Monterey Dive Suggestions

[FreeFlyFreak]

So we are going to do a couple of dives in Monterey tomorrow, 5th Nov.
We want to do somewhere we have not dove before with easyish access.

Dives we have already done:
Del Monte Beach
Breakwater wall x3
Breakwater Middle Reef
Metridium field
Point Lobos Middle reef x2

So suggestions?
Supposed to be very low swell tomorrow.
Right now Im thinking Lovers Point or possibly North Monastery.
Pros and cons or other site suggestions welcomed.

 

[runsongas]

north monastery is better. lovers is ok. maybe give copper roof house a shot too. pt lobos would be the best if you have a way to get out further than middle reef though.

 

[Chavodel8en]

Well conditions are extremely calm, and that's the best time to do North Monastery

But even on a flat day, I wouldn't call it easyish access. You will still need to hike over a sand dune, and the entry will still be challenging. Some would even say to not do it w/out someone experienced with Monastery.

You just need to know that soon after you step in, you will take one step and be in water too deep to stand in, in a wave zone. You need to get out of that wave zone quickly, by swimming (w/out fins) out. The wave zone is small, but you don't want to caught in a "washing tube" action.

Alternatively, crawl in with your fins on, and an empty BC.

Your choice if you want to attempt it as a newbie.

I would also recommend - Do Lobos again. If you don't want to do the same dive (middle reef), stay to the left, swim out a bit further, and try to find Hole in the Wall. You can Google for better directions.

 

[FreeFlyFreak]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

N Monastery definitely has the hardest access of the sites but I would like to catch it while its calm, as it is supposed to be today and tomorrow, it may have to wait for another day though because.....

It will be my Girlfriends first dive on her new BC, Im thinking Monastery may not be the best place for that, as her weighting will need to be checked and possibly adjusted for the change in equipment.

Im currently leaning towards Lovers and/or Copper Roof house (thanks for that suggestion).
Both look to have close parking, with easy access and entry to the water.

 

[FreeFlyFreak]

We ended up going to Lovers Point #3

Easy parking, picnic benches for gear set up.
Grassy area for SI and to lie gear while wet so it didn't get covered in dirt, grit or sand.

First dive we carried BC's with tanks to the beach first. Suited up at the picnic table, then geared up on the beach as the hand rails don't go all the way down and it turns from steps to rocks at the bottom. Second dive we got braver and suited and kitted up on the grass and went down wearing everything but fins and mask.

2 great dives of 55 mins and 68 mins.
First dive we went NE and back.
Second dive went NW and then back along the rock formations nearer shore.

Navigation was easy.

Vis varied from 5 ft to 20 ft
Most often was 10-15ft.

Saw lots of cool stuff.
I don't know the names of almost anything we saw I really need to learn some sea creature and fish id's
We did see a leopard shark at the very end of dive 2 chilling on the bottom, a bunch of different rock fish, a mola mola dead being eaten by 8 crabs, and obviously thousands of purple urchins and sand dollars.
If i had a dollar for every sand dollar........

Not the best dive site I have been to in Monterey/Carmel area but it was enjoyable to scope out a new area and an easy site for trying out new gear. My girlfriends BC worked well for her.

One of these days we'll get to Monastery when its nice and calm and we are not using something new.