Please tell:what's good about ca diving??

[luvspoodles]

Hello. I am a somewhat new diver-34 dives to be exact. I was certified last May and have since been on 3 tropical vacations with my husband just to dive. I am tired of driving up the credit card bill to dive, and know that i need to dive here in CA. This has quickly become our passion, and we have even considered moving to a tropical location just so we can dive. However, our life is here and I have heard that CA diving really is good. I was so scared of diving that I failed my open water in Monterey and had to retake it in Folsom. Since then I have greatly improved my diving and even bought our own gear. I am afraid to dive here due to my experience. In order to get more experience, we are taking the advanced class with Dolphin Scuba in Sacramento in a few weeks. Can anyone please give us some encouragement? My husband is not looking forward to ca diving at all and I really want to give him some reasons to go. I would love it if anyone could answer some of my questions.
-Is there anything to see? And if there is, can you really see it due to the low vis?
-Is the low vis hard to deal with?
-How is the cold water-can we comfortably do it with wetsuits? We want to make sure we like it before we buy drysuits.
-Can I do it comfortably as a relatively new diver(34 dives)?
-What is the best way to meet people so that we can have buddies to dive with?
-Are there any women divers in the Monterey or Sacramento area? We're from Roseville.
Thank you so much for your time. It is really appreciated.

 

[diverrick]

California diving is not bad, but I would say it's 'different" from warm water diving. I would think you should hook up with a reputible dive op down in Monterey or Catalina for your first time in Salt water up here, as that will help relieve the stress, and help make sure you get a good dive in, as you don't know where to go yet. You can also dive some of the sierra lakes, and the vis is pretty good up there. If you have others who have dove the coast before, you might gooing with them for awhile. Try Salt point, up on the North Coast, it's a pretty easy first time dive site. As for the Vis, it is all over the place, you never really know what it'll be most times until you get in. You can dive in 7 MM wet suits, the only discomfort is when you first get in, then you warm right up, usually it feels good because your hot from humping all the gear down to the water any way. You might also consider getting in with some dive clubs through Dolphin, they can help you guys get over the anxiety your feeling.

 

[scubasean]

-Is there anything to see? And if there is, can you really see it due to the low vis?
-Is the low vis hard to deal with?
-How is the cold water-can we comfortably do it with wetsuits? We want to make sure we like it before we buy drysuits.
-Can I do it comfortably as a relatively new diver(34 dives)?
-What is the best way to meet people so that we can have buddies to dive with?
-Are there any women divers in the Monterey or Sacramento area? We're from Roseville.
Thank you so much for your time. It is really appreciated.

I see vehicles from Dolphin Scuba at Monterey dive spots all of the time. I'm sure they will be great for what you have in mind!

As for doing Monterey diving comfortably as a new diver, there are new divers certified in Monterey waters quite frequently. Just take it at your own pace, and learn to enjoy it.

Vis is often low, but the sea life is wonderful. There are otters to play with, nudibranchs all over... I see crabs all of the time, scare up halibut on occasion, etc.

If you intend to dive Monterey alot, you might want a drysuit. The water is often in the low 50F range. But, many folks seem to do just fine with 7mm wetsuits.

As for how to find buddies, scubaboard is a great place to find them. There are also several dive shops in and around Monterey that have clubs you might want to look into.

 

[boomx5]

Hello. I am a somewhat new diver-34 dives to be exact. I was certified last May and have since been on 3 tropical vacations with my husband just to dive. I am tired of driving up the credit card bill to dive, and know that i need to dive here in CA. This has quickly become our passion, and we have even considered moving to a tropical location just so we can dive. However, our life is here and I have heard that CA diving really is good. I was so scared of diving that I failed my open water in Monterey and had to retake it in Folsom. Since then I have greatly improved my diving and even bought our own gear. I am afraid to dive here due to my experience. In order to get more experience, we are taking the advanced class with Dolphin Scuba in Sacramento in a few weeks. Can anyone please give us some encouragement? My husband is not looking forward to ca diving at all and I really want to give him some reasons to go. I would love it if anyone could answer some of my questions.
-Is there anything to see? And if there is, can you really see it due to the low vis?
-Is the low vis hard to deal with?
-How is the cold water-can we comfortably do it with wetsuits? We want to make sure we like it before we buy drysuits.
-Can I do it comfortably as a relatively new diver(34 dives)?
-What is the best way to meet people so that we can have buddies to dive with?
-Are there any women divers in the Monterey or Sacramento area? We're from Roseville.
Thank you so much for your time. It is really appreciated.

I'm glad you brought up Dolphin since I forgot to go get my doubles filled today. Anyway, I love California diving. I dive all the way from Monterey to Tahoe and lots of places in between (some mountain lakes). Part of the problem is you and you husband may not have hit enough spots in Monterey and seen enough to keep your interest.

