San Mateo Rocks

[ScubaBob92651]

Anyone ever dive San Mateo Rocks just south of San Clemente Pier? I was thinking about taking my boat down there and doing a dive or two. I hear it can be surgy and poor viz (unprotected on south/west sides) - but not sure if it's any worse then Laguna? Is it a site worth diving? Thanks!

 

[riguerin]

Anyone ever dive San Mateo Rocks just south of San Clemente Pier? I was thinking about taking my boat down there and doing a dive or two. I hear it can be surgy and poor viz (unprotected on south/west sides) - but not sure if it's any worse then Laguna? Is it a site worth diving? Thanks!

For the most part, viz sucks in So county. There's a couple reason:

1) We're a magnet for any swell with a Southerly or Westley component ... on the plus side we have world class surf and the best performance break in all of So Cal.

2) We're the unfortunate benefactor of runoff from two major sources. San Juan Creek to the North, San Mateo Creek to the South.​

Is it worth diving ? Depends on what you're looking for. If you want a nice easy dive - iffy. If you wanna score big bugs or kill fish - yes. pssst ... don't tell anyone that I told you this.

Is it better or worst than Laguna ? Sometimes, yes ... sometimes, no. You need to understand how the ocean works. With some basic understanding you can score perfect Laguna conditions every time ... or know when to stay home and go surfing ... or just stay in bed

 

[Sam Miller III]

Riguerin is correct...pick the time..

Swam out to the rocks on numerous ocassions for some very productive spearing and a few bugs. It was always well worth the effort..

sdm

 

[riguerin]

Swam out to the rocks on numerous ocassions for some very productive spearing and a few bugs. It was always well worth the effort..

Now, that's a serious swim. Hats off to you, sir

 

[Sam Miller III]

Diving is swimming...

Ever dove Millers reef off of Woods cove?...also a bit of a swim.

The Corsair at Crystal cove was rediscovered in 1961 by a diver swimming from shore--that is also a swim..

Seems divers today must fall off a boat to dive.. The art and skill of swimming has been lost...but lose a fin or two and the diver becomes a Mark I swimmer...

Enough said,

sdm

 

[ScubaBob92651]

Thanks for the info. That does seem like it would be quite a swim. I think Dead Man's Relief/Seal Rock in Laguna's about the furthest I've swam for a dive. (though, always worth it). Here's to jumping of boats

 

[Sam Miller III]

Bob,

Maybe some day the city of Laguna will build a walk way to Deadmans reef
and San Clemente will do the same for San Mateo rock and you and others can walk or even ride a motorized vechicle to your dives.

Absolutely horrible that the modern diver has to swim...But true...you loose your fins and you suddenly become a Mark 1 swimmer..

sdm

 

[ScubaBob92651]

Sam, nice, thanks for the stereotype.

On behalf of the divers I've jumped into the water to help when they've lost their fins, I don't think I fall into the lazy category.

BTW, can you please make sure they install an escalator so I don't have to climb those darn stairs?

 

[Divmstr223]

Congrats Sam, you've established that a routine swim of X miles to a dive site is essential to be a real diver and that boat diving is for wussies.

I sure hope that isn't part of your canned curriculum for OWI.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Sam,
... BTW, can you please make sure they install an escalator so I don't have to climb those darn stairs?

____________________________________________________________
What a great Idea! Certainly needed--especially with two knee operations from HS & College foot ball...

The trip to the dive beach use to be as challenging as the dive..It wasn't until 1963-4 that Dive's cove had a walkway to the beach. Prior to that time some soul embedded a cable in concrete and tossed it over the side. To get to Divers or Picknic cove it was neccesary to toss equipment over the side and go hand over hand down the cable to the beach. Matter of fact all the beaches had restricted acess do to cliffs, rocks & other natural barriers--The only beach that didn't was Woods which was a product of the WPA in the 1930s. Now and escalator & walk way--a capital idea! We should form a company!

I some how feel assured that divers from the dive centers such as Barstow would gladly cough up hard earned SoCal dollars to avoid a climb or a swim...

Remember loose equipment youre a Mark 1 swimmer!

Cheers from socal ---- where it all began

SDM