North coast diving June 23 - 25

[TSandM]

Well, I'm finally doing it. I'm coming down to Rohnert Park the weekend of the 22nd, because that day is my niece's wedding. And rather than go down to Monterey to dive, Peter wants to check out the north coast.

So, we will be leaving Rohnert Park on Sunday morning and driving west. I'd love recommendations for where to dive, and where to get fills, and would LOVE it if anybody here could join us.

 

[fisheater]

I SO want to join you!

I'll see what I can do.

Best local fills would be Sonoma Coast Divers on Commerce Blvd. in Rohnert Park and Pinnacles on Armory Dr. in Santa Rosa.

Best plan is to drive out to the Sonoma coast and choose a divesite, based on conditions. The ones to check (south to north) are Fort Ross, Stillwater Cove and Gerstle Cove (in Salt Point State Park).

Another plan would be to drive (longer) up to the Mendocino coast and check out Russian Gulch, Van Damme and Caspar.

I'm PMing my phone number. Please call me as time gets closer.

 

[Peter_C]

As I said in the other thread, I should be able to sneak away on Sunday the 23rd for a couple of dives. Are you bringing scooters? They really open up the dive sites on the North Coast allowing depths up to 100ft fairly easily, or deeper if you are prepared, and like darkness.

I know you used to live in the area, but just a friendly reminder that it is an 1:15 drive to Fort Ross from Santa Rosa moving at a pretty good clip. Further to some of the other dive sites. Mendocino technically has better diving, often on par with Monterey. You could stay out at the coast at one of the hotels. Timber Cove on the North Coast is nice, and Mendocino/Fort Bragg has more options.

Keep in mind, many of the entries are either further across a beach, or over slippery boulders, and tanks should be chosen appropriately. What kind of tanks do you plan to dive here? If you want Nitrox there is only one place to get it in Sonoma County as far as I know, so if you want Nitrox ask me where to get it offline. I have some tanks you could borrow if you so desire too.

 

[Ben_ca]

Well, I'm finally doing it. I'm coming down to Rohnert Park the weekend of the 22nd, because that day is my niece's wedding. And rather than go down to Monterey to dive, Peter wants to check out the north coast.

So, we will be leaving Rohnert Park on Sunday morning and driving west. I'd love recommendations for where to dive, and where to get fills, and would LOVE it if anybody here could join us.

I have 1 lobos spot for Sunday... but would love to do a North Coast dive with you. I have some 100's and 130's if you need some.

 

[TSandM]

We'll be bringing single tank setups, because I had read that some of the entries are non-trivial. I had this awful feeling that there would be no fills anywhere on the coast, so I guess we'll have to sit down and figure out how many tanks we can bring. We'll be working our way north, so a day of diving in the Ft. Ross sort of area would work, and then maybe the next day in Mendocino.

 

[Peter_C]

Well if you dive in Sonoma County with a local, we can supply you with tanks. Then you can save your own tanks and continue on with your journey. There is a dive shop in Fort Bragg called Subsurface Progression that does "light" air fills. What size tanks would you desire? 130's or 100's, or both? There isn't a dive site I am not willing to dive doubles at, but it is more of a struggle/workout, especially if totting a scooter. Are you bringing scooters?

FWIW the drive up highway 1 is beautiful, although the roads are very winding at times. Including North of Fort Bragg all the way to where the Lost Coast meets the ocean. Spectacular views! Although I am not sure I would recommend it as an everyday drive. If you have time and the gumption for an easy dirt road drive, along with hiking and sight seeing, I would recommend a few hours at Tall Tree's, near Eureka. It is the most amazing old growth redwood grove I have ever seen.

 

[TSandM]

I grew up on the coast, so Highway 1 is home to me. I dive 100s, and Peter dives 130s, but we were going to bring some tanks with us.

What I'd really like to do is a few dives along the coastline I knew so well as a kid -- we owned property at the Sea Ranch, which was my father's dream, although the house was never finished and we had to sell it to finance his Alzheimer's care. But everything from Jenner to Mendocino is very familiar -- we used to stay at the motel at Ocean Cove, and sometimes at the Anchor Bay campground.

I would really love to dive along here, even if the dives weren't spectacular. And I'd love to share this kind of pilgrimage with some SB friends.

 

[andrewy]

If you guys go i'll join you .. i will need some single tanks either 100 or 120s.. all my doubled up. I can bring them for transfills though.

 

[TSandM]

Okay, we're down to the wire here!

What I've come up with as a tentative plan . . . We head out Sunday morning (probably not at the crack of dawn) and drive to Gerstle Cove (or Ft. Ross, if people think that is better. We haven't dived either, so it makes us no never mind) and do one or two dives, depending on time. I've found a reasonable-looking motel in Gualala in which to stay. Monday, we go on up to Mendocino. It looks as though the nearest place for fills is in Fort Bragg, but that's not that horrible a drive. What dive sites should we look at in the Mendocino area? I know Russian Gulch is right there.

Do we need to take tides into much consideration for these sites? And is there a swell model we can pull up to see if the ocean is going to be cooperative?

 

[fisheater]

For current ocean conditions, check out the links on the front page of www.northcoastdivers.org