I've been diving Monterey for 37 years, and agree a 7mm wetsuit, preferably a Farmer John type, is best. With this type of wetsuit, you get more than 7mm of protection on your trunk. Good , thick gloves, boots and a hood are a must also. Check out my 26 dive videos on YouTube to see what sites may interest you. My channel is timothytech1. My latest is Monastery beach, but it was dead calm that day and it can be very dangerous to dive. You must enter on either end of the beach, NEVER in the middle. (South by the bathrooms is best.) It's for experienced divers only. I can't stress this enough. Divers die here every year. You may go in when it's calm, only to find breakers when you return and the beach is steep. ALWAYS keep at least 500 pounds of air in your tank if you must crawl under the surf to get back, with you BC deflated.This way you have an air supply even in the breakers. Crawl well up onto the beach. The sand is like gravel, too. Consult a local dive guide and they will agree. The Monterey side is much safer, but still be careful of waves. Have fun and dive with someone who has dove Monterey before. It's a beautiful place to dive. Breakwater is a good place to start, or Lover's beach, which is well protected and fun for the family too. Pt. lobos is great, but is a bit of a swim to get to the best dive sites. There is nothing to see if you dive in the cove by the boat ramp. Ask other divers where to go, or go to Pt. Lobos website and get a dive map.