Monterey conditions. (let's keep it going )

[wnissen]

Conditions this morning were pretty poor, so no Monastery for me. I ended up trying for Metridium Fields. Vis was 5-10 feet and it was 53F. I say 'trying' because I dropped my camera without realizing early on and spent over two hours between two dives trying to find it, which I didn't. So if anyone sees a gopro in an aluminum mount with a yellow-tackled double ender attached, I'd be much obliged if you'd grab it. I think I lost it in the area around the smaller pipes. I was a complete yard sale this week.

Bummer! This would have been a good day to look for it.

First dive at Otter Cove (just down the coast from Lover's Point, the two sites are visible from each other. Parking was full shortly after 8:30. This was the monthly Aqua Tutus club dive, my first event with them. Great people, very enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

Access staircase has one big step at the bottom but otherwise not bad. There is a decent stand of kelp just offshore after a short surface swim, and some very nice pinnacles on the far edge (northwest from shore). Full sun, not a cloud in the ceiling, so tons of light for the majestic kelp. Great viz, 30-35 ft. / 10 m once you got away from the sand. Max depth was 9m / 29 ft., tons to see. Getting in wasn't bad with the tide at 1 ft. / 30 cm, but it was tricky getting out near low tide at 0. Very shallow water, slippery rocks and grass. Even the numerous spear fishers were having trouble getting out, and they don't have huge tanks on their backs. 78 minutes, but I was really cold from moving slowly. Gotta get a custom wetsuit or drysuit! Found a nice knife in good shape.

Given the difficulties getting in and out, most of the group called it a day, Jim and Dave and I decided to take the gimmie dive at Breakwater. Kicked out to 9, went just around the bend and back. Got buzzed by a harbor seal, cormorant tore past me in hot pursuit of a fish. Saw two huge 20cm white nudibranchs with adorable little rabbit tails, and a rainbow nudibranch, in addition to the usual (but still beautiful) yellow dorids. One somehow hitched a ride out with us and I put it back in. Water temperature a balmy 13ºC / 55ºF, but we moved a bit quicker and I wasn't as cold. 13 m / 43 ft., 70 minutes. Viz wasn't quite as good, still a solid 7 m / 25 ft. Kelp was pretty sparse along the wall.

Great day for diving!

 

[elgoog]

Good conditions at Pt Lobos on Saturday! Tide was really low by the time we were done but the ramp has been cleaned recently so it wasn't as hideous of an exit as it could have been.
Visibility was decent as well once we got past the sand channel - we spent some time doing ascent drills before wandering around Sea Mount and the inner sites.
Beautiful day and not freezing cold in the morning were huge pluses as well.

-> 85 min bottom time, 86ft max, 52ft avg, 20ft viz, 49F at depth

Video from my buddy - the first time we've taken the camera out in almost a year.

 

[wnissen]

Pretty rough today, the urchin meetup was canceled due to 6+ ft swell. Lovers Point was pretty protected. Water is beautiful and clear despite the surf.

 

[leavenotrace]

Looks calm today, I'm venturing out.

 

[Thrutch]

Nice day at North Monastery yesterday. Average temp was 46.4F. Vis was 20-25 feet. Little bit of surge close to shore. @absaav did some fish whispering and called up a bunch of beautiful ling cod for us on the second dive, including one big guy more the color of a cabezon, which was interesting.

 

[leavenotrace]

Calm at the breakwater currently, 49 degrees, visibility about 20'.

 

[leavenotrace]

A little afternoon wind swell yesterday, 54f at depth visibility 12-15' at the Breakwater. Heading back out today to look for a lost phone around 13 on the breakwater at the edge of the kelp, and Thrutch's camera on the pipe.

 

[leavenotrace]

47-53* this morning, visibility between 10 and 20 feet around Cannery Row.

A bit green, but a good day to dive. A bit of current at depth.

 

[uspap]

2 Dives at Breakwater today. 25ft +/- vis, blue, calm and a cold 49 degrees. A ton of Hermesenda out in sandy area. Beautiful day. Nice to be back after a 3 month dry spell. Did wall and middle kelp. Vis was best in kelp and shallower along the wall. Heard from Aquarius DM that Monastery was a solid 30ft vis in the shallows but at depth it dropped a bit.

 

[Akimbo]

A ton of Hermesenda out in sandy area.

What is Hermesenda? Google can't find it.