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textilet: If you're coming to SD just to see humboldt squid, then prepare to be disappointed. Locals have been doing night dives for the past week and haven't encountered any. FWIW, when they were around, the squid were spotted at La Jolla Shores in relatively shallow water (approx. 20-30 fsw) just west of the beach area between Vallecitos and the Main Lifeguard tower. Some divers reported seeing a few near the canyon edge (50-60 fsw). The squid were not described as being exceptionally big -- about 3 ft long with tentacles. Some displayed curious and/or aggressive behavior towards divers, including their cameras and their lights. As for the best time to the dive, well, go when it's dark out. Entry at 9pm should do it.
Roger Uzun has posted a nice
YouTube video of his encounter with them. I have to say that the tone of the narration is a tad too sensationalistic for my taste.
I'd suggest lowering your expectations if you want to have a good time. Why not come to see a giant sea bass, a seal, or a sea lion? They're around all of the time here.
Today, vis at the Shores was 10-15 ft at depth. Temp at the canyon edge was in the mid 50 degrees F range. Topside conditions have been very nice.
On a side note, in the past week local divers have been treated to encounters with thrill-seeking out-of-towners displaying some horrible diving skills. They tend to travel in large packs (8-10 divers). One local diver was blinded by a couple of newbies who were trying to figure out whether she was their buddy. Each took turns shining his light in her eyes. (Please don't do this. It's very easy to establish ID based on a diver's gear.) One dive buddy had a buddy pair drop-in directly on top of him at about 60 fsw. (Please look where you are going.) I saw one dive group that had two divers who were walking on the sandy bottom with their fins. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. The ones walking on the bottom were getting left behind by the group. Go figure. Many locals have made it a policy to go off in a different direction if they encounter an underwater disco (several divers flashing their lights erratically all over the place). I mention all of this to make you aware that our sites are getting heavier than normal traffic...and that there are a lot of novice divers out there.
Enjoy your trip.
