches in CA. The sign looked a lot like the one at Monastery but I've never heard of Stillwater being dangerous to get in and out of. Exactly how dangerous is the beach? What conditions are recommended as diveable there? Is there good scuba diving there?

Lastly, I heard this is Great White Shark territory. How dangerous is the cove in terms of white shark attacks?

 

[fisheater]

Stillwater, along with Ft Ross and Gerstle Cove, are the most popular scuba dive sites on the Sonoma Coast.

If you want to dive in the area, please checkout and join our local dive club, North Coast Divers. Www.thenorthcoastdivers.org. It's free.

Stillwater, despite its name, can get hairy when the swell is up and and from the right (aka "wrong") direction. The beach is steep and not a great place for families to frolic in the surf. It demands respect, but it's no Monastery Beach.

When conditions are right, it's a great dive site, especially with benches, pit toilets and relatively easy entry, not to mention free (if limited) parking.

In fact, I was there on the 3d. (Had to thumb the diving due to a malfunctioning reg.)

Oh, about those Great White Sharks. We don't bother much worrying about "The Landlord." We know they're out there. We can't see them, of course, but they do bother surfers and there have been reported sightings from boats They just don't bother divers, especially scuba divers. We're too noisy to be mistaken for seals.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[reefvagabond]

thanks for the info! where's the free parking?

 

[fisheater]

You dump your gear in the 10 min. lot under the redwood trees at the Cove and park in the dirt lot (well, actually a wide shoulder) at the top of the hill just south on Highway 101.

If there's no more room up there, you can buy parking at the campsite lot just inland and stroll down to the Cove on a nice trail.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[reefvagabond]

I think I saw the area you were talking about for parking. The spot overlooks the cove right? Weren't there signs there that said No Parking at anytime? I do remember seeing cars there regardless. Is the No Parking sign not enforced or something?

 

[fisheater]

That's the spot.

The parking laws ARE enforced. You must be completely off of the pavement. (And please park so that as many vehicles can fit as possible.)

Those "No Parking At Any Time" signs you saw have arrows pointing away from that area. Parking there is fine. Parking elsewhere along the road is a no-no and you would be cited.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mattaphore]

Man, I'm really itching to try out some north bay scuba diving, and abalone diving when the season starts back up... I grew up in Novato and started diving at school in Berkeley but so far all my dives have been in Monterey/Carmel.

Sonoma coast will be next Thanks for the northcoastdivers link.

 

[blewgrass]

Stillwater is great, as is much of the North Coast. Great diving in Mendocino too. Plenty of coast that is flush with abalone... like hubcaps in a row. Since the otter is wiped out up North, man is the primary enemy of the abalone, with an occasional sunflower star or octopus...

White sharks are growing in numbers IMO, combined with more devices and people in the ocean to see/record the events.

Steve

 

[spoolin01]

Right next door (half mile north) to Stillwater is Ocean Cove, a great private campground (no reservations!) with showers and (mostly) well-kept Port-A-Potties. The cove there is a little bigger and more protected than Stillwater and the entry is almost always easy. If you've got gear, you can drive it down to the water's edge. Fewer white sharks, too.

 

[diveguy1]

Stillwater Cove is one of my favorite sites, and I'm not sure if I can add more to the above comments and recommendations. As usual for the North coast, be prepared to drive up there then bag the dive if local conditions are not ideal.

September through mid-November can deliver some of the best dive conditions in this area of the year. The wind dies down and there are days with some great visibility. Watch the kelp, as this time of year it's also very thick in areas.

Here are 2 great articles from California Diver Magazine on diving the Sonoma coast, including Stillwater Cove:
http://californiadiver.com/abalone-diving-on-the-north-coast/
http://californiadiver.com/where-are-those-abs/