There is a lot of real good diving in the Monterey Area. There is great shore diving and boat diving.
Forget about diving in Santa Cruz. Almost no one dives there for a number of reasons. It is just not done. No reason to with Monterey so close and so superb.
There are a number of easy shore dives in Monterey. At many places, there is a LOT of great stuff to see within a short swimming distance. The kelp fields are right there.
Breakwater is very popular, and really set up to accomodate divers. Maybe 75% of the divers certified out here do their OW cert dives at Breakwater. There is a large lawn, outdoor showers, and two dive shops in walking distance. However, it gets crowded with all those OW classes.
Lover's Point has three entries, and Lover's 1 is real nice. It has a little beach, a gentle entry, and great kelp within 100 yards. It is however, rather shallow, in the 25-25 foot range. Lover's 3 is rocky with a steep set of stairs that are a pain to climb / descend.
McAbee beach is a small beach with an easy entry. There are some pipes and a huge Metridium field within a couple hundred yards.
Pt Lobos is my favorite place to hike, and it is supposed to be incredible diving there. You need reservations through the park system to dive there. Search for Pt Lobos and Whaler's Cove. Others here can give you lots of info on Pt Lobos.
There are numerous other shore dives, but those are some of the most popular. There are others that rate very high, but some are advanced. For example, Monastery Beach is very good, but it can be very tricky. You don't dive there if there is any surf action. The phrase "Monastery Crawl" was coined in reference to the difficulty in exiting when there is any surf. Most people stay away unless it is real flat. I would recommend sticking with easier dives unless you are really prepared, experienced, and have a buddy that knows the area.
There are several local dive boat operations. The two most popular are the Monterey Express and Cypress Charters. Both are fairly large and take up to about 20 divers at a time. There are smaller boats also, but I don't have any experience with them.
My buddy and I do most of our diving in Monterey off of boats. The sand in the area (especially near Del Monte beach) is extremely fine and will get into EVERYTHING in quantities that will truly astound you. I cannot emphasize that enough.
I have used the Monterey Express several times, but I have no experience with Cypress Charters. I have enjoyed the Monterey Express each time. They have a good crew and they take you to good dive sites. They know where to go and where not to go.
In my experience, the dive boats here do not normally put a DM or a guide in the water (but I am sure that they would for a fee). You might be better off to find some willing SBer's to meet up with you and dive with you --*smiling*-- Many are just looking for excuses to get wet!
Most dive ops can set you up with a DM, and many have access to boats or arrangements with boats, but again that will cost you.
Just a couple things to keep in the back of your mind:
1) The best diving in Monterey tends to be in the winter, rather than the summer. The water is warmer and the viz is better in winter. However, you are coming in September, so you will get what you get. 2) The water gets a little colder, the viz gets a little better and the critters get thicker as you go south towards Carmel. Hence the dive boats usually head towards Carmel for the first dives.
Expect cold water, in the low to mid 50's.
Expect viz in the 10-25 foot range. Then if the viz is better, you will be extra pleased. Remember also that in Monterey, you will see more in 10 foot viz than in many places with 100 foot viz. Just be sure to get up close and personal with the rocks. There is more life to the sqaure foot in Monterey than just about anywhere in the world. However, much of it is small critters that abound on the rocks.
Swimming in the kelp is really cool. Be sure to look up when you are in the kelp. The kelp is typically not real think at depth, but it can be overwhelming at the surface. It is best to return to the boat under water, then surface close. You do not want to do a surface swim in kelp.
There can be currents, and the biggest problem is that with low viz, you don't always know if you are in a current. Kelp can be used as a visual reference in the case of current.
Surge is quite common. In general it is best to not try to fight it. Position yourself so that you don't get slammed, and let it take you back and forth. If you fight it, you will hoover like mad, and you will just surface earlier and more worn out. At the pinnacles and such, try finding the "protected" sides, and enjoy.
Remember also that seals and sea lions are common out here. Seals usually keep their distance, and are very wary of divers. Sea lions can get playful, but they rarely do any harm. They are incredible to watch underwater, and some have discovered that certain actions on their part will elicit big reactions from divers. It is not "common" but some will nip at fins, or blow bubbles in your face etc to get reactions. If you are looking intently at something, some sea lions will come over to see what you are looking at. Be careful, hut enjoy if you see any.
You will generally not see very many brighly colored fish as most are camoflauged for protection, and very wary of divers. You will see LOTS of anemonies and all manner of colored plant life.
I don't have any good info on night dives, but I am sure that some others can provide some advice, and searches might give some good info.
The closest dive shops would be Aquarius (be careful because there is one at Breakwater, and another on Del Monte) and Monterey Bay Dive Center. There are others, but those are very close to Breakwater, and very well known.
I have a nice video on Shore Diving in Monterey, and there are countless books on the subject. Think about what exactly you are looking to do, and more of the other locals can give you additional advice.
There are a couple of "wrecks" off Del Monte Beach but don't bother. There is a sailboat and a Half Track, but they are in a sandy area so it is pretty uneventful. You would be disappointed with the wrecks here. My advice would be to focus on the kelp forest and the pinnacles near Carmel. You won't be sorry.
That's all that I can think of at the moment. Sorry for rambling, but there is so much to tell and so much to do. I tried to keep it somewhat organized.
If you want more information, I can add some links if you have specific interests. Just let me know.
In all seriousness, keep posting on SB and I bet that you will find some locals (and maybe some not so local) that will be willing to join you for some diving in the area.
Hope this helps a bit,
Late for a meeting
Wristshot
