shale island

[sanjose80]

Would be great to have a clinic! I would love to try that.
Would a rental kayak from MBK or the other outfit on cannery row be Ok enough to dive off of?

Kayak diving is a piece of cake and a joy.
I have a little anchor I made out of re-bar. It looks like a mexican rock anchor - 3 prong that kinda looks like a triple hook. On that I have about 6 feet of chain and then some line (about 100 feet) it's wound on a hand held spool and lives bungeed to the top of the bow. My rig is just a plate with an 18 lb wing, separate weight belt. When I get out to where I want to dive the first thing I do is straddle the kayak and scooch foreward an anchor. If the currents running the anchor will set and then I can see if there is any current by either tossing in another line and see if it goes out sideways. If there's significant current I pull up anchor and go somewhere else.

After the anchor is set and I ve decided to do it, I get my fins on, then I scooch back into the seat and lay down backwards and pull my weightbelt on. The alternate method would be to get in the water first then put your weight belt in the water by rolling it on. Next I pull my rig in the water off the back of the kayak and put it on and go diving. Super simple.

With kayaks it's all about keeping your center of gravity low. Getting back on would be like bellying back up onto a surf board. Once you pull yourself about half way up you stay low and pivot your body around, then turn over and flop yourself back in your seat.

Me and my kayak have been to a lot of places. If I had to give up either my boat or kayak I would honestly probably give up the boat. With kayaks there's no registration, gas, trailers, maintenance, tow vehicle and resulting decreased fuel economy while towing, etc.
Kayaks give you freedom and and I love the exercise.
They are a very green alternative.

I'd love to do a kayak seminar sometime down in Monterey. I'm not an instructor, but I could show people at least what I know and have learned in my kayak diving adventures.

I own an Ocean Kayak Scrambler XT that's about 10 years old and it's still in great shape.
West Marine has Ocean Kayak, and you can get a discount if you know someone with a port supply account.

 

[Peter_C]

I know ive been crazy a few times and swam to Mono Lobo... around the summer kelp. Quite a long swim .

Brandon you are crazy

Would be great to have a clinic! I would love to try that.
Would a rental kayak from MBK or the other outfit on cannery row be Ok enough to dive off of?

Here is another thread that talks about kayak diving and discusses renting kayaks.

So others say you can do it, but you will need to supply your own anchor and leashes.

There is not a lot of info on kayak diving out there, but it is not rocket science either. I find it is not a lot different then diving off a small boat. Having a routine for donning and doffing gear is a good thing.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Chuck, but that's a straight line from shore, right? Not along the wall and out?

Yes, cuz that's the way I've done the barge from the beach. Surface
swim out, find the line-ups, drop. Do understand that I only do
this for the California Beach Dive Photo Comp, and want to maximize
my time on the barge. (BTW, this year it's "Beach and Boat" so no
sand in the gear.)

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Looking at the aerial shot from the BAUE site I'd try to do it from the Del Monte Beach and not Breakwater (if I was going to do it at all). Quick measurements on screen show it as far from that beach as it is from the end of the Coast Guard pier.

It's unclear what you mean by "it". The barge is 4207 feet from
Del Monte Beach. It must be Shale Island. BTW, the distance
I gave for Shale Island was from Del Monte Beach at about the
west end of the NPS.

 

[mikemill]

Opps, yeah "it" meant shale island. I did notice the distance you gave was from the Del Monte beach but I didn't get the impression that pacificgal got that.

 

[pacificgal]

No, I know that shale island is off del monte beach (I think I knew that, I wasn't planning on doing it from BW).
Here's the thing, I love a long kick out. I love the sun on my face, feeling my leg muscles work, occasionally using my arms and feeling the flush of water through my wetsuit, it's one of my favorite parts of the dive.
I've never done the barge straight from the beach, I've gone along the wall to the 13, dropped, found the line and took the line out to the barge. When I saw the boats over the barge it looked like it was about the same distance from the wall as it was from shore, which is why I'm thinking a half mile isn't that bad.
I'm taking Essentials next month, hope on taking rescue shortly after that, maybe between the two I will realize that it's not about just getting me out there, it's about getting me and my buddy back, if I had to. I'm finding I'm a stronger diver and swimmer than I give myself credit for, I always considered myself the weaker diver, so I figure if I can do it without a problem anyone can.
Maybe I'm sadly mistaken, but I don't really consider BW and del monte the landlord's territory, please, please, don't give me instances where I am wrong

 

[mikeguerrero]

Kristina,

I use to do very long surface kicks at Break Water to the Metridium fields. That was usually the only time I would think about anything other than enjoying my dive...

Later learned it's just nonsense to keep feeding my apprehensions, so I have stopped...

Your long surface swims have other more pressing concerns: leg cramps, boat traffic, current and swell...

 

[Guy Alcala]

No, I know that shale island is off del monte beach (I think I knew that, I wasn't planning on doing it from BW).
Here's the thing, I love a long kick out. I love the sun on my face, feeling my leg muscles work, occasionally using my arms and feeling the flush of water through my wetsuit, it's one of my favorite parts of the dive.
I've never done the barge straight from the beach, I've gone along the wall to the 13, dropped, found the line and took the line out to the barge. When I saw the boats over the barge it looked like it was about the same distance from the wall as it was from shore, which is why I'm thinking a half mile isn't that bad.

