New Diver & New to the Area

[Peter_C]

Welcome to the board guys

Make sure you bookmark and read Chuck's web page Ba_diving Website - Information about Northern California diving There is a ton of information, but most importantly it has the swell forecasts.

Curious which Aquarius shop you are getting certified through and who your instructor is going to be?

After certification you need to get out and dive dive dive. My thoughts on continuing your training...When you feel you have buoyancy under control and finning etc, then it is would be a good time to take an AOW class. Getting at least 25 dives under your belts will make it a better learning experience. Instead of focusing on basic skills you will be able to learn more advanced skills and be more comfortable in low vis (Errrr pitch black at night) and deeper depths. Monterey has plenty to offer in 45-60 feet of water. Plus your dives will be longer at a shallower depth.

There is a map available at most any dive shop that covers the shore dives around Monterey. It is a great resource to scout out possible dive sites. Might also be a good idea to ask your instructor about the dangers of some sites like Monastery Beach.

 

[Darth_Rahl]

Welcome to the board guys

Make sure you bookmark and read Chuck's web page Ba_diving Website - Information about Northern California diving There is a ton of information, but most importantly it has the swell forecasts.

Curious which Aquarius shop you are getting certified through and who your instructor is going to be?

After certification you need to get out and dive dive dive. My thoughts on continuing your training...When you feel you have buoyancy under control and finning etc, then it is would be a good time to take an AOW class. Getting at least 25 dives under your belts will make it a better learning experience. Instead of focusing on basic skills you will be able to learn more advanced skills and be more comfortable in low vis (Errrr pitch black at night) and deeper depths. Monterey has plenty to offer in 45-60 feet of water. Plus your dives will be longer at a shallower depth.

There is a map available at most any dive shop that covers the shore dives around Monterey. It is a great resource to scout out possible dive sites. Might also be a good idea to ask your instructor about the dangers of some sites like Monastery Beach.

awesome, looks like there is some great info in there. Once we get our certs we were thinking about diving at the breakwater, and seeing if we can navigate our way to the metridium (sp?) field and back. is that a good n00b dive or am I biting off more than I can chew?

 

[Peter_C]

awesome, looks like there is some great info in there. Once we get our certs we were thinking about diving at the breakwater, and seeing if we can navigate our way to the metridium (sp?) field and back. is that a good n00b dive or am I biting off more than I can chew?

I would recommend a few dives along the Breakwater wall first or something not quite so far out. That will allow you work on simple skills like buoyancy, and watching your air pressure, depth gauge, etc., without having to focus as much on navigation. You will be plenty task loaded on the first few dives. Make sure when you do start venturing out further that you carry a surface marker buoy, and if swimming back in on the surface you deploy it, so the many boats can see you (Black everything can easily disappear in the sun or swells). You should always carry an SMB anyhow, along with a whistle and shears. A small knife is handy to have too. There can be a lot of fishing line at the popular dive sites.

When you are ready to head out to the metridium fields ask "friends", aka other divers, if they can show you the line ups and the heading needed. Of course the best way would be to have someone guide you out there. Just ask and you might be pleasantly surprised by the willingness of divers to help others. You could probably find someone to take you out there the first time.

Mcabee Beach by the El Torrito restaurant is a nice dive site that will provide hours of entertainment. If you eat lunch at the restaurant you can park there for free. Of course you can park across the street too for a fee. This link doesn't work for me, but maybe you have the right plug-ins. McAbee Beach web cam

 

[sarita75]

I would recommend a few dives along the Breakwater wall first or something not quite so far out. That will allow you work on simple skills like buoyancy, and watching your air pressure, depth gauge, etc., without having to focus as much on navigation.

I was going to recommend the same. I oftentimes find, what I call the "Middle Reef" area at the Breakwater to be a great area to explore. Plus, you can try your hand at navigating. Swim out drop down, navigate out further, then bear right, and then head back to shore. There are a # of rocks out there that have neat things to look at. You'll know where they are soon enough when the kelp grows back fully, since kelp is almost always attached to rocks. Can be quite fun.

 

[Darth_Rahl]

awesome input guys, thanks

 

[alwaingold]

There is also the pipe on the way to the Metridium field, which you could do as a baby step before you make it to the Metridium field. I personally love the pipe as a dive on its own -- there are lots of little critters along/around it. I also like MacAbee, though I seem to be in the minority on that (at least among my dive buddies). There are almost always harbor seals waiting to play with divers there Plus it has lots of the little critters you will see at the Breakwater, plus sea hares! I know they can be at the Breakwater too, but I see them more often at MacAbee.

 

[bbianchi]

Welcome to the board guys

Make sure you bookmark and read Chuck's web page Ba_diving Website - Information about Northern California diving There is a ton of information, but most importantly it has the swell forecasts.

Curious which Aquarius shop you are getting certified through and who your instructor is going to be?

After certification you need to get out and dive dive dive. My thoughts on continuing your training...When you feel you have buoyancy under control and finning etc, then it is would be a good time to take an AOW class. Getting at least 25 dives under your belts will make it a better learning experience. Instead of focusing on basic skills you will be able to learn more advanced skills and be more comfortable in low vis (Errrr pitch black at night) and deeper depths. Monterey has plenty to offer in 45-60 feet of water. Plus your dives will be longer at a shallower depth.

There is a map available at most any dive shop that covers the shore dives around Monterey. It is a great resource to scout out possible dive sites. Might also be a good idea to ask your instructor about the dangers of some sites like Monastery Beach.

We are getting our Open Water with Diver Dan's in San Jose, since we both work up that way.

I was very happy with the level of knowledge, desire to be friendly and offer information, etc when I visited Aquarius. The Aquarius off Del Monte. Thats probably where I will go for Nitrox, AOW etc.

Have you expereiced any unpleasentness while diving the wall at break water as far as fishing lines and hooks are concerned? I was concerned that it may be easy to tangle in lines and have a fisher thing your a fish and then hook you while trying to reel in.

 

[bbianchi]

There is also the pipe on the way to the Metridium field, which you could do as a baby step before you make it to the Metridium field. I personally love the pipe as a dive on its own -- there are lots of little critters along/around it. I also like MacAbee, though I seem to be in the minority on that (at least among my dive buddies). There are almost always harbor seals waiting to play with divers there Plus it has lots of the little critters you will see at the Breakwater, plus sea hares! I know they can be at the Breakwater too, but I see them more often at MacAbee.

Is the best way to find the pipe just to line up with Reedside and swim out 100Meters?

 

[rainman_02]

I prefer to line up the tree fountain with the vertical center bar of the left-most windows of the L&M building. Additionally, you can use the restrooms at the Breakwater wall (or the deli behind them) as a second line up. Drop on the big pipe every time. Will post a picture shortly.


Another good way is to drop in line with the little pump-house. There's a small pipe that you can drop on and then take a N-NE compass heading to intersect the big pipe.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

This link doesn't work for me, but maybe you have the right plug-ins. McAbee Beach web cam

It won't work for anybody -- they moved out of that location. Too bad for us, but I've
heard the reasons and it was a good move for them.