Monterey Bay

[AESdives]

Hey Everyone,
Hope you all are doing well. I'm headed to San Francisco in a couple of weeks and plan on going down to Monterey Bay to dive. Would anyone mind recommending a few operators to go with? I will be by myself and don't know if its better to do boat or shore or who to hire as a guide. Thanks and have a great day.

 

[altaskier]

There are multiple charter boats out of Monterey; I've been on three of them and they've all been good and they also help each other out in emergencies. There are also great shore dives including Point Lobos which is my favorite. There are also several shops that hire out guides if you're new to kelp and cold water.

Chuck T. has a great web page for people who have not dived in Monterey before:
New Monterey Diver Information

Have fun!

 

[AESdives]

Awesome. Thanks a bunch. New to kelp but not to cold.

 

[Vegan Shark]

Shore dives in Monterey and Carmel are pretty fantastic. Point Lobos is a great, easy site with tons to see: Beautiful kelp forests, harbor seals, otters, small swim-through caves. There are pretty detailed maps showing all the main spots, too. Check out Diving | Point Lobos Foundation and Point Lobos Underwater Maps Only catch is that the park won't let you dive solo, and it'll cost 20$ (10$ to reserve a spot, and 10$ car fee)

Monastery Beach is another great shore dive, right outside Lobos. It consists of a South and North side, each with different topography. South is shallower, with a gorgeous kelp forest. North Monastery slopes down into the Monterey Canyon right near shore, so you can go as deep as you want. Entry/exit locations are important for both, but you'll find maps of where to enter and exit if you google the beaches, along with all the detailed, "beware the Ides of Monastery! BEWARE!" safety warnings.

For a dive shop with guides, I recommend Bamboo Reef.