Dive Report, Monterey, Memorial weekend

[pacificgal]

I did 4 dives over the weekend. Saturday I dove with one of my teammates, Matt. We took a look at Monastery in the morning and decided to go elsewhere since conditions looked a bit sporty. We went to Lover’s 3, Matt found a nudibranch I had never seen before, I think it was a Dendronotus albus or a Flabellina trilineata, I also saw a Aegires albopunctatus. Pretty neat stuff. The second dive was at Lover’s 2, there is a lot of red, leafy, cabbage-like kelp covering everything there right now. The usual different colors were obscured by all this red leafy stuff.
On Sunday I went diving with a new buddy, Doug. He was good, looking to try out some new spots in Monterey and meet some new dive buddies. His buoyancy and buddy skills were quite good, I can recommend him as a dive buddy to people wanting to get out and get some dives in.
Doug and I started at Lover’s 1. On the way out we came across what I believe to be a banded guitarfish. It looked like a ray, but Doug sent me a link and I believe his critter ID was correct. It was about 2 feet across and maybe 3 feet long, had a tail like a shark. It didn’t seem to mind us trying to disturb it to get a better look, it had swam past me and buried itself in the sand a few feet away. Once buried it didn’t move, only the tail was then exposed. That was in about 21 ft. of water, what a neat thing to find!
The second dive was at MacAbee, and once again, everything there was covered in a carpet of red kelp, some of the iridescent purple stuff too. We saw a large cabezon, I swam right over it without seeing it, Doug tapped me to get me to turn around and there it was blended in with the rocks. Looked like it would make someone a great meal.
Doug and I had lunch at El Toritos, found that we have something in common, we work in the same field. That was cool. After lunch with Doug I was able to meet up with TSandM and her friends at RG Burger in Carmel. I had a wonderful chocolate shake and got to hear some of their Lobos stories.
And on Monday, I rested. I didn’t see myself carrying my gear over the sand on a shore dive for 3 days in a row. I swear that stuff was twice as heavy on Sunday as it was on Saturday. I’m looking forward to my next boat dive, should probably start planning that for next weekend, maybe.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

You gotta be speedy to do a legal second dive at Lovers 2 in the summer.
You gotta be out of the water and off the beach by 11:30 am. That also
applies to Lovers 1 but not Lovers 3.

 

[pacificgal]

Actually, I went in right in front of a policewoman, who was chatting with the same DFG guy I was chatting with earlier. I asked him if it was OK for us to dive, he said he didn't care. I didn't ask the policewoman though, I didn't want to interrupt her conversation with the DFG guy, then she got a call and went speeding off.
Then again, I start diving early and am usually done with both dives by 11:30. We ate at Lattitudes across the street after, it all seemed good, except there were a lot of people on the beach as we were exiting.
Chuck, what's up with all the red leafy stuff? Do you know?

 

[davidbaraff]

I was at Lover's 1 2 weekends ago, a Saturday, and we were till 1:00 PM at least. Probably even a bit later than that---a bunch of divers were. I suspect that law is on the books, but they just don't care any more.

 

[TSandM]

It was fun to meet you and shake your hand! I'm glad you made the drive down to Carmel to join us. You're a living testimonial to determination, and the addictive power of diving!

 

[dougchartier]

I did 4 dives over the weekend. Saturday I dove with one of my teammates, Matt. We took a look at Monastery in the morning and decided to go elsewhere since conditions looked a bit sporty. We went to Lover’s 3, Matt found a nudibranch I had never seen before, I think it was a Dendronotus albus or a Flabellina trilineata, I also saw a Aegires albopunctatus. Pretty neat stuff. The second dive was at Lover’s 2, there is a lot of red, leafy, cabbage-like kelp covering everything there right now. The usual different colors were obscured by all this red leafy stuff.
On Sunday I went diving with a new buddy, Doug. He was good, looking to try out some new spots in Monterey and meet some new dive buddies. His buoyancy and buddy skills were quite good, I can recommend him as a dive buddy to people wanting to get out and get some dives in.
Doug and I started at Lover’s 1. On the way out we came across what I believe to be a banded guitarfish. It looked like a ray, but Doug sent me a link and I believe his critter ID was correct. It was about 2 feet across and maybe 3 feet long, had a tail like a shark. It didn’t seem to mind us trying to disturb it to get a better look, it had swam past me and buried itself in the sand a few feet away. Once buried it didn’t move, only the tail was then exposed. That was in about 21 ft. of water, what a neat thing to find!
The second dive was at MacAbee, and once again, everything there was covered in a carpet of red kelp, some of the iridescent purple stuff too. We saw a large cabezon, I swam right over it without seeing it, Doug tapped me to get me to turn around and there it was blended in with the rocks. Looked like it would make someone a great meal.
Doug and I had lunch at El Toritos, found that we have something in common, we work in the same field. That was cool. After lunch with Doug I was able to meet up with TSandM and her friends at RG Burger in Carmel. I had a wonderful chocolate shake and got to hear some of their Lobos stories.
And on Monday, I rested. I didn’t see myself carrying my gear over the sand on a shore dive for 3 days in a row. I swear that stuff was twice as heavy on Sunday as it was on Saturday. I’m looking forward to my next boat dive, should probably start planning that for next weekend, maybe.

