Mendocino/Sonoma County Dive Trip

[firefightermedicdiver]

Been planning a trip from Washington to make some dives in northern California, namely in the Mendocino/Sonoma County area. Some of the dive sites we've looked at are:

Mendocino
-Russian Gulch State Park
-Van Damme State Park
-Anchor Bay

Sonoma
-Gerstle Cove
-Stillwater Cove
-Timber Cove

If anybody could help pinpoint where these sites are, how they are, etc., we'd much appreciate it. Hope y'all are diving well!

 

[DiverChix]

Russian Gulch is a nice dive site, with an easy beach entry. You have to park in the campground and unload gear by the group campsite area.

Van Damme is usually protected, but I drove by there a week or so ago and the kelp is really thick in there right now. You have to surface swim out aways to get to deeper water or take a kayak or inflatable out past the rocks and kelp. Lots of sealife out there. It is a really easy spot to dive, they have changing/restrooms right there on the beach side and it is really easy to get into the water there.

Gerstle Cove is my favorite dive site on the Sonoma Coast, it is a protected area so lots of creatures. Stillwater is very close to Gertsle Cove and easy entry.

Have fun -

 

[Hinalo]

Haven't taken a close look at Timber Cove lately, but Stillwater has a lot of bull kelp. A few weeks ago when I was there there was still a narrow channel out of the cove, but the sides are really overgrown.

You might also consider Ft Ross, which is more protected than Stillwater cove. The east cove at Ft Ross is very easy entry and you can always skirt the kelp because of the large wide sand bottom. There is a wreck in the west cove (hard to get to this time of year from east cove) that is kind of interesting, though really more of a debris field.

 

[Peter_C]

If you want to hang out with local divers, let us know the dates you are coming here. Fort Ross is one of my favorite dive sites. We have had some great dives there but tend to go way out. Up North there is also the Mendocino Bay, that is supposed to have some excellent diving, but I have not had a chance to dive there YET! We often do Russian Gulch, but it is best on a kayak or a scooter. If the conditions are ruff it is the spot up there.


This info might help.
North Coast Divers - Dive Sites
ShoreDiving.com - Your Shore Diving and Snorkeling Web Community!

 

[TaoH]

Are you planning to dive in both counties or just one of the two? Mendocino and Sonoma dive sites are pretty far apart.

Here are your dive sites and a few others (from North to South) on Google Maps:

Russian Gulch: 39.328712,-123.806477 - Google Maps
Mendocino Bay: 39.300698,-123.797765 - Google Maps
Van Damme: 39.272805,-123.792132 - Google Maps
Anchor Bay: Not sure where, I'll have to do some digging

Gerstle Cove (North): 38.565927,-123.330288 - Google Maps
Stillwater Cove: 38.546328,-123.298788 - Google Maps
Timber Cove: 38.534974,-123.28056 - Google Maps
Fort Ross: 38.511051,-123.243384 - Google Maps

The links Peter posted are a good place to start on reading up on dive sites.

You can also look here California Diving News Dive Sites

 

[Peter_C]

Tao, how about adding those links to NCD's website? Even better would be the screen shots. Print screen then turn them into a JPG in paint or whatever photo editor you use.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Don't JPG them. PNG them. PNG is non-lossy and really good on stuff with a small number of colors.
They will smaller and better looking in PNG.

 

[renpirate]

When are you coming out? Always up for helping out a fellow firefighter. I often go out to those sites.

 

[waveflower1]

I Recently Moved To Mendocino. The Mendocino Local Dive Shop Is Called Sub-surface. They Are Very Layed Back But Quite Helpful.
Lala