Cold water diving is a PITA

[coldwaterlloyd]

Obviously I dive cold water . Got certified in warm water and had to learn all over again up here . Once you get a few dives in it becomes almost as easy as warm water .
The OP made me think of my first few cold water dives and I had to laugh .
Am I glad I stuck to it ? You bet . Dont let them try to tell you it is not worth it , just check out some photos or videos of Browning Pass and get back to me !
It just takes a little more effort and patience , makes you a better all round diver in the long haul.

 

[g1138]

The best thing you can do is get used to the gear issues you faced and the conditions you faced. If you know how to deal with both, then it's not a huge issue.

Besides buying your own equipment, just visit the same shop and rent the same type of equipment. That way you don't have to relearn a new system. It keeps something consistent so you won't have to focus on gear issues.
Second, learn how to enter in surf conditions. If you can make a quick and hasty entry and exit, you'll be less likely to get knocked over in the surf.
Even I get knocked down in the surf if I dilly dally. When I don't have students to watch though, I'm in and out in less than a minute.

Of course more repetition and small defeats will give you more lessons to learn and quicker improvements.
Taking long hiatuses between "lessons" often doesn't make it any easier to improve. So if you're going to try again two more times, make it a weekend thing so you can learn from your defeats and try to improve on them.

If you don't mind, try posting a day when you'll be back down. I and friends would be happy to dive with you two and give you our tips and pointers. I'm sure others would be happy to meet and greet too.

 

[Peter Guy]

You have got to want it to dive in cold water, surf, etc. It really depends on what YOU want out of your diving.

I'm lucky, my cold water dive site is 35 minutes from my house and doesn't have current or surf -- but is 46 degrees right now. BUT, there is so much to see:

 

[Ouvea]

Diving in Monterey/Carmel isn't for everyone. Yes, you do need to manage the cold water exposure and conditions are not always pristine or even favorable. However, you can save yourself many headaches by looking at various weather forecast websites.

Monterey Sea Conditions at a Glance
Marine Point Forecast for Latitude 36.61°N and Longitude 121.88°W

These two should get you started and I'm certain other local members will chip in with advice on conditions. Personally, if I'm not going to enjoy the diving, then I won't drive down to Monterey. If the favorable forecast turns out wrong and it's only marginal then I won't go in. Remember from your OW course, have an alternate dive site and don't be afraid of calling it quits from the get go.

 

[KRL1973]

hi billt4sf,
Sorry, I couldn't help giggling reading your post. I think we've all been there. I popped in breakwater today on my way to another dive site. Conditions were rather poor today. When conditions are better you are likely to enjoy your dives here. I encourage you to check out dive reports and divers videos to get an idea of the potential in diving Monterey area. Kelp canopies, seal and sea lion encounters, otter and cormorants leaving a trail of bubbles (WTF!.. was that a bird underwater swimming by!?!) You don't get that in warnm water destinations . Diving here can be amazing, but as you have attested so very well, it can also suck. With experience you can better predict good conditions and overcome the equipment challenges. Teaming up with other experienced divers can be a big help as well to being diving in the right place ant the right time.

My tips:
Check this link about 3-4 days prior to a potential dive trip: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/getcwfzone.php?sid=MTR&zone=PZ560
You are looking for Winds under 15KT, Swell 6ft or less. Keep checking it as your trip approaches, it will change. Morning of or afternoon before take a look at the webcams to get a feel for wave conditions. </title> <title>Monterey Bay Cam from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
View Pebble Beach Golf Links Through Live Golf Course Cameras - Hole 18

Montery gets algae blooms during the long daylight of Spring and early summer and you seldom get more than 15ft visability shore diving. 15ft can still be a very nice dive but if you are there on a 3-5ft vis day (and they are not rare) you will likely be underwhelmed. Late summer to early winter see big improvement in visability and more critters as that bloom of algae works its way up the food chain.

Hope that helps.

You are welcome to take a look at my local dive videos if you need inspiration 1973krl: SCUBA Scrap Book - YouTube there are plenty of other divers posting as well, most have better videos than I.

cheers
Ken Loomis

 

[drrich2]

Disclaimer: I am not a cold water diver. Aside from a few local quarry dives, when I go deep.

That said, reading the original post, it seems to me there are a few different issues that don't have to go together.

1.) Shore diving in demanding conditions - especially made your exit problematic. Maybe you guys ought to boat dive awhile, until you get dialed in on your weighting, etc...? I know boats cost more money.

2.) Limited viz. diving - even on a warm tropical dive where you don't even bother with exposure protection, 'pea soup' is not fun for most people. Yes, I know some muck divers do it...have fun with that.

3.) Dry Suit diving - I avoid wet suits when I can, so I can only try to imagine the drama of a dry suit that cost well over a grand, has seals, etc..., has an air space to regulate aside from your BCD, leaves you using a lot more weight than I'm accustomed to, etc... I don't know your local conditions; would a 7 mm wet suit (with hood & gloves, of course) be an option, & easier to work with?

Richard.

 

[TSandM]

I've been diving for seven years, and have concluded I like the Pacific Coast the best of all the diving in the world, and there are STILL days when I wonder if it's worth it

I can give you a couple of tips -- First, ditch the aluminum tanks. You are carrying six pounds of lead more than you would need with steel tanks, in order to sink those puppies. Six pounds is a lot.

Second, see if you can borrow a backplate setup from somebody. Put that six pounds on your back, and you've now cut the total lead you have to put in a belt or pockets by 12 pounds.

Third, make a date with one of the active Monterey divers to dive at Lobos. It's much more protected from surf and surge, and Lobos is one of the most beautiful places to dive ANYWHERE, with absolutely tons of life and fabulous structure. If all I ever got to dive was the Breakwater, I'd start wondering if cold water diving was worth it, too . . .

Cold water diving is more work than warm, in general. We all have to admit that. But you do get used to it, and I have to say that, when you own your own equipment, it does make it both easier and kind of cheaper (because you aren't totting up all the rental costs for a day of diving). You know your own gear, you know it fits and is adjusted properly for you, and you decrease the frustration level. There's always some frustration in gearing up for cold water diving, because, well, it's frustrating! You're pulling on inches of insulation and packing yourself into a dry suit and hoisting pounds upon pounds of gear; you're either freezing your patootie off in the rain or roasting in the sun (and, btw, if you're gearing up on a warm day, put your dry suit on and go jump in the water and get wet, and then come back and finish getting into the rest of your stuff -- you'll stay cooler).

It's worth persevering, for two reasons: One, you have some of the world's best diving at your doorstep, and two, you will never be as facile, relaxed, and efficient a diver if you can only do it on vacation.

 

[drrich2]

I can give you a couple of tips -- First, ditch the aluminum tanks. You are carrying six pounds of lead more than you would need with steel tanks, in order to sink those puppies. Six pounds is a lot.

That made me think; how many cubic feet were those aluminum tanks? If I went through all that drama to dive, no way would I want an 80 cf tank on my back (I'm kinda big/chubby & go through air fairly fast); I'd want a 130 cf steel tank so I could get some dive time in, better 'return on investment' for my effort.

Richard.

 

[3D diver]

So sorry to hear you had a hard time today. I received an email from a friend who dove at lovers today & the subject line was "worst dive ever"!!!

The breakwater is one of my favorite dives & I hope you'll give it another try when conditions are better.

 

[Ben_ca]

Theres only 77 cu ft in an AL 80