Puget Sounder visiting Cali in July...Dive Site Suggestions?

[huskychemist]

My dive buddy and I are headed south in July for some California diving. (Tentatively...San Diego, Catalina, Santa Barbara, and Monterey)

So a few questions for you California folks if you don't mind...

1. Can you suggest some "can't miss" dives for us? (Preferably shore dives, within rec. limits. Although charter suggestions might be helpful also.) We're considering some shark dives...but probably not a live-aboard. The dives don't necessarily have to be in the four areas I listed above...as we are driving, so our itinerary can change to find the spots you suggest.

2. Any references that will help us plan? Thinking here of books and websites in particular.

(For example, I found the following three books online, and wondered if they were worth the price: A Diver's Guide to Southern California's Best Beach Dives; A Diver's Guide To Monterey County, CA; and A Diver's Guide To Northern California.)


3. Typically, what's vis like in July? What about the kelp? Haven't ever dove that before... And water temps? (Last dive up here for me was 48...so I'm more worried about overheating suiting up then getting cold while in the water.)


4. Any dive shops near the dives you suggest that are friendly and worth supporting?



Thanks in advance for any responses. The information is much appreciated.

Lowell

(And yes, I posted in the SoCal area as well...just to cover all the bases.)

 

[Ben_ca]

Planning Les Jackson,s Macabee Web Cam

Chuck Tribolet's Monterey Sea Conditions at a glance

Must dive site Pt Lobos

 

[capybara]

For Monterey, I would suggest Breakwater as a first dive. It's easy to navigate, just go along the wall and back. You might even see a harbor seal or sea otter in the water with you. And if you swim all the way out to the end (a long swim, we haven't tried it yet) that's where all the sea lions hang out.

Next there's Point Lobos, which is another great shore dive, but you need to make reservations in advance. Only 15 pairs allowed to dive there per day, so weekends can fill quickly.

For boat dives, try Sanctuary Charters. We've gone with them a few times and it's a very nice 6-pack boat (with a head and enclosed cabin!) and Captain Mike is a nice guy. Once a month they have a free dive guide, but you can always pay for one on the other days.

In July, temps at Breakwater were 50-52, vis can range from 10-30 ft. You should be fine in a 7mm full+hooded vest or semidry (or a drysuit). Kelp is not too much of a problem, just make sure to reserve enough air for the swim back underwater so you don't have to do the "kelp crawl" at the surface.

Where to stay:Monterey Bay Lodge is an affordable but very nice motel with helpful staff. More upscale and right on the water next to San Carlos Beach (where Breakwater is) is the Monterey Bay Inn. The Monterey Bay Dive Center is right across the street for tank rentals/fills and Backscatter is right next door so you can drool over the latest DSLR & HD videocams.

Don't miss the Monterey Bay Aquarium! And Cafe Fina on Fisherman's Wharf is a nice place to eat.

Forget the books. Get the DVD Monterey Shore Diving. Most Norcal dive shops sell the DVD. It's the best for describing all the sites in detail and what you can expect to see, how to enter the water, hazards unique to each site etc. Another great DVD is Discover California Diving, which gives a great overview of sites in Northern & Southern California (many dives too deep & technical for most, but still fun to watch).

In SoCal, don't miss Catalina's Underwater Park at Avalon, and for boat dives try Scuba Luv. We like to stay at Pavilion Lodge and our favorite restaurant is El Galleon. Temps at Catalina are typically 10 degrees higher than Monterey, about 63 degrees, but we wear the same wetsuits. Vis is usually better too, about 30-50 ft.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your visit and welcome to California!
capybara

 

[huskychemist]

Wow, what a detailed response, with links and all!

If you ever make it up to Puget Sound, let me know...I'll try to return the favor.

I already got the "Discover California Diving" DVD...it has Pt. Lobos...but not the breakwater.

Thanks again.

Lowell

 

[slingshot]

Checkout californiadiveboats.com for listing of day boats and liveaboards. It's a pretty complete listing of boat dive options. Another site is shorediving.com, for the land based stuff. Despite being a busy site, I also like the breakwater because of the otters and sealions, as well as the convenient parking (get there early, bring quarters) and easy navigation (out and back along a rock jetty). I really like the Casino dive park in Avalon, which is the only shore dive site I've done on Catalina.

 

[dannobee]

The "can't miss" dive for the Monterey area is Point Lobos. Make your reservations as soon as possible (normally 2-3 months in advance-check their website). There are no diving facilities there, but there is a fresh water rinse area and bathrooms. Pack a lunch and all of your gear-including tanks (no food there, either). Temps are similar to what you're used to-maybe a few degrees warmer, so plan accordingly. The Point Lobos website shows most of the divesites in the park, and some are a LONG swim. Vis is *sometimes* 60-80ft or more, once you get outside the protected Whaler's Cove. If you're diving on a weekend, let me know and I could bring my inflatable and we could dive Bluefish Cove http://pt-lobos.parks.state.ca.us/scuba/innerbluefish.html or Thumbs Up http://www.divesitevideos.com/Lobos/sites/thumbsup.html.
Breakwater, although a training site, is actually not bad, with a variety of critters, although the vis is sometimes less than 10ft. At least two full service dive shops are within short walking distance. Another spot worthy of diving is Coral Street. Check the previously mentioned DVD Monterey Shore Diving. Vis is often over 50ft, and far less crowded than Breakwater.
Kelp is no big deal, just don't panic if you get tangled. It snaps in half easily like a carrot or celery stick. Chuck has a very good page for first time Monterey divers, but I can't seem to find it.

Another website to check is: http://www.garlic.com/~triblet/swell/CDNDiveSites.html

Let me know if you need more help.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

You're driving you say?
If you have tanks or a tank with you and when you're on your way back north you may want to drive along the coast north of San Francisco up through Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The diving is very remote and beautiful. Follow the suggestions in Bruce Watkins's book "Diving Northern California.
Right off I would suggest Gerstle Cove State Park. It's a small cove that's a reserve and full of life. I would also suggest the Mendocino Headlands.That is a really cool shore dive also, a little tricky getting down the hill but worth it.
There is a good dive shop in Bodega bay and up in Fort Bragg.
Best of luck.

ZKY

 

[alo100]

Hi, just want to verify, long long time ago, I seemed to have watched a documentery
about marine life in Pt. Reyes ( http://www.nps.gov/pore/ ). It's state reserved and I think UCSD has some projects there. Does anybody know?