Choosing a dive site based on conditions

[dagrath]

I would love to get some advice on how you experts choose where you are going to dive.

I have been trying to glean what I can from the resources at: Monterey Sea Conditions at a Glance

It seems to be great at identifying whether a day is worth diving or not, but I have yet to figure out how to wrangle the data until it tells me what site to choose... or at least a rough guideline.

Conditions look like they are getting pretty rough for the weekend, and I was hoping to do some diving on Tuesday. We have been to Point Lobos a few times recently, and were thinking about going somewhere different if we can find somewhere decent.

I am interested in any advice on where to dive Tuesday, but I am more interested in how you come to those conclusions so I can start making better choices in general.

 

[dhammer]

Be patient with yourself. It will get easier as you gain more experience at all the sites in the area. You'll start to recognize patterns in how the various conditions affect them. The general rule of thumb is this: the more sheltered a site is from the prevailing swell (usually NW), the better it will treat you. Of course there are many inter-related variables to be considered. A lot of it has to do with what's happened in the last week or so, as it can take a while for the water to recover. And, there's also just dumb luck. I don't think anyone can reliably predict what the vis will be on a given day. (Chuck might differ with that opinion)
Anyway, just pay attention, and you'll learn to play the odds.