Just Curious!

[Rickster]

How many divers on here dive by the wave models and and surf predictions? How many divers on here just go for it?

I myself, when planning to dive a certain day, pack up the gear, drive to were I plan on diving, check the conditions, decide to dive it or not. If not, there is usually an alternative place to dive close by. From past experiance, I get to dive more. If I went by the reports, and predictions, I would dry up and never get wet.

The predictions are just that, predictions! How many times have we seen predicted huge waves, only to find lake like conditions.

I don't want to cause any friction just curious!

 

[mccabejc]

Good morning !! What you doin' up so early

I'm just about to take off to Laguna with all my dive gear packed, but based on predictions and yesterday's reports I doubt we'll be diving. Instead Myrna and I will spend a beautiful day at the beach.

Anyway, to answer your question, I use predictions plus weather reports plus tide tables plus dive reports to get a general feel for how things are going to be. Usually surf predictions, like the ones for the last couple of weeks, can be pretty reliable enough, especially if there's a really big storm to the NW of us, which you can see on radar. And if it's already sending big surf to Hawaii, it's a no-brainer to say that, based on fetch, etc., the swell will be reaching us. The question is whether any particular spot is going to see big surf, and how big it will be. You never know. But since big surf usually means 5ft. viz, the question becomes "is it worth the drive and hassle for 5ft. viz?" As you know better than most of us , when you gotta drive a long way for a dive, and sometimes battle traffic, you may just say, hey, there's other stuff to do that'll be more fun. Personally, I like to dive, but if I don't it's not that big a deal. Always something else to do that's fun. Usually I'll hold out for nicer conditions, but often I'll make the trip to a dive with my wife just to enjoy the beach. Like today.

Gotta go...

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I don't use any of the prediction models, especially Wetsand because they're only correct about 20% of the time. I prefer "live" models like http://diver.net/weather/wimg.shtml?cdip.ucsd.edu/models/spc.gif
and actual live webcams
http://watchthewater.co.la.ca.us/beach.cfm?bid=17
Fortunately, I live close enough to the water that it's not as big a hassle to pack my gear and go, only to find poor conditions once I'm there. My favorite place I've ever lived was across the street from the Pt. Fermin Lighthouse. I would walk across the street, look over the cliff and decide whether to go diving or play baseball that day.
When I first began diving I would dive in nearly any condition. One day the surf was too rough in L.A. so we drove south looking for better conditions. We finally got in the water when we reached Ensenada Mexico. We had about three feet vis and dived in raw sewage. I've wussed out in my old age, I guess. These days I tend to pass on dives with less than two feet vis, although I still make them occasionally.

 

[saintsfan]

Strictly fair weather diver here,I live too far to drive down and find poor conditions,I use dive reports and predictions to plan outings.I cancelled my trip to catalina this weekend based on everything but I think next weekend is a dive weekend no matter what, I'm getting desperate

 

[wetrat]

Rick, here's my usual diving flowchart:

1. Do I have the day off? If yes, go to 2, if no, go to work.

2. Will wife mind me diving? If yes, go to 3, if no go to 3

3. Do the swell models look OK? If at all yes, go to 4, if no, go to a movie or whatever.

4. Do I have a dive buddy? If yes, go to 5, if no, post on SB for dive buddy, then go to 5

5. Go check out conditions. If at all diveable, DIVE!!!!

So I guess, yes I do use the swell models as a guideline in advance, but once my day is chosen, I just show up and if at all possible, go for it. I live about five miles from the beach, but 45 minutes from Laguna or La Jolla, where I prefer to dive.

 

[Glycerin]

I learned a long time ago not to trust weather men or swell predictions.

I also agree with Wetrat minus the wife part since I have yet to have to worry about that

 

[headhunter]

If I don't hear on the news the night before that it looks like houses are in danger of getting washed away, I go look. In fact, even when they say it looks like houses are in danger of getting washed away, I go look.

In short, I go look.

However, if the day before I have confirmed reports of huge waves tearing up the beaches and redesigning the landscape, I'll skip it because I know it will be really bad vis. But... after one calm day, I go look, just in case.

Christian

 

[drbill]

I used them in my PhD research but don't pay any attention to them for diving given the fact that they predict very little about what the leeward side of Catalina will be like.