Diving in/around San Francisco Bay for a local

[CA_Diver]

Chuck used to do it a couple times a year when Kawika was alive.

I'd go in a heartbeat, but I don't think my little inflatable would be the safest ride.

When I said the rocks near Ocean beach, I mean the ones right near the Cliff House (or whatever it's called now).

The Farallons would probably be a great dive. The only downsides probably being the distance and you floating around looking like a very slow and uncoordinated seal.

I think those rocks are collectively called "Seal Rock". Those would probably make for quite a burly dive. Probably a little more than I'm looking for in a leisurely afternoon dive.

 

[StevenN]

There's probably some virgin reef at Maverick's.

I know at least one of the surfers from the contest that has already done that dive. Obviously you have to hit it when the conditions are just right for diving but I'll just stick to some of the safer spots myself.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I always wanted to take my boat down to Fort Baker right under the bridge and go out to point Pinos. I'll bet it's fairly good if the conditiopns are right. Even the little pier right down at Fort Baker might be an intersting dive. No telling what you could find down there after that many years.
What about some of the rocky areas around either end of Stinson beach? Stay in close and at the bottom or the rocks and you should be out of shark range or interest area ay least.
What about checking out areas around Bolinas and any other areas accessible by shore. They might not be the best dives but sometimes those oddball dives are the ones you remember.
I've dove in Tomales bay for halibut at the entrance. I did a dive once right off the beach at Lawsons landing in Tomales bay just around the pilings to see what was there. Nobody else in their right mind would ever dive there but I did, but I'm not in my right mind either. I've dove right at the point of Point Reyes directly under the lighthouse. That was actually a world class dive but nerve racking at the same time. I've dove a few rocks offshore between Bodega and point Reyes.
That's about the extent of my diving in Marin County.
I am one that thrives on the unusual and seemingly absurd places to dive. I get to see things and find things that nobody else does as a result.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Another one I want to add:
Under the docks at Spud Point Marina in Bodega Bay. I've seen so many different and varied animals under there that if I was to have had camera you would think I went to some exotic location to take those shots. When I worked out at the harbor I had a pet abalone about 3" long that used to hang out right by the NOAA boat that I was contracted to work on. One day I noticed it was gone. A few days later I needed to get under the boat to do some work, so when I was done with my duties I decided to take a little tour and cruised the docks underwater upside down looking up at all the growth underneath. I found what I thought was my pet abalone but then I saw many more all over. I saw scallops probably 8" accross and all kinds of sponges and even a few nudibranchs. After a while of cruising inverted I began to believe that I was actually right side up cruising over the docks and by bubbles where going down. This feeling when I lose all sense of up or down for a split second is a wonderfull bliss that I can't really explain and not often achieved. It probably had something to do with the fact that the bottom reflectes the light from the surface and lights up the underside of the docks evening out the light.
Some days the vis was good enough that I could see all the ghostly shapes of all the big wooden fishing boats tied up in their slips in a row receeding in to the distance. That would have made for an eerie and wonderful B/W picture.
I've found all kinds of rusted tools, batteries, refrigerators, engine blocks, you name it at the bottom of the harbor. I even got a visit from one eyed jack once that just about made me walk on water.

 

[CA_Diver]

I am one that thrives on the unusual and seemingly absurd places to dive. I get to see things and find thing that nobody else does as a result.

I applaud your spirit , and you make a good point - a dive is a dive, and you never know what it could turn out to be unless you do it. Thanks for the info.

 

[CA_Diver]

ZKY - you almost make it seem like we're wasting our air diving "normal" sites down in Monterey, haha. Maybe you should write a book, "guide to pier diving"...I'd buy it.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

ZKY - you almost make it seem like we're wasting our air diving "normal" sites down in Monterey, haha. Maybe you should write a book, "guide to pier diving"...I'd buy it.

Well I can tell you this: I would rather dive upside down under the docks at Spud Point Marina than dive over the sand at Breakwater. Now the Breakwall in Monterey, that's a different story. But then so is the breakwall/jetties out at Bodega Bay. That's a WHOLE different story!

 

[blewgrass]

I've worked in Bodega Bay the last three years and have had a chance to talk to a lot of the old salts out there with great diving stories. I've watched kids catch rockfish off Mason's dock, met some of the harbor divers, as well as the guys who like to get their abalone off the reef south of Bodega Rock. Lots of white shark stories and trophy abalone in the thick fan kelp beds out there. As ZKY says, there is lots of abalone inside the harbor too. I've photographed sea otters that came in Bodega Harbor for refuge. There are metridiums inside the harbor as well as the nudibranchs... I've seen them from the Westside boat launch dock... I've also seen hundreds of bat rays breeding over near the pilings at The Tides Restaurant.

The only drawback is that the visibility is usually poor inside the harbor, but that's one of the resons why there are so many critters in there...

Steve

 

[KRL1973]

I have seen divers at Fitzgerald and have been tempted to give it a try but it is a technical entry and without someone who's has experience at the site is simply too risky for me. Conditions there are too rough for entry 90% of the time so it would not usually do for a spur of the moment dive.

There is an easy, sheltered entry at pigeon point lighthouse that I have also been tempted to dive but this is notorious GWS area. Years ago an ab diver was killed there in about 15ft. of water -yikes! White Shark Unprovoked Attack - Diver
I did go in briefly here once just snorkelling but vis was zero nearshore and so only spent about 10min in the water.

Other site greyhound rock Nasty Diving - Santa Cruz -same issues