i got a question about monterey

[e-assasin]

Hello my name is Derek and i am interested in exploring the ocean.. i have never scuba dived so i am interested in snorkeling just to start. plus i can't afford to buy scuba equipment just yet... anyways.. monterey california is the most close way to get to the ocean for me. I was wondering if anybody knows if monterey is a good place to go to snorkel? If so.. can you give me an exact location to start.. also keep in mind i don't have access to a boat. Thanks

 

[Dryglove]

I would venture to say that one of the best beginner snorkel location would be at breakwater(san carlos beach) along the wall. Be sure to wear a decent wetsuit as the water is cold(avg 55deg).

 

[e-assasin]

thanks.. also what about visibility? what time of the year is a good time to do this? is there anything i need to watch for to tell me that its a good time to snorkel? also what is best? wetsuit or drysuit?

 

[abalonekiller]

:sharks: Hey E,
There are many options available to you as far as suits,and dive locations!Dry suits are defently the warmest but because they are dry you'll have to learn how to adjust bouancy in them,they are expensive,and I don,t know of any dive shops that rent them!I I would recomend A Semi-dry wetsuit,although not many shops rent them either.If you don't mind driving alittle farther north to Fort Bragg,there is only one dive shop in town,Its called Sub-Surface Progression,They rent semi-dry suit w/everything you need for snorkeling cold water,for 30.00 and no deposit req!!! Its the best deal I have found ANYWERE!!There is A Naui Instructor there named Charlie,He's always there,I think he lives there...lol.He does tours starting @ around 45.00,shows you eveything about snorkleing,proper weight,useing fins,even how to spearfish or find Abalone,If your so enclinend...Might want to check it out..GOOD LUCK! :jump013:

 

[Wristshot]

e-assasin,

I am not a snorkeler, but my gut reaction is that Monterey would probably not be a real good snorkeling location. The visibility is often way less than the depth, so you would rarely be able to see anything. It is a fabulous place for diving, but divers can get down to the good stuff and hang out there.

I do not have any good suggestions of anyplace "local" for good snorkeling. I have snorkeled in Florida, and I know people that have snorkeled in Hawaii and Aruba, but there things are very different. Those are places with a lot more visible life within reach of a snorkeler.

Just my opinions, and only because you asked.


Wristshot

 

[Dryglove]

thanks.. also what about visibility? what time of the year is a good time to do this? is there anything i need to watch for to tell me that its a good time to snorkel? also what is best? wetsuit or drysuit?

Vis is hit or miss. Somedays are good and some days are bad. Take a look down from the top of the wall and if you cant see more than a few feet it might not be worth snorkeling. Lovers cove can be another nice place to snorkel.


As for things to watch for......If it looks really rough or if you see surfers(yes i know surfers dont go there) skip it that day The kelp is thin right now but dont go out and get all tangled up in the stuff.

 

[Ishie]

I didn't find the snorkeling at BW all that great. There have been a couple days where the vis is good, but even so, I didn't see much once past the sanddollar beds and trying to snorkel along the rock wall can be a headache because even the mildest conditions can kind of run you into it, which is annoying. I've heard a few people say that Stillwater can be nice to snorkel, but the one time we went, there was 0 vis and brown nasty water.

On a clear day, Lovers in the cove is a nice snorkel. It stays fairly shallow for a ways so you can still see stuff and there are a lot of fish and invertebrates hanging very close to shore. Coral Street was also pretty to snorkel, but got dangerous really quickly. Nothing really spectacular anywhere. If you want to go south, I've snorkeled off Catalina, and that was really cool.

Best places to snorkel so far were Kauai and the Bahamas. Smokes Monterey snorkeling any day.

 

[mossym]

:sharks: Hey E,
There are many options available to you as far as suits,and dive locations!Dry suits are defently the warmest but because they are dry you'll have to learn how to adjust bouancy in them,they are expensive,and I don,t know of any dive shops that rent them!I I would recomend A Semi-dry wetsuit,although not many shops rent them either.If you don't mind driving alittle farther north to Fort Bragg,there is only one dive shop in town,Its called Sub-Surface Progression,They rent semi-dry suit w/everything you need for snorkeling cold water,for 30.00 and no deposit req!!! Its the best deal I have found ANYWERE!!There is A Naui Instructor there named Charlie,He's always there,I think he lives there...lol.He does tours starting @ around 45.00,shows you eveything about snorkleing,proper weight,useing fins,even how to spearfish or find Abalone,If your so enclinend...Might want to check it out..GOOD LUCK! :jump013:

if you're only snorkelling bouyany shouldn't be too much of an issue, you'll have no way of adjusting it anyway once you get in the water..also, lots of shops rent drysuits...

 

[CALI68]

I second (or third) the Lovers Cove Suuggestion. If it's very VERY calm it could be nice. Sure you're not gonna get the WOW factor that you would in the tropics but there's still stuff to see (sometimes tons to see) and Lover's is beautiful place to hang out even if the snokeling isn't too hot on any particular day.