Non-Monterey training sites in bay area?

[doublea]

I'm looking for suggestions of where I can go with my dive buddies for some practice running reels and doing safety drills to prepare for some cavern/cave diving in Mexico. Pools I can rent in the south bay or lakes within 1-2 hours would be ideal...I don't need anything other than visibility (and ideally rocks). I previously used Tahoe but it's too cold right now (an ideally temp would be something I can use a 5mm in).

any ideas? I found arrowhead lake but it seems to have Ecoli problems .

 

[runsongas]

most of the lakes won't be warm enough for a 5mm either anymore. you would have to look into a public pool that is deep enough to support diving or possibly a private swim academy pool.

 

[crzyfish]

Have you considered the North Jetty in Half Moon Bay? Rocks and kelp. Check on the tide and weather. Others will chime in. You might want to launch a boat to that position and drop in. If you want to experience a no-vis situation, I did a Search and Recovery attempt in Aquatic Park in SF. 10'-15' depth, 10" (yes, inches) of visibility. Be aware it's dungeness crab season and a lot of fisherfolk and boats might be in the area.

 

[Chavodel8en]

I have never dove there, but I know that one of the shops (Dive & Trips) does training & dives at Shadow Cliffs lake in Pleasanton. Activities & Events - Dive N Trips

I don't know if you need permission or anything. The parks website doesn't even mention scuba.
EBRPD - Shadow Cliffs

I don't know what the temperature would be.

 

[wnissen]

I have never dove there, but I know that one of the shops (Dive & Trips) does training & dives at Shadow Cliffs lake in Pleasanton. Activities & Events - Dive N Trips

I don't know if you need permission or anything. The parks website doesn't even mention scuba.
EBRPD - Shadow Cliffs

I don't know what the temperature would be.

Dive N Trips definitely has an arrangement, I don't know if anyone can just go there and train. As I understand it they pay a fee and ensure that East Bay Parks gets a waiver from each participant. Vis is usually around a few meters, temperatures are no wetsuit in late summer to 7mm in the late winter. You might check E. coli levels there as well.

 

[doublea]

Ah, I've heard of Shadow cliffs from a Bamboo reef instructor. It sounds promising, but I am a bit unsure about the water quality:
http://ebparks-prod.civica.granicusops.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=29974

anyone have have any experience there?

 

[spoolin01]

Del Valle isn't too far. Not sure about viz or temp.

 

[Bigbella]

I did some spearfishing, years ago, at Pacifica, off Shelter Cove -- and, from time to time, Rockaway Beach; but the visibility was always on the mediocre side; and the swimming could pose a challenge, even when the surf didn't resemble a Hokusai woodcut. Rip currents were common and very severe . . .

 

[wnissen]

Ah, I've heard of Shadow cliffs from a Bamboo reef instructor. It sounds promising, but I am a bit unsure about the water quality:
http://ebparks-prod.civica.granicusops.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=29974

anyone have have any experience there?

Sorry, I should have specified. I did my open-water dives 1 and 2 there. The water quality is variable, sometimes bad in the summer, but I've dived there several times when the quality was in the "moderate" zone with no ill effects.
Del Valle is also an East Bay Parks lake, but I wouldn't recommend it. Much more and much faster boat traffic, plus I'm not sure they even allow swimming outside the tiny beach area. Shadow Cliffs is just a few fishing boats.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Are you opposed to going up north across the GG bridge up to Marin, Sonoma, or Mendocino counties?