Monterey conditions. (let's keep it going )

[wnissen]

MBS is a solid crew over there. I never done a night dive - that’ll be motivation to get my AOW.

They did a great job for me. No nitrox, just O2 clean air, but they also sold me a hard-to-find tank boot.

If anyone finds a small (5 mm / .25 in) silver colored earring on the grass at the top of San Carlos, please DM me.

And if anyone has a place that they like for regulator service, please post here:

Question - Reg service in SF Bay Area?

I have a 2018 Apeks reg that needs service before I am going to take the regulator repair class. I assume almost any shop that services Aqualung / Apeks regs can do it, but do y'all know of who does so in house? My usual shop has gone to mail order, and if it's going to be sent off I figure I...

scubaboard.com

Thanks,
Walt

 

[Bigbella]

Two dives yesterday -- one in Carmel, at North Monastery, after its neighboring beach -- Carmel River -- was a bit of a frothy mess and stank, for whatever reason, like tetramin flakes. Six to seven meter visibility, about halfway out to the "splash rock"; though murkier closer to shore and also, oddly, at about 30 meters.

Two very large molas were seen.

Flat at both sites, with about 13˚ C water.

The second dive at San Carlos Beach, on the way back, was much the same, though with a bit more light overhead, having approached noontime. Visibility was much the same as outside of the bay, for a change -- no sea lions but a lone "ballistic sausage" harbor seal shadowed me for a while.

Some dimbo from the aquarium yelled at me (yet again) from the breakwater, when I eventually surfaced; turned out that I was about a meter or so away from an otter who couldn't have cared less about my presence and made no effort, whatsoever, to move away. Her yelling, through cupped hands, was far more startling to both of us.

A "vegan" taco truck (I don't even know where to begin) tooled through the parking lot a couple of times, but there seemed to have been no takers -- and it really reminded me of that old "liver & onions" Far Side cartoon . . .

 

[jellycatsdad]

Dove the breakwater on Sunday. Terrible, no good, bad. Once I was in the water, pea soup and got plenty of practice in keeping your buddies close but I was ready to do lost diver if I got separated.

The entry and exits were gnarly.

 

[Bigbella]

Three meters, tops, in terms of visibility -- not worth burning the gas, in my opinion, on either side of the bay today -- a sizable dead mola, about 10 kilos in weight, off of Carmel River Beach, with a good Original Ray's pizza slice missing from the dorsal area and a bazillion larval fish nipping away at the ragged bits; that, and a d-e-d, dead sea lion at San Carlos Beach with a marine mammal rescue van, having heroically arrived, a bit late in the game, though still somehow ticked that I walked within a meter of it . . .

 

[JorinB]

Still pea soup at the breakwater yesterday. I heard there was an upwelling a week ago that brought 47 degree F surface temps and great vis, but the sunny week allowed phytoplankton growth. I could barely see my buddy when they were within arms reach yesterday.

 

[Bigbella]

Still looked like miso soup, right down to the bits of algae, as of Wednesday morning, on both Carmel and Monterey sides, flat as a board, but with only a charitable two meters of visibility.

So, diving by Braille and a bracing 10˚C -- what could be more better?

 

[uspap]

Two dives at Breakwater today. 52 degree water. A bit on the greenish side but not pea soup. Less than 10 ft vis shallow but when you got out by the tree along the wall it opened up to 15ft. Ton of seals between the 5 and 7 marker. Buzzed by a few squadrons. The pups are curious and playful right now. Still scares the crap out of you when they come screaming up to your mask out of nowhere. Fun dives.

 

[Bigbella]

Uspap was not lying -- though the water was about three degrees warmer, this morning -- at least on the Monterey side.

Carmel was, eh, and, aside from zillions of mysids and larval fish, was more of a muck dive; but saw my first squid egg cases of the season, at about 25 meters. Timing a decent, let's not do a face plant for the tourists exit, was a bit of a chore; just floated in the shallows for a while, until I could walk out.

Monterey had its hoodlum juvenile sea lions and I was dive-bombed by no less than eight, which shadowed me for a while. A honking bull was also close by and there was a dead medium sized one in the shallows, being chowed on by sea stars -- a nasty way to go.

Visibility at San Carlos topped off at about 5 meters, by the sunken tree, along the wall and somewhat spotty in the shallows; but the zipping, barking varmints were well worth the effort . . .

 

[Thrutch]

So. Many. Sea. Lions. Dove Breakwater Saturday and Sunday. 52° and average 15-20' vis Saturday. 54° and 10-15' vis Sunday. Dozens and dozens of sea lions. They were a near constant presence and exceptionally bold and playful. The usual dodging OW classes kicking up sand. A few ling cod and cabezon hanging out. Loads of fun.

 

[uspap]

Breakwater today was 10ft +/- vis. Greenish but still nice dives. 54 degree water. Not much Sea Lion activity but saw a bunch of flat worms and black dorids. Also, all the usual suspects in the parking lot. Minus of course Keyser Söze.