From the '13' it's just under about 600' to the barge. I figure my total swim, beach to beach, is just under 3/4 mile.

I'm taking Essentials next month, hope on taking rescue shortly after that, maybe between the two I will realize that it's not about just getting me out there, it's about getting me and my buddy back, if I had to. I'm finding I'm a stronger diver and swimmer than I give myself credit for, I always considered myself the weaker diver, so I figure if I can do it without a problem anyone can.
Maybe I'm sadly mistaken, but I don't really consider BW and del monte the landlord's territory, please, please, don't give me instances where I am wrong

Fofo and I plan to swim out to the Mating Amtracks from Lover's #2 as soon as we get a Navimate to play with (although we may do it before that). We've already done 3 recon dives to scope out landmarks. It's a long swim, about 1,500 feet each way from where we submerge, and maybe 300'-450' to that point, with a deeper maximum and average depth than going to the barge. We figure about 25 minutes each way in transit @65'/min., plus 5 minutes max. there, and in order to do that with a reasonable reserve it will take overfilling my 112s to 3500PSI, giving us 148 cu.ft. Doubles would give us more gas but slow us down, so we wouldn't gain much. We plan to have a boat anchored on site, just in case.

As someone else mentioned, swimming long distances on the surface is something I try to avoid in the landlord's territory. I've swum out to the 40' contour from Del Monte beach after dropping at the sailboat, and it took a looong time because the slope is so shallow there.

I know Ben Troxell kayak dives Shale Island occasionally, as well as other sites out of BW or Del Monte. I've only tried kayak diving once, renting the shortest, broadest sit-on-top kayak I could find (IIRR, 10' x 32") from California Canoe and Kayak in Oakland a couple of years ago. Compared to my usual sea kayak it was a pig, but efficient travel isn't the forte of a dive kayak; stability is.

I took it down to BW and tied it off to the Anchor by the wall, then practiced getting in and out of my gear. Let's just say that it's not something that comes naturally, and my initial attempts were undoubtedly amusing to watch. I'd say that having removable weight would make a big difference, too, as far as getting your rig back in the well, and I'm not currently set up that way.

Even in calm conditions I found it impossible to lift my tank/BCD back into the well over the side from the water; I eventually found it necessary to sit with my feet over the side, lean back and haul the rig up my body before swiveling around and dumping it into the well; As I was totally off balance at that point and about to dump the 'yak over, I had to do a back roll off into the water to keep it upright then haul myself back on board. I'm sure with experience it would get a lot easier, but I do wonder just how difficult this process would be if conditions got a lot rougher during a dive.

Guy

 

[Peter_C]

I've only tried kayak diving once, renting the shortest, broadest sit-on-top kayak I could find (IIRR, 10' x 32") from California Canoe and Kayak in Oakland a couple of years ago. Compared to my usual sea kayak it was a pig, but efficient travel isn't the forte of a dive kayak; stability is.

Ideally the kayak should be around 13' and narrower at about 28" or so. Plenty stable and much faster.

I took it down to BW and tied it off to the Anchor by the wall, then practiced getting in and out of my gear. Let's just say that it's not something that comes naturally, and my initial attempts were undoubtedly amusing to watch. I'd say that having removable weight would make a big difference, too, as far as getting your rig back in the well, and I'm not currently set up that way.

Getting in and out of your gear is something we learned in open water. It comes back just like riding a bike. BP/W, long hose, bungee backup, can light, weight belt don't make it any easier, but still very doable. I have seen guys I dive with throw their primary reg in their mouths and roll onto their bellies to put their rigs on.

Even in calm conditions I found it impossible to lift my tank/BCD back into the well over the side from the water; I eventually found it necessary to sit with my feet over the side, lean back and haul the rig up my body before swiveling around and dumping it into the well; As I was totally off balance at that point and about to dump the 'yak over, I had to do a back roll off into the water to keep it upright then haul myself back on board. I'm sure with experience it would get a lot easier, but I do wonder just how difficult this process would be if conditions got a lot rougher during a dive.

Guy

I dive a pretty heavy rig with typically a single HP100, a Freedom Plate backplate weighing about 10 lbs, and a can light that I am very gentle with. My normal routine from kayak or boat is to undo my waist strap and crotch strap, then remove my weight belt and toss it in the boat, or into the center hatch of my kayak possibly throwing primary mask in too, and closing the hatch. Then I clip off a tag line to the left shoulder d-ring. Remove the BP/W and with my fins still on I grab one hand on my kayak (Either kayak as they load and unload about the same) and push the tank bottom onto the kayak. Then complete the push and just slide the entire unit into the tank well and strap it down. I have never flipped my kayak trying to put singles back onboard. Although the conditions were never horrible we have done it with pretty decent chop to the point that once back onboard I was taking water over the bow occasionally. Make darn sure the hatches are closed at all times unless you are grabbing something out of them.

I also leave my fins on until I am back onboard my boat or kayak, then take them off. Unfortunately I do not have a trolly anchor system so once my anchor is mostly up I have to jump in the water and pull myself to the bow to recover it. I do have a safety line running all the way around my kayak though.

 

[micboucher]

Wow, I've never tried kayak diving but that sounds like a LOT of work. Even more since I've been dreaming about warm water resort diving lately.