Trip Report - Monterey Bay
Dive shop: Aquarius
Great shop, good people - organized, thorough, and safe.
Free-use rinse station was nice to clean up the gear each day.
Super-minor pet peeve: making me fill out paperwork again after I already filled it out online.
Dive #1 (DM True B): Breakwater Cove
Billed (by True) as THE most dived site on the west coast, this site is along a pier built on large rocks. Shore entry was slightly more challenging than I'm used to (a recurring theme for this trip which has led me to realize that I've gotten quite spoiled with the relatively calm waters and gentle entry/exit inclines of my usual dive sites around Puget Sound). Medium length surface swim out, dropped to about 30ft. Vis was... not great - honestly it felt like a typical Sound dive on an average day. Tons and tons of little life and frequent forest kelp (not enough to make things challenging, just interesting). I've been super-pleased with the reader inserts I had put into my Hollis mask - being able to see the smallest details on a frosted nudi-branch is very cool. On the surface swim back there were a number of sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks of the pier, just 15-20 yards away. Man those things are big. Pleasant dive.
Dive #2 (DM True B): Metridium
Easier shore entry, shorter surface swim, dropped to about 30' again and followed an old Cannery Row pipe out to a bunch of - wait for it - metridium. Apparently more rare down here than in the Sound, I was... unimpressed, having seen an overwhelming number of them at various Sound sites. However I didn't know this was their scientific name, I only knew them as Plumose anemones. Overall, an unremarkable dive.
Dives #3 & #4 (DM Chris J): Monastery
Whoa. Monastery Beach entry/exit is... challenging - moreso the exit. With a steep incline and even relatively small waves causing significant opportunity to get rolled up and over, I was super-gassed after both of the dives here. After getting rolled on both exits, I'll be finding "Monastery Berries" (gravel) in my gear for months, I suspect. Once in the water, there was significant surge - not problematic, just new to me (thanks, Sound!). Upon reflection, I don't think I am experienced enough for this site yet. I was a slightly nervous when the sign said, "this is an Advanced Dive Site" because I certainly don't feel like I'm advanced, but it was just me and the DM, so I figured I'd be fine with his full attention on me. It was fine and he was great, but I think it'll be awhile before I do a self-identifying "Advanced" site again. Having said all that, they were beautiful dives. Tons of kelp and critters. Saw some nudibranch variants I hadn't seen before. A couple seals gave us a pretty good look-see for a little over a minute. They are so much better than we are at this underwater stuff. The surge was strong but not problematic. First dive we went to ~50', the second to ~85'. There is a seriously steep drop-off just past where we were that looks like it would be easy to lose track of if you aren't paying attention.
My goal this trip was to see kelp forests and mammals - mission accomplished.
Dive shop: Aquarius
Great shop, good people - organized, thorough, and safe.
Free-use rinse station was nice to clean up the gear each day.
Super-minor pet peeve: making me fill out paperwork again after I already filled it out online.
Dive #1 (DM True B): Breakwater Cove
Billed (by True) as THE most dived site on the west coast, this site is along a pier built on large rocks. Shore entry was slightly more challenging than I'm used to (a recurring theme for this trip which has led me to realize that I've gotten quite spoiled with the relatively calm waters and gentle entry/exit inclines of my usual dive sites around Puget Sound). Medium length surface swim out, dropped to about 30ft. Vis was... not great - honestly it felt like a typical Sound dive on an average day. Tons and tons of little life and frequent forest kelp (not enough to make things challenging, just interesting). I've been super-pleased with the reader inserts I had put into my Hollis mask - being able to see the smallest details on a frosted nudi-branch is very cool. On the surface swim back there were a number of sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks of the pier, just 15-20 yards away. Man those things are big. Pleasant dive.
Dive #2 (DM True B): Metridium
Easier shore entry, shorter surface swim, dropped to about 30' again and followed an old Cannery Row pipe out to a bunch of - wait for it - metridium. Apparently more rare down here than in the Sound, I was... unimpressed, having seen an overwhelming number of them at various Sound sites. However I didn't know this was their scientific name, I only knew them as Plumose anemones. Overall, an unremarkable dive.
Dives #3 & #4 (DM Chris J): Monastery
Whoa. Monastery Beach entry/exit is... challenging - moreso the exit. With a steep incline and even relatively small waves causing significant opportunity to get rolled up and over, I was super-gassed after both of the dives here. After getting rolled on both exits, I'll be finding "Monastery Berries" (gravel) in my gear for months, I suspect. Once in the water, there was significant surge - not problematic, just new to me (thanks, Sound!). Upon reflection, I don't think I am experienced enough for this site yet. I was a slightly nervous when the sign said, "this is an Advanced Dive Site" because I certainly don't feel like I'm advanced, but it was just me and the DM, so I figured I'd be fine with his full attention on me. It was fine and he was great, but I think it'll be awhile before I do a self-identifying "Advanced" site again. Having said all that, they were beautiful dives. Tons of kelp and critters. Saw some nudibranch variants I hadn't seen before. A couple seals gave us a pretty good look-see for a little over a minute. They are so much better than we are at this underwater stuff. The surge was strong but not problematic. First dive we went to ~50', the second to ~85'. There is a seriously steep drop-off just past where we were that looks like it would be easy to lose track of if you aren't paying attention.
My goal this trip was to see kelp forests and mammals - mission accomplished.
