Monterey conditions. (let's keep it going )

[3D diver]

Back to Lobos today with a lot more company---was told there was one open spot left when we arrived. The water was much flatter and tide low on the ramp. We kicked out and dropped near the Cannery Point Wall and wandered through the rock channels till we emerged in ~74feet of water just shy of the lone metridium. We reversed from there, headed over to hole in the wall and wandered back along the wall 'til the vis and surge motivated us to surface.

The visibility was mixed. Out by LM it was 40+ feet. Most of the dive, though, the upper water column had good vis but the bottom 10 to 20 feet of water had a lot of sand in it reducing the vis to a highly variable 10 to 20feet (or worse). It was a little frustrating to look up to clear water and horizontal at sand. Saw a couple of sea lions, a lingcod & the usual assortment of rockfish.

The min water temperature was 54F.

New wrist seals resolved the drysuit leak I reported Tuesday.

 

[KRL1973]

Did 1 at Macabee this morning. Sunny and nice topside, vis was a disappointing 7-8ft. Saw a whale and a dolphin right off shore while suiting up but needless to say, no underwater sightings with the poor vis. Did see a nice big treefish who cooperated for the camera also a nice sized flounder of some, a couple of Cabezon and a big calico bass. Had a inquisitive sea lion swirl around me a few times. After the dive in the afternoon noticed larger waves breaking on shore, about waist high, still diveable.

---------- Post added December 28th, 2014 at 05:23 PM ----------

The theory I read (somewhere upthread?) is that the silt and muck drain away with a receding tide.

As a high tide rushes in, the nearshore waters are clear. The only particulates obscuring visibility are the ones carried in from the open ocean.

Supposedly, the best visibility comes just before the slack water before the highest tide, about where the red line is.






View attachment 199798

The red line is placed between 9:30 and 10:00 AM, your reported dive time. Apparently, the "magic" time.

(base image from NOAA Tides & Currents server)

In my experience tide doesn't mean much for monterey and carmel dive site visability. What you indicated would be absolutely correct at a site subject to large/strong tidal flows, like under the golden gate or in elkhorn slough where lot's of water forced through small openings during tide changes. At a site like breakwater or monastery tide doesn't move much water and agitation from wave action is the main factor during this time of year (In spring and Summer it is plankton blooms that are the major factor)

 

[UWPhotoKeith]

Dove Monterey Bay this weekend finishing up Tec 45. Today was Ballbuster, sea started out very calm and little wind and ended with larger long period swell with a bit of noticeable surge at 100'. Vis was a clear 20+ on the bottom. Water temp both days was a balmy 56. From the day before to today looked like conditions were improving underwater generally, of course that does not mean tomorrow will be any better. ;-)

Highlights were completing Tech 45 and meeting two really nice rebreather divers from Sweden on the boat.

 

[descent]

Did 1 at Macabee this morning. Sunny and nice topside, vis was a disappointing 7-8ft. ...
In my experience tide doesn't mean much for monterey and carmel dive site visability. ...

I honestly don't know which factors correlate most strongly with the best visibility between Carmel and the municipal wharves. I certainly agree that eutrophic blooms in warmer months cut into our enjoyment of beautiful clear water.

What I have been hoping to find is some indicator that serves as a good proxy for relative visibility. I wanted something that could tell me when the thick, gloppy plankton soup would be 2' - 4', and when the gloom would temporarily part and it would be 10' - 12', with all other things being equal.

After I identify something halfway consistent, I would like to automate the reporting and stream the updates. I would love to build and set some automated sensors in a few popular spots, but other priorities keep pushing these projects down. It might be something fun to start with a group of other diving homebuilders in 2015.

As you pointed out, surge is clearly a contributor, leading to scouring and suspension of grit and organic detritus. As far as I can tell, measuring surge lower in the water column is not technically difficult, just really expensive. Designing and deploying reliable sensors that measure horizontal displacements of seawater sounds like a blast, but it is outside of my budget right now, for both cash and attention. They would probably be fouled on a regular basis, and visiting them for regular cleaning would get old after a while. They would break. People might take them home. Etc.

NOAA buoys are already installed and maintained. I just hope they can tell us something useful.

Ken, it sounds like your dive earlier today was in the receding or slack water time marked by red.

According to Some Half-Baked Theory I Picked Up On Some Other Internet Forum, there will be very good visibility early tomorrow morning, at about 4:00AM. The high, high peak after a low, low trough suggests that viz might approach thirty feet out there at Lover's.

Sadly, I will be asleep then.



( base image from today's and tomorrow's tides at the NOAA Tides & Currents server )

 

[uspap]

Mubin and I had 40-50ft at butterfly house this morning. Water temp 56. Swell was very manageable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1W1D4yv6IE
Video of conditions

 

[3D diver]

Happy New Year NorCal

I spent a couple of hours at a party last night, socializing and playing music, then hopped in the truck and headed to Monterey for a dive---Midnight at the Metridiums, was the suggested theme.

It was flat---maybe 6 to 8 inch waves---and very clear water. Hard to estimate in the dark but better than 20 feet viz fer sure.

I'm pretty sure we followed a different pipe than I'm used to out to the metridiums, tooled around there for a bit, & reversed back to shore. Saw a tiny lingcod, a mystery fish---sailfin sculpin, I think---a lone squid and had a harbor seal following one of my buddies around too far away for me to video. There were a lot of sea hares about and I noticed a couple moving faster than I'd ever noticed before.

48feet max depth, 70 minutes. Computer logged 48F but I'm pretty sure that was the air temperature---we were warmer in the water.

Quick screen grab of mystery fish:

 

[griffon]

Two fantastic dives off of North monastery this morning. Visibility was 40 to 50 feet.vertical visibility it was 70 or 80 feet it was amazing to see the surface of the water all the way from the first edge of the wall. Overall water clarity was very nice also very low particulates.
Oh, and happy new year.
Snaps from the day
https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/walkerpad/sets/72157649657263558/

 

[uspap]

Butterfly house had 50-60ft plus vis. Insane. Wedding Rock had 50ft vis. Dove with Mubin and Oshri. Video soon.

 

[3D diver]

Home exhausted from a fun dive at the Monterey Breakwater. The air temperature was 32F when I motored into town, but the water was a balmy 54F. The seas were fairly calm, vis was 30+ feet. Saw the usual host of Breakwater fish and lots of small jellies and small salp-like colonial critters. Encountered several nice schools of fish in the shallows---10 to 5 feet---including one that was feasting on the jellies etc. mentioned above.
52 minutes, 44 feet max depth.

 

[uspap]

Here is a link to the dive I did with Mubin and Oshri on 1-1-15.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv_uJp7-3Pk