New In Town

[surlytart]

Howdy folks. I just moved down to San Francisco from Seattle. When I asked at our local shops up north, they said Monterey is the only place to dive down here. Is it true? Is there any place closer? I haven't found much yet.

Hope to meet you some day.

 

[colsonn]

Tahoe is great, I dive there when I go home to see the parents. The visibility is great. Of course that isn't any closer to you. When I lived in Folsom, I would dive Folsom lake a lot, but word of advice, never dive there, nothin' to see, literally. I would check with your new lds to see where they dive. Monterey is wonderful diving, it's where I got certified. Good luck a place to dive.

Nick

 

[Jim Ernst]

lake tahoe is fun once or twice, folsom lake is boring, but if you are dying to get wet it works, i am in sacramento and i drive 3 hours to monterey every other weekend almost without fail, so i am afraid there really is no other or better place that i know of to dive. so look at the bright side at least you live an hour and a half closer to monterey/carmel/pacific grove and all the rest down there then i do. sorry but i know of nothing better or closer!!! ever need a dive buddy i am always in need of just a tiny excuse to go diving!!!!

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Monterey is where it's at mostly. There's also the North Coast (ZKY should chime in)
and Tahoe.

Learn about our local kelp. From what I hear from PNW divers, our kelp gets a LOT
thicker come summer than up there.


Chuck

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Yes, here I am.

The North Coast can be very good diving if you know where to go. The diving starts about Fort Ross in Sonoma County and goes up to about Fort Bragg in Mendocino County. The area is very rugged and scenic. Most of that section of coast is inaccessable due to either private property or lack of safe access unless you are a mountain goat.
There are very few services as far as dive shops on the coast. There is a shop in Bodega Bay (Bodega Bay Pro Dive), there is True Value Hardware to get air fills in Gualala, I think there is still a shop in Point Arena, Double D systems? and the best shop around up there- Sub Surface Progression in Fort Bragg.

The beach diving spots starting from Sonoma County and going north:

Reef Campground
Fort Ross Beach (fat man beach) wreck of the Pomona
Fort Ross Cove North
The garden ( mean bull, run like hell!)
Fort Ross Lodge head
Timber Cove
Stillwater cove
Ocean Cove (boat launch during ab season)
Gerstle Cove State Park
Fisk Mill Cove south
Fisk mill cove north
Several places along sea ranch if you know someone or rent a place
Anchor bay
Point Arena Light House (arena rock if you have a boat)
Elk (killer ab diving spot)
Albion Cove
Van Damme
Mendocino Headlands (the sewer pipe)
Russian Gulch
MacKerricker State Park
Kabesillah Rock(sp) where Ranty Fry got his head bit off by a great white shark
Usal Creek

And many other places mixed in between all those that I'm not thinking of right now.

There's also lot's of good camping in both counties along the coast.

If you want to check it out just ask.

ZKY

 

[Jim Ernst]

zky(eric) is the one to know on the north coast, and it is beutiful, i didnt mention the coast though as i only know a tiny bit about it and only because zky introduced me to it!!

 

[renpirate]

Here is a link to a great site that has detailed descriptions of most of the Northern California dive sites:
http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/USA_West/CalN/index.htm

Probably the best place to start is Gerstle Cove. The access is very easy and it is a protected underwater sanctuary. There are some truly incredible sites up here that you really need a boat to get to, but are quite beautiful.

Let us know if you want to try some diving up here and I am sure we can get people to show you around.

 

[surlytart]

Thanks folks! I'd love to do some diving with you.
Sorry I took so long to repond, I just got back from Belize. Great diving there.