Typical conditions for Pt.Lobos in the fall?

[dsafanda]

Finally dove Pt.Lobos for the first time on 10/09/05. We had a great time and I could see the potential of the site but it seemed like conditions were very poor compared to most reports I've heard. I'm curious if this was typical vis for this time of year or if things were stirred up more than usual because of recent high swells?

depth about 50ft. / vis about 10-20ft at best

Either way, we'll be back to give it a go again. I don't have a lot of Monterey experience but I have managed to dive in spring, summer and fall seasons. I've yet to see conditions that have come close to those we've experienced in the spring/early summer. Is that typical?

 

[Monkey Knife-fight]

I'm not sure of seasonal trends but on 10/9 i believe the swells were in the 8-10 ft range so this probably didn't help the vis at all. There were surfers at Lovers and i ended up taking refuge at Metridium Fields.

 

[liberato]

October is usually a great month for the Monterey area with the low-vis and murkiness of the summer ending but still fair weather topside. It has been unseasonably rough this month, though.

 

[zf2nt]

Finally dove Pt.Lobos for the first time on 10/09/05. We had a great time and I could see the potential of the site but it seemed like conditions were very poor compared to most reports I've heard. I'm curious if this was typical vis for this time of year or if things were stirred up more than usual because of recent high swells?

depth about 50ft. / vis about 10-20ft at best
...

Funny thing...I was just out at Pt. Lobos today (10/12) doing a Discover Local Diving tour on behalf of Aquarius II for a fellow visiting here from Detroit. Once we got below about 70' the vis opened up to 40' - 50' and it was really quite nice. It got kind of surgy late in the day, but what a change from my last dive: 5' vis at Breakwater on Sunday afternoon. Ugh.

Bruce

 

[Ishie]

I dove last weekend, and it was pretty rough. I was doing my nitrox class on Saturday at BW and all the fish had booked it and taken the slugs with them. Did get buzzed by a cormorant and a VERY close pass by a big bull sea lion reminding us who was boss, but low vis, low life.

Sunday wasn't as rough as I expected and went off the Cypress Sea off Butterfly House, Pescadero Wall, and Eric's Pinnacle. The first and last sites were nice, but vis wasn't great; and were experiencing some surge down to 80'.

I've dived Lobos on pretty much a penultimate bad day (5-8' vis; HEAVY surge), and I've done it on a great day (60' of vis, no surge, great life), but it's always an enjoyable dive. I'm finding I REALLY like the surge channels from about 55-65' about 3/4 of the way between the boat launch and the Pit, and I have good luck with vis there. Cannery Point always seems a little dreary.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I'd rate 10/09 as just diveable. It was actually over my maximums by a foot but it had
been right on the limits the evening before so I went anyway. I've dived in rougher,
and felt safe, but it wasn't fun.

On 10/08 the forecast was "do yardwork", and I did. The next day most folks concurred that
was a good move.

 

[melfox26]

I'd rate 10/09 as just diveable. It was actually over my maximums by a foot but it had
been right on the limits the evening before so I went anyway. I've dived in rougher,
and felt safe, but it wasn't fun.

On 10/08 the forecast was "do yardwork", and I did. The next day most folks concurred that
was a good move.

More yardwork this weekend, Sir? The swell model certainly dictates so.


For those of you who are diving this weekend, be careful. I'll be in the pool with OW students. Hopefully things improve dramatically by next weekend.


Mel

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

More yardwork this weekend, Sir? The swell model certainly dictates so.

For those of you who are diving this weekend, be careful. I'll be in the pool with OW students. Hopefully things improve dramatically by next weekend.

Mel

Sure looks that way. I might be able to slip in one or two dives first thing Saturday, but
I do need a certain number of days doing yardwork (and Adm. Linda is likely to draft
me to help on her bathroom cabinet refinishing project). The good news is that I
still have to take 18 days of vacation this year. I see some weekday dives in my
future.

PIGEON POINT TO POINT PIEDRAS BLANCAS TO 20 NM-
PIGEON POINT TO POINT PIEDRAS BLANCAS 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-
248 PM PDT FRI OCT 14 2005

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING
THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON...
...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING...

.TONIGHT...W TO NW WINDS 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT.
NW SWELL 7 TO 9 FT AT 14 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG. CHANCE OF
RAIN...MAINLY NEAR MONTEREY BAY.
.SAT...NW WINDS 10 TO 20 KT...INCREASING TO 25 TO 35 KT WITH GUSTS
TO 45 KT BY LATE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT.
NW SWELL 8 TO 10 FT AT 14 SECONDS...INCREASING TO 11 TO 14 FT
DURING THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
.SAT NIGHT...NW WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. COMBINED SEAS 14 TO 17 FT WITH
A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 13 SECONDS.
.SUN...NW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS TO 40 KT...DECREASING
TO 10 TO 20 KT BY LATE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 4 TO 7 FT.
NW SWELL 13 TO 16 FT...SUBSIDING TO 10 TO 13 FT DURING THE
EVENING.

 

[Ishie]

Yeah, I'm doing Ren Faire this weekend, and was thinking of tossing a couple tanks in the trunk to grab perhaps a boat dive Sunday.

Then checked the offshore forecast. Hooo I don't think so! The 7' wind waves were more of a yikes factor than the 17' high end swell, if such a thing is possible. And 45 knot gusts? I'd end up using my little inflatable diveyak as a parachute.

Last weekend I wouldn't have been out if not doing a class. Saturday was all right since we stayed at BW and though the vis and life conditions weren't great, we were occupied doing other stuff (it was combined with an advanced class, so I boned up on my nav and S&R), so still good diving, but saw a lot of people having a lot of trouble getting in and out at BW, students getting rolled and so forth.

Sunday, on the Cypress Seas off Carmel, it looked like the surf was rocking, but out where we were wasn't too bad. Certainly better than working.

Have to say dental surgery looks like more fun than this weekend. Be careful!

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Yeah, I'm doing Ren Faire this weekend, and was thinking of tossing a couple tanks in the trunk to grab perhaps a boat dive Sunday.

Then checked the offshore forecast. Hooo I don't think so! The 7' wind waves were more of a yikes factor than the 17' high end swell, if such a thing is possible. And 45 knot gusts? I'd end up using my little inflatable diveyak as a parachute.

Last weekend I wouldn't have been out if not doing a class. Saturday was all right since we stayed at BW and though the vis and life conditions weren't great, we were occupied doing other stuff (it was combined with an advanced class, so I boned up on my nav and S&R), so still good diving, but saw a lot of people having a lot of trouble getting in and out at BW, students getting rolled and so forth.

Sunday, on the Cypress Seas off Carmel, it looked like the surf was rocking, but out where we were wasn't too bad. Certainly better than working.

Have to say dental surgery looks like more fun than this weekend. Be careful!

7' Windchop IS yikes. I had to come back from Carmel one time in 6' breaking chop
(NOT forecast). I got the whaler airborne at idle speed. My biggest worry was that
a wave would break into the boat.

I've seen local swell forecasts in the high twenties. Out in the Gulf of Alaska, 40'
swells are not uncommon in winter.