Best place to dive in Nor Cal

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Hello folks:

I will be coming to California sometime in Feb to dive the West coast. I was wondering what the best dives are in California, Should I focus on Nor Cal or South? I am interested in the best diving for the buck this regions has to offer, preferably a liveaboard, unless locals have other suggestions. Please let me know where I should go and any liveaboard / dive op recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Sinbad

 

[bperc]

The liveaboards are in southern California. Check out the Peace dive boat in Ventura and Truth Aquatics in Santa Barbara.

 

[fisheater]

I caution you that February is traditionally our most difficult month for diving. Frequent storms and high swells coming down from the Gulf of Alaska make diving here in February very iffy.

I agree that your best bet would be to try one of the SoCal liveaboards out of the Santa Barbara / Ventura area.

Also, diving here is very different from most places. The DM stays on board and the divers are expected to plan and execute their own dives. This includes being able to navigate back to the boat, even though vis is typically significantly less than tropical.

 

[Bob DBF]

I'll second the Peace out of Ventura, if I was traveling that far I wouldn't settle for less. Check the schedule for a trip out to San Miguel, weather may prevent it but you might get lucky. As Fisheater says, NorCal diving in winter is a matter of luck, and my experience if you are lucky you can get some great viz, great dives, but it can change quickly.

... you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?
Borrowed from Harry Calahan

Bob
---------------------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.

 

[Ben_ca]

Pt Lobos.

Reasons?
Easy access to deep water.
Plenty to see.
Easy entry/Exit
Not too far from good food.
Sheltered
Protected from fishing

Just browse the Norcal section or Youtube for Team Bunny's videos.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

I caution you that February is traditionally our most difficult month for diving. Frequent storms and high swells coming down from the Gulf of Alaska make diving here in February very iffy.

I agree that your best bet would be to try one of the SoCal liveaboards out of the Santa Barbara / Ventura area.

Also, diving here is very different from most places. The DM stays on board and the divers are expected to plan and execute their own dives. This includes being able to navigate back to the boat, even though vis is typically significantly less than tropical.

I am totally fine with executing my own dive plan as that is what we do here in Virginia NC area. Visibility wise when is the best time to dive California? Thanks for all the info.

---------- Post added December 4th, 2012 at 09:38 AM ----------

Pt Lobos.

Reasons?
Easy access to deep water.
Plenty to see.
Easy entry/Exit
Not too far from good food.
Sheltered
Protected from fishing

Just browse the Norcal section or Youtube for Team Bunny's videos.

Very nice video.

 

[Ben_ca]

Oh and Lobos is alot cheaper than boat diving...

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Oh and Lobos is alot cheaper than boat diving...

Those dives are brilliant. I was wondering how much of a diversity would we have from one dive site to the other? With boat dives you are diving a far distance apart from your first dive but shore diving tends to limit that. Also ...what is the best season for those dives?

 

[3D diver]

You can shore dive year round in CA, but the Monterey sites are a bit more sheltered than further south. (I spent many a winter dive exploring the La Jolla trench in San Diego for lack of a diveable alternative.) The visability is often at its best up here in the winter---I saw 90+ foot vis at Lobos on a December dive years ago.

I don't boat dive enough to comment on that.

 

[Ben_ca]

Some of our most spectacular diving happens in the winter.... In between storms the conditions can be great. The downside is the timing of the winter storms. Because of the orientation of the Monterey and Carmel bays there's almost always a sheltered spot like 3D said.