Monterey conditions. (let's keep it going )

[absaav]

Shore dives from San Carlos Beach, yesterday. The vis was variable with 3-6' at the surface and in the shallows. Once down to 30-40' along the breakwater the vis ranged from 10-20'. As we moved along towards the harbor, the vis decayed due to lots of stuff in suspension. We scooted out to the barge (depth around 62') and the vis was around 50'.

How did you navigate to the barge?
I noticed the marker (white pvc post) at the base of 13 on the wall is present but the line has been missing for several months, presumably cut.

 

[runsongas]

from the marker, just use compass heading 340 until you hit the marker line further along

 

[Eyegore]

Well, there you go!

 

[absaav]

great info, thanks.

 

[Bigbella]

Visibility was in the ten meter range yesterday -- both on the Carmel and Monterey side.

Here's a brief clip from Can Carlos Beach, featuring a cameo by an idiot who had forgotten his hood, in 10˚ C water -- having just had pecking issues, on his head and arm, from three cormorants. One is seen below, along with a sea lion, who had been shadowing him, for about twenty minutes.

Been wondering how Peking Cormorant would taste . . .

 

[uspap]

There is a team of 3 Cormorants that have been harassing divers for the past few weeks. The video is from Monday's dive. It is only a fraction of the Cormorant sightings. Not surprising, there were no hoodless divers spotted. Must be rare.

 

[Eyegore]

I like the cormorants. One bombed me last Saturday. It split after I lit it up with the dive light.

 

[uspap]

Did 3 dives at Breakwater today. Vis was kind of like bookends. First dive vis was so so. Second dive vis was great. Third dive vis was ok at the end of the Breakwater but coming back in it went to brown diving by braille. The Sea Lions were putting on a show at the end of the breakwater. Great day diving but kind of a mixed bag. Had sea lions all over us. The video is only a fraction. Best vis 30+ worst vis 5ft

 

[elgoog]

First dive in 6 months!! Pretty low tide at Pt Lobos when we got in and the visibility inside the cove was worse than what I would have expected at the trough - brown like miso soup made but also darker due to the thick kelp canopy.
There was also some magnetic interference caused due to solar flares and Saturn being in retrograde that messed with my compass which resulted in multiple navigational errors; nothing to do with me.

Hole in the Wall and deeper towards Lone Metridium was MUCH nicer! Granite Point Wall side was murkier and very surgy.
Short and simple dive - no stages and didn't venture out too far. Nothing particular to note except it's great to be back in the water and see my dive buddies. Also glad that my drysuit stayed dry after a zipper replacement.
-> 70min, 71ft max, 50F at depth


EDIT: LOL, my buddy pointed out that I was giving him the finger around 27s in the video. That was my signal for Middle Reef which took me 15min to find after I navigated us into Coal Chute Cove.

 

[Bigbella]

11 August: visibility verging on miso soup, complete with kombu, bordering, in some spots, on the minestre -- both on the Carmel and Monterey side. Visibility was a sixth of what it was last week. Water was also about five degrees warmer; and we have the return of an algal bloom, to show for it, which left me and all of my gear smelling of tetramin . . .

It's still soaking . . .