Boat/shore dive recommendations

[oceancat]

Hi. I am from MA and will be out in CA for a meeting. I want to do some diving on Sunday Oct 21. I was able to get on a charter for the a.m., but couldn't find a charter available in the p.m. Does anyone have any recommendations for charters that aren't on the web? Or know of any space on a boat that day for diving?

If I can't do another boat dive, I would like to do some shore diving (2 tanks in the afternoon). Any recommendations for that? I will be by myself, so I was thinking of doing one of the 'guided tours' run through a shop. I do shore diving about once a week in MA, so I am used to lower viz and cold temps. Never dove in kelp before. I plan to bring out the drysuit and the rest of the gear, but will need to rent tanks/weights.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[alphonsis]

If the conditions permit, I'd suggest doing Monastery. It's a hard approach and ext if the surf is high, but it's beautiful.

A short primer on kelp diving:
Diving in Kelp - Scuba Diving Magazine

 

[dannobee]

I think we showed another lobstah diver, Eileen (eab on scubaboard), a good time when she was here a couple of years ago.

Any chance you can go on the 20th instead? I have reservations for Point Lobos then, and I'll be diving from a bigger boat. Also, I think that the Beachhopper will be at Point Lobos that day, too.

If it must be the 21st, send me a PM and we'll go diving. I'll round up the usual suspects and roll out the welcome mat for some Monterey or Carmel diving.

What would you like to see?

Oh, and I have tanks and weights if you need them.

 

[ToddK]

Finding a dive boat charter in the afternoon is hard! Even when I find them, I sometimes get cancelled on. In terms of shore diving guide service, I highly recommend the Bamboo Reef dive shop in Monterey. Normally if I want an afternoon dive after a morning of diving from a boat, I'll go to the Breakwater. It's not terribly exciting (40' depth), but there is good fish & invertibrate life. I used to see more of the sealions in years past, but not so much on my last 2 trips.

 

[Ben_ca]

there's some smaller boats like Phil S's RHIB, the Double down ect. They're six packs so if you only have any fewer than 6 expect to pay a little more... but then again you get to call the shots on location and time

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I used to see more of the sealions in years past, but not so much on my last 2 trips.

The sea lions have a seasonal cycle, AND a large standard deviation within the season.