Thanks for the endorsement. ;-) It was great being a buddy with you, too.

Too bad you weren't able to get in the Monday dive, but there are plenty more weekends where that came from.

 

[dougchartier]

You gotta be speedy to do a legal second dive at Lovers 2 in the summer.
You gotta be out of the water and off the beach by 11:30 am. That also
applies to Lovers 1 but not Lovers 3.

Sorry if the answer is obvious, but what happens after 11:30 at Lovers 1 and 2?

 

[mikemill]

Sorry if the answer is obvious, but what happens after 11:30 at Lovers 1 and 2?

The locals wake up

 

[Guy Alcala]

The locals wake up

And the tourists arrive on the beach.

14.08.040 Diving along the waterfront.

(a) For the purposes of this section the following terms are defined as follows:

(1) Restricted Area. Beginning at a point where the easterly line of Ocean View Boulevard intersects with the northerly line of the Southern Pacific right-of-way at the portion of Ocean View Boulevard which extends northerly and in the same direction as Seventeenth Street; thence northerly along the easterly line of said section of Ocean View Boulevard in a straight line to the point where said section of Ocean View Boulevard terminates; thence due east from said point of termination to the point of mean high tide; thence southerly along a straight line across the water to a point where the northerly extension of the westerly line of Fountain Avenue intersects the mean-high-tide line, thence southerly along the line representing the northerly extension of the westerly line of Fountain Avenue to the intersection of the Southern Pacific right-of-way; thence easterly along the northerly line of the Southern Pacific right-of-way, to said point of beginning.

(2) Scuba-Diving-Related Activities. Without limitation, this term includes the following:

(A) Conduct of classes in scuba diving and in the use of equipment or paraphernalia in connection therewith; or

(B) Assembly, transportation or deposit of scuba diving equipment and/or supportive paraphernalia for the use of a scuba diver or for the use or conduct of classes described in subsection (a)(2)(A) of this section; or

(C) Activities involving scuba diving or use of equipment and/or supportive paraphernalia, which have been planned by or for a scuba diving school, organization or club.

(b) The following regulations shall apply to scuba diving and scuba-diving-related activities. Violation of any of the listed regulations shall constitute an infraction, and may be enforced pursuant to Chapter 1.16 PGMC.

(1) No person, firm, association or organization shall engage or participate in scuba diving or scuba-diving-related activities at or in the restricted area during the period May through September, inclusive; provided, that the following exceptions shall apply during said period:

(A) Scuba diving and scuba-diving-related activities shall be permitted on the beach commonly known as Lovers Point Beach No. 1, but only southerly of the permanent, pyramid-shaped concrete marker in place on said beach. All persons participating in such diving and activities shall also enter and exit said beach on the stairs located southerly of said marker, and all divers shall enter and exit the water southerly of said marker. For purposes of this exception only, such diving and activities are also permitted in any portion of the water included in the restricted area.

(B) The exception set out in subsection (b)(1)(A) of this section shall be inapplicable, and the diving and activities prohibition shall fully apply, between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and sunset on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays during the period May through September, and between said hours on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and California Admissions Day.

(2) During the period of unregulated diving in the restricted area, i.e., October through April, no person, firm, association or organization shall engage or participate in the conduct of classes, as described in subsection (a)(2)(A) of this section, except southerly of the marker, described in subsection (b)(1)(A) of this section.

(3) Groups, classes or organizations of any kind wishing to use the restricted area during the period of unregulated diving, i.e., October through April, for more than 50 divers at one time may do so only with the prior written permission of the recreation director, on terms and conditions as the director shall find appropriate to the date and time requested, including, without limitation, a maximum number of divers.


Guy

 

[pacificgal]

Thanks for finding that Guy. Do they issue citations?