Point Lobos 12/3

[capybara]

Hi, is anyone going to dive Point Lobos this Friday 12/3? Just curious if we'll see anyone out there. Slingshot and I will be out there for our first dive in that spot. Any tips you have for us would be appreciated. How have the diving conditions there been like lately?

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Here's a recent Pt. Lobos report: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ba_diving/message/22537

The biggest problem most new Pt. Lobos divers have is not swimming far enough out
before dropping. The farther out the sand channel you go, the better it gets. Read
the site descriptions on the Pt. Lobos website. Pat Lovejoy did a nice job on them.

Be careful on the ramp. It's very slippery.

 

[CALI68]

Brian Gilipin and I dove Pt. Lobos Yestarday and it was incredible! "Sheet of ice" is how I'd describe the bay yestarday. I agree 100% with the report link Chuck posted. The vis was really THAT good! Like he said, if it's mellow kick out far and drop. We went way out to Canery Point Wall and had a couple amazing dives! We could have easily done the cave (almost no swell / high tide in the AM) but I knew there would be much more to see out at the point. Great dives. We saw Dan G. (WlieEdiver) and his buddy there. I'm sure they will agree.

You're gonna love it. Cushy dive site with pic-nic tables, bathrooms, fresh water hose, easy entry (watch your step) and some of the most beautiful scenery in the state. Have fun.

 

[WileEDiver]

Great dives. We saw Dan G. (WlieEdiver) and his buddy there. I'm sure they will agree.

Agreed!!

 

[capybara]

Thanks Chuck, Chris and Dan for your info. We had a great time this weekend. Friday we went out to Point Lobos. There were a lot of divers out in the water. Temp 52 and vis about 40. Swam out to Cannery Point and the first few rocks beyond that. Lots of huge lingcod & cabezon. Our first time to see nudibranchs. Did 2 dives there. The next day we went with Sanctuary Charters, who Chris had recommended (thanks Chris), and it was great. The boat was very comfortable with a head, and a cabin to sit inside, hot water shower and hot chocolate to keep warm. There were 5 of us that day (6 max). Much better than being on a big cattle boat, especially since we are new to cold water diving. The owner Mike was really nice and we had him guide our dives. We went to Inner Pinnacles and Stillwater Cove. A curious sea lion kept swimming past us on our first dive. We saw cool rock formations with lots of colorful anemones, hydrocorals, rockfish, lingcod & nudis. Mike brought up a scallop which he served raw with some lime. On the way back we even saw a whale (they said it was their first sighting this year)!

 

[CALI68]

Thanks Chuck, Chris and Dan for your info. We had a great time this weekend. Friday we went out to Point Lobos. There were a lot of divers out in the water. Temp 52 and vis about 40. Swam out to Cannery Point and the first few rocks beyond that. Lots of huge lingcod & cabezon. Our first time to see nudibranchs. Did 2 dives there. The next day we went with Sanctuary Charters, who Chris had recommended (thanks Chris), and it was great. The boat was very comfortable with a head, and a cabin to sit inside, hot water shower and hot chocolate to keep warm. There were 5 of us that day (6 max). Much better than being on a big cattle boat, especially since we are new to cold water diving. The owner Mike was really nice and we had him guide our dives. We went to Inner Pinnacles and Stillwater Cove. A curious sea lion kept swimming past us on our first dive. We saw cool rock formations with lots of colorful anemones, hydrocorals, rockfish, lingcod & nudis. Mike brought up a scallop which he served raw with some lime. On the way back we even saw a whale (they said it was their first sighting this year)!

Very cool! Sounds like a great weekend of diving! You mentioned that this was your first cold water dive, how did you do with the temp?

 

[drbill]

Capybara- Glad you and Slingshot had a good experience up there. We had our third Sunday of storm out at Casino Point. Air station was closed and the dive classes were stranded until the boats finally started crossing the Channel.

Dr. Bill

 

[capybara]

We just started diving Monterey this last month. We got certified in Hawaii and have done most of our diving there. Before this month our only cold water experience was a 2-tank boat dive in Catalina in 1999. I remember that our rental suits didn't fit too well, I felt a little claustrophobic with the tight hood, and the vis was only about 20 ft. We were with a guide. He was leading a noncertified diver and she swam so fast it was like she was using a scooter. I don't think we saw much because we were so worried about not losing them I just focused on their fins the whole time. That's why it took us 5 years to come back to cold water. This time it was very different. We bought our own suits that fit right, our own equipment so we could get used to it, and we've had more warm water diving experience as well. In the last month we've had 6 dives, the first was at Breakwater, next at Avalon Underwater Park, then the 2 Point Lobos and 2 boat dives this weekend. We were hoping to get 3 more dives at Avalon but the boat trip was cancelled due to high winds. I think overall we're getting much more comfortable with cold water diving now. My next goal is to try Metridium Fields. Any other suggestions for easy shore dives (don't say Monastery)? I do have the Monterey Shore Diving DVD which is awesome.

Chris, we did OK with the water temps especially with our new suits (Bare Arctic SGS and Xcel 9/7/6). I think having a good fit makes a huge difference. I don't think I would want to do more than 2 dives a day in cold water though. Especially on boat dives where you don't have to drag your gear around or do long surface swims, it tends to be chillier.

Dr. Bill, thanks for the weather info. This weekend made up somewhat for our losing out on the boat diving in Avalon, but we're still wishing the weather had cooperated. We reviewed our pictures from the underwater park and were amazed at how much better the clarity was there than here, even on our boat dives in Carmel. Can't wait to come back someday.

 

[melfox26]

Lover's Point, cove 3 (across from the Tinnery Restaurant) in Pacific Grove is one of the nicest shore dives in the Monterey area. The instructor that I DM for takes all of his open water students there. Easy to navigate, lots of things to see, not a million divers like Breakwater there every weekend.

Monastery is a great dive site, not someplace you want to go on your own until you've dove there with those who have before. I did 2 dives at South Monastery this past Saturday, easily had 60 feet vertical viz, logged over an hour bottom time on each dive. However, you have to know how to enter and exit the water properly. There were a few divers trying to enter the water in the middle of the beach on Saturday and they payed the price, tumbled around for quite a while until someone on the beach came and saved them. If there wasn't a big group on the beach watching these guys struggling, I would have had to go save them myself. Anyways, try Monastery, but go with someone experienced.

Mel

 

[Ben_ca]

Lover's Point, cove 3 (across from the Tinnery Restaurant) in Pacific Grove is one of the nicest shore dives in the Monterey area. The instructor that I DM for takes all of his open water students there. Easy to navigate, lots of things to see, not a million divers like Breakwater there every weekend.

Monastery is a great dive site, not someplace you want to go on your own until you've dove there with those who have before. I did 2 dives at South Monastery this past Saturday, easily had 60 feet vertical viz, logged over an hour bottom time on each dive. However, you have to know how to enter and exit the water properly. There were a few divers trying to enter the water in the middle of the beach on Saturday and they payed the price, tumbled around for quite a while until someone on the beach came and saved them. If there wasn't a big group on the beach watching these guys struggling, I would have had to go save them myself. Anyways, try Monastery, but go with someone experienced.

Mel

I second the motion on Lovers.... but then again I can never get tired of the Breakwater.... ever dropping in on the Metridium Fields without using the pipe? It's quite a challenge.