Monastery Beach - When to/not to dive

[Ben_ca]

To help prevent thing like this from happening again here some visual references to help gain awareness of the dangers of diving here

Disclaimer: This is not a substitute for proper dive instruction.... (if you've never done surf entires/exits... don't try them out here for the first time... you will die!)

Here's some shots to help people gain awareness of what we are talking about:

Good Days to dive Monastery:
knee height waves: do-able with single tank... was diving doubles so passed on it that day

Ankle Slappers

Lake Monastery (note different days)

Just a yard or two from the water's edge.... Take note of the slope and the size of the ripples... Camera is fully upright and level with surface

A not so good picture of the sand/gravel at Monastery.... Monastery Berries (next time I'll toss a coin in the picture for scale)

If anyone has some pictures of conditions when Monastery shouldn't be dove please post them.

 

[RS]

Maybe Zen Man can take some pics today.

Oh that's right, he can't post pics while in MOtown!



btw, cool pics Ben. Must be a challenge to crawl out with doubles and scooters and cameras.

 

[Ben_ca]

one word. teamwork

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

one word. teamwork

And the most important thing your teammate can say:

"Not here, not today, THUMB!"

before you ever get gear out of the truck.

 

[dannobee]

In Ben's second pic you can clearly see the hill that shelters the most Southern part from most of the big action. Along the top of the berm there is an access road that leads to the entry. Look for the road going to the bathrooms and follow it as far as you can. Even though the walk is longer, it's easier because you have less "sand" to walk through (and there's a water fountain at the bathrooms where you can rinse your camera ). The angle of the beach is evident in Ben's last pic. It feels even steeper when you're walking up it with extra equipment (scooters/stages/video cameras, etc). It's a bear. Even the most in shape diver will be huffin' and puffin'.

Whatever you do, do NOT try to enter in the middle of the beach where the big action is. It's all sand anyway. Not much to see. Well, for most people anyway. The reefs are to the North and South.

The reason this beach has a nasty break is because it is the end of the Carmel Canyon branch of the Monterey Canyon (which is actually bigger and deeper than the Grand Canyon-it's just underwater). Think of the steepest angle that sand could still stick to, that's how steep the break is in most places in the middle and north parts. Two fin kicks forward gets you 5 feet deeper in the steep parts.

Here's the California Diving News article on Monastery:
Monterey County - Monasterey Beach - Scuba Dive Spot

 

[Jim Ernst]

Ben.

I know from experience that there is a big slope as you enter/exit Monestary.

Looking at your pictures, The underwater picture is what I am refering to, Is that showing a good shot of the slope or is that just the way you are holding your camera, I understand that picture was to mainly show the size of the gravel but I also noticed what looks to me like the slope??

NEVERMIND Ben. I goofed!

 

[TSandM]

As Ben says, the camera is level. The slope is that steep.

It's a bear getting out, and another one climbing the slope to the car. The sand is NOT friendly. I fell in the water, and again during the climb. I'd not do Monastery in doubles again, even in the very favorable conditions we had. I'd dive it, though -- South Monastery was a very beautiful dive.

 

[Jim Ernst]

As Ben says, the camera is level. The slope is that steep.

It's a bear getting out, and another one climbing the slope to the car. The sand is NOT friendly. I fell in the water, and again during the climb. I'd not do Monastery in doubles again, even in the very favorable conditions we had. I'd dive it, though -- South Monastery was a very beautiful dive.

You are right, forgive my bone headedness LOL!!

I put the wrong tittle with the wrong picture!

 

[JT851]

HAHAHAHA.... Im just to plain lazy to make the trek from the truck with all my stuff across the beach down the hill....

I had a former DI who usta love to yell "UP THE HILL DOWN THE HILL AROUND THE HILL AND BACK AGAIN".... Im done with that... If im gonna dive Monestary its gonna be from a boat....

 

[Jorbar1551]

To me, monastery is one of those mythical dive spots. When its dive-able, there probably isn't a shore dive in the Monterey area that compares to it in its beauty, life and personality.

Things like this last death just reminds me that every rose has thorns