Dive monterey 5-6?

[JustinW]

Did anyone dive Monterey this past weekend (5-6). I was going to go down but the huge swells on the outside put me off, but then while sitting at home watching the webcams and the swell model it didn't look that bad. How was it?

 

[dannobee]

Plenty of surfers at Lovers, so we thought we'd try McAbee. Vis was about 2-3' and big surf/surge. Breakwater was slightly better, but not much. At least I got to show my daughter (just certified) proper technique on the "Monastery Crawl." We drove to Monastery afterward, just to see how it looked. Actually seemed better there than in Monterey, although still pretty rough. Don't know if Saturday was any better. Topside was beautiful, just lousy in the water.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I passed on diving Saturday because the forecast numbers were
just over my threshold. Sunday they were right at the threshold,
and the lousy vis was far more of a problem than sea conditions,
though it was sloshing pretty good on the beaches.

Direction counts for a lot, and it was a west swell, which means
the breakwater area (and even Monastary) were protected.

I posted a report at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ba_diving/message/24077

 

[zinmaker]

Dove on Sunday, first dive at the Breakwater early in the morning, and it was somewhat surgy, then did a boat dive off of the Monterey Express first dive Hopkins Deep, and vis was about 5 feet to each side of your mask, which equals 10 feet of vis, and somewhat surgy. The next dive was at the Aquarium and it was the most surgy, but the vis seemed a little better at about maybe 10 feet. Chuck whatever your threshold formula with direction of the swell, is real good, seemed like I was diving the threshold.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

My threshold forumlas are:

NW swell over 8', stay home.
W swell over 10', stay home.
Wind 25 knots or above from W, NW, N, NE, stay home.
Wind 30 knots or above from E, SE, S, SW, stay home.

If it's a swell range (W 9-11 feet), average it.
If it's a wind range (NW 20-25 knots) use the high end.

Apply experience as required. Above all, if you don't like what you
see when you get to Monterey, stay on the beach.

Your thresholds may vary.

 

[Scubacastor]

I dove on saturday morning on the Monterey Express. Hopkins reef for the first dive with about 20 ft visi. Not good but not too bad. We saw 2 wolf eels and some other fishes. Second dive in front of the MBay Aquarium. Vis was less than 20 ft and good swell on the bottom. Except for the eels, the Risso's Dolphins and Northern Rightwhale Dolphins, I should have stayed in my bed

 

[zinmaker]

Didn't see an eel, but did see a nice size school of blue lingcod at the aquarium. Chuck also wanted to say that your GPS locations are spot on. Dove Aumentos and the Barge a couple of weeks ago. The skipper of the boat we were on is now a real believer of GPS. Chuck your formula sounds like a good guideline rather than a rule. (forget the exact quote from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, when referring to the pirates code).

 

[Wristshot]

Scubacastor,

*laughing* You sound spoiled! (which is better than smelling spoiled)

You know that there are a lot of people that would consider seeing wolf eels and multiple species of dolphins as a good day of diving, and worth getting out of bed for!


Wristshot

 

[Scubacastor]

You know that there are a lot of people that would consider seeing wolf eels and multiple species of dolphins as a good day of diving, and worth getting out of bed for!

Well, each week-end, when I wake up early, I always think from that warm place called 'my bed' that I could perfectly live without dolphins, eels, bulky diving equipments, cold water with swell and low viz but for some strange reasons I always end up one or two hours later at the same place, preparing my dive.... and then when I come home, I still don't know how I ended up on a boat but I am usually glad of my morning encounters even if it's far from this warm place called 'my bed'

 

[Ishie]

Diving's just about the only thing that can regularly haul my lazy butt out of bed. Heh heh.

With the exception of diving at Negro Bar (I'm still decontaminating my dive gear; blech!), there's no place I'd rather be than underwater.