US divers - maybe more local diving due to the CV?

[MaxBottomtime]

That article has already been debunked by the CDC. There is no evidence for any of the claims in the article. If you read it carefully, she states that she "believes" and other hopeful terms, but provides no facts to back up any of her claims. More fake news.

 

[TMHeimer]

My brother lives in SoCal and mentioned the pollution problem that presently is there. Nasty at places like Coronado. I haven't been there in many years. Beaches are closed. That has to do with the virus, but I don't think the pollution in the water is related.
Anyway, this is the first I've seen this article, and read that it is probably untrue. Beaches in Nova Scotia aren't threatened by tons of runoff and pollution, even Halifax Harbour has not ever been cited as bad for diving or swimming-- not to my knowledge anyway. So I'll keep on going as long as the LDS stays open. I rarely even dive the harbour anyway.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The same people that come to San Francisco in the summer with shorts and tank tops and are freezing!? That warm breeze on the GG Bridge sure helps...

The coldest winter you ever can experience is a summer in San Francisco.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Actually, I think I learned more respect for the ocean diving a few days in Monterey than the entire rest of my diving lifetime. In what appeared to be relatively benign conditions at Lovers Point, I learned that diving in surge can be similar to what I assume it must be like diving in a Maytag. Also, had the ocean basically spit me out half way up the little beach next to the Coast Guard pier. Much to my embarrassment but the delight of the other divers watching from above.

Lol!
Monterey can be a sneaky little stink pot sometimes when the outer swell is running. What looks like not too bad conditions at Breakwater can have a real powerful ground swell that will pull you out to sea hard. It’s very deceiving because of the lack of large breakers. I’ve seen divers enter the water during times they probably shouldn’t and find themselves at the mercy of the sea. It’s all they can do to abort the dive and try like hell to get spit out!
Up north I’ve had the sea hand me my hat many times. Once, I was at a remote sight in Sonoma County called south Fisk Mill. I had a hell of a time getting back in after a dive once due to a stiff current. I came up way out to sea and had to surface swim in. Finally when I did make some headway and get in I was physically exhausted and to make things worse the swell had picked up. I gathered up the last of my energy and made the final push to get into the protected lagoon that I left from. Right at the entrance to the lagoon, and the most treacherous spot of the whole site, I got hung up in some kelp. The big mistake I made was to try and come in on my back instead of face down. My tank valve got wrapped up in feather boa kelp and pinned me down on the sea floor in the breaker zone as the sea was whipping the living sh_t out of me while I’m laying inverted looking up. Mask got flooded, Lost the long hose reg out of my mouth because the kelp yanked it out from behind my neck, I’m sputtering and choking trying to figure out how I’m going to get out of this. Just then the biggest wave of that set came along and ripped me loose sending me ass over tea kettle into the lagoon. I ended up in water shallow enough to stand in. I ended up with bruises. Actually I think my ego took more bruises than my body that day. So from then on at that site I had a lot more respect and learned to read forecasts and tide and swell charts before attempting more dives there. The draw is really cool underwater channels offshore starting at 60’ loaded with fish, and nobody goes there.