Also, I have a lot of friends here in the Sacramento area that I dive with on a regular basis. Myself, I'm from Loomis and my office is in Roseville and there are people all over the area you guys can hook up with. If you would like, you guys can PM me and I can point you in the direction of some good dive buddies. We just had a get together on Saturday and we meet almost on a weekly basis to go diving in different places.

Here is a link that has some of the things you may see in Monterey.

Bay Area UnderWater Explorers

Good luck.

 

[Brian Gilpin]

There are a ton of great dive experiences here in CA. I started off as a vacation diver just like you guys. About a year and a half ago I had a great dive experience in Monterey and got hooked. I still warm water dive but I enjoy California diving at least as much because I can do it so much more often and I am starting to learn the ropes.

Dont forget how big this state is. You can travel it cheap if you want to. You can do wrecks in San Diego. Catalina is a load of fun with its own dive park or you can do a liveaboard around any of the Channel Islands from Santa Barbara. There are literally hundreds of shore diving locations. You can do a great white shark dive at the Faralllon Islands. It just goes on and on.

More education is a great idea and more diving is an even better one. Diving here will keep your skills sharp for when you do go diving in warmer waters. Let us know how it goes.

BTW tell your husband we are all envious of a man whose wife wants to dive more than him.

 

[coreypenrose]

Hello. I am a somewhat new diver-34 dives to be exact. I was certified last May and have since been on 3 tropical vacations with my husband just to dive. I am tired of driving up the credit card bill to dive, and know that i need to dive here in CA. This has quickly become our passion, and we have even considered moving to a tropical location just so we can dive. However, our life is here and I have heard that CA diving really is good. I was so scared of diving that I failed my open water in Monterey and had to retake it in Folsom. Since then I have greatly improved my diving and even bought our own gear. I am afraid to dive here due to my experience. In order to get more experience, we are taking the advanced class with Dolphin Scuba in Sacramento in a few weeks. Can anyone please give us some encouragement? My husband is not looking forward to ca diving at all and I really want to give him some reasons to go. I would love it if anyone could answer some of my questions.
-Is there anything to see? And if there is, can you really see it due to the low vis?
-Is the low vis hard to deal with?
-How is the cold water-can we comfortably do it with wetsuits? We want to make sure we like it before we buy drysuits.
-Can I do it comfortably as a relatively new diver(34 dives)?
-What is the best way to meet people so that we can have buddies to dive with?
-Are there any women divers in the Monterey or Sacramento area? We're from Roseville.
Thank you so much for your time. It is really appreciated.

If you would like to discover why people are so passionate about diving the California coast, go here. Lots of great pictures and vids of Monterey. http://www.metridium.com/

If you would like to be comfortable in the water, go here. Pricey, but you can't enjoy the dive if you're freezing cold. http://www.dui-online.com/newsite/newsite.htm

If you would like to hook up with some good local divers in Monterey, go here. Club dives once a month. http://www.seaotters.net/index.html

 

[SueMermaid]

I have been diving in lots of tropical places, and have been blown away by it. But Nothing compares to the kelp forests of the southern California coast. It's the richest, most etherial marine environment I have ever seen. It's not warm, but it's worth stuffing yourself into an exposure suit for. That's just one chick's opinion.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

:jump013: :jump013: Have to put in my 2 cents. I have had good diving experiences in lots of spots from Micronesia to the Caribean to Mexico, but always find something new to see in California waters. I am particularly addicted to the Channel Islands---- both Northern and Southern. I consider myself privledged when the sealions come down to play with me while I'm exploring a Kelp forest. And if the viz isn't great. start looking for the macro life--- nudibranchs, strawberries anemomes, cup corals. etc.
There, I've said it!! Hope you can discover why some of us rave on re: Ca. diving.

 

[mfmarty45]

I have been diving all over. From the Mediterranean to the East Coast, Mexico to California (where we live). IMHO I think that Monterey is a great diving experience. Where else can you be under some of the largest kelp canopies in the world? Sure, if you sit on the bottom and stare at each other, you will freeze. Especially if you are like my fiancé who hates cold water. But, if you plan a reasonable route for your dive you will get some great viz, great sea life and have no problem with the water temp. My fiancé learned how to dive in Monterey, much like I did. She complains a little more about the cold water but then again she is much smaller than I am and gets cold quicker. My Fiancé will be logging into the board today and I'll have her give you her two cents (since she is a new diver as well). I am biased. I love California, from the Channel Islands, San Clemente Island, Monterey, Nor-Cal and more, you can't beat it! Good luck!
Regards,

Mike

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I've dived all over the world. I've spent 13 weeks on
liveaboard diveboats. And I still think Monterey is as
good as it gets. The water's cold, the vis is not so hot, but
the invertibrate life is world-class. You have to think
small because of the vis.

You CAN dive it in a wetsuit, but essentially all of the
"every weekend" divers do it dry. You can rent drysuits
but you have to have a drysuit cert.

Best way to meet other divers is through a dive club.
In the Sacramento area: http://www.dolphindivers.org/
And by going diving.