Ironborn
Contributor
Summary
I enjoyed my five-day diving trip to Monterey and neighboring Carmel by the Sea in March 2019. This trip was my first exposure to both cold water diving and North America's Pacific coast. I am posting this detailed trip report as a resource for other out-of-state divers and other new cold water divers and also as an outsider's perspective for local California divers on this sub-forum.
The quality of the private guides and other services that I received from Aquarius Dive Shop exceeded my expectations and facilitated my first experience with this unfamiliar environment and the greater difficulty of cold water shore diving. Above-average diving conditions (by local standards) for most of that week further enhanced the experience. I confirmed my suspicions that my tolerance for cold is high, but I underestimated the awkwardness of unfamiliar cold water gear and indirect effects of the cold. I found the local animals, particularly the smaller ones, more interesting than the kelp coverage, which may have been thin for seasonal reasons. I agree with what appears to be a common view that the Carmel dive sites are richer and more rewarding than those in Monterey. I am now curious about diving elsewhere along the Pacific coast of North America, including nearby Big Sur.
Why I Went There
I had long been curious about cold water diving, with a desire to expand my horizons beyond the warm waters of the Caribbean and Southeast Asia that I have already experienced. I had also been interested in exploring environments other than the coral reefs that are the usual focus of much warm water diving, such as wrecks, caverns, and muck dive sites. I had also come to suspect that my tolerance for cold might be above-average by comparing notes with other divers in tropical destinations, and I thought that perhaps this tolerance would enhance my ability to enjoy cold water diving.
I had considered diving locally in the tri-state area, but the great depth of the many of the wrecks that seem to be the typical fare around here and other conditions left me hesitant to do my first cold water dives locally. I knew that the Pacific coast of North America is a richer cold water environment in its marine life and thus considered my options there instead. I had heard about Monterey's underwater environment even before I became a diver (e.g. the Aquarium), so name recognition was a factor. I also liked the predominance of shallow shore diving in Monterey, as I had acquired a taste for shore diving on Bonaire, and I thought that perhaps privately guided shore diving would be a more comfortable introduction to an unfamiliar environment and unfamiliar gear. Monterey is also roughly in the middle of the Pacific North American destinations that I considered, neither too far north nor too far south.
I understand that many divers that visit Monterey are local to Northern or Central California and come on weekends, especially in the summer. Coming all the way from New York, I felt that I needed a longer trip in order to justify the travel time and costs. I also wanted a longer trip in order to make the most of the learning curve in an unfamiliar environment with unfamiliar gear, which turned out to be a good decision, as it took me more than a few dives to adjust. I would normally do a Saturday-to-Saturday trip in the Caribbean, with six diving days. I did only five days on this trip because of the greater rigor of cold water diving and in order to dive only on weekdays and thus avoid crowds. I also went in March in order to avoid summer crowds and plankton blooms and winter swells. This timing worked out well, as there were hardly any other divers at any sites other than Point Lobos, waves were low by local standards, and I experienced none of the “miso soup” visibility that others mention here.
Aquarius Dive Shop
I contacted the three main Monterey dive shops – Bamboo Reef, Breakwater, and Aquarius. The result was that Aquarius was the clear choice for me, and in retrospect it worked out well. Aquarius was the most prompt in responding, which I have found is usually a good sign. They were the most accommodating and flexible in what they were willing to offer, including private guides, three dives per day, and Nitrox in high-pressure steel 100 tanks. I wanted a private guide primarily because of the unfamiliar environment and gear and also because I have found that private guides usually yield more enjoyable experiences (which they did in this case). I wanted three dives per day, rather than the usual two, in order to justify the travel time and costs and in order to make the best of the learning curve. I would normally do four or even five dives per day in tropical environments, if and when possible, but I went for “only” three due to the greater rigor of cold water diving. In retrospect, three dives was just right for me, as I was exhausted at the end of the day and probably could not have done any more. I wanted Nitrox in steel tanks in order to reduce the amount of lead that I would need to carry, because of the heightened DCS risk when one is cold, and because I had heard that cold increases some divers' air consumption (although it did not appear to do so in my case). More generally, I got the best vibe from Aquarius and sensed that I would have good chemistry with them, which turned out to be true.
Aquarius provided quality service. Tank fills were always complete and had what may have been the most consistently accurate Nitrox blends that I have ever received. The guides demonstrated thorough knowledge of the local dive sites and the ways in which weather conditions might make them unsuitable for diving or otherwise affect them. They could even recognize grains of sand from a certain dive site by their size and consistency. They assisted me with the initially unfamiliar and cumbersome gear and occasionally tricky shore entries and provided tips that made me more competent and self-sufficient by the end of the week. They demonstrated significant stamina and endurance for three cold water shore dives a day, with most bottom times longer than an hour and a few as long as 70 or 80 minutes. They demonstrated thorough knowledge of the local marine life and solid wildlife spotting skills. They had rinse tanks for my gear, where I could leave it for them to hang up at the end of the day. They fixed one of my BCD weight pockets when grains of sand prevented it from locking into place. I would dive with Aquarius again if and when I were to return to Monterey.
Where We Went
We went to the Breakwater on the first day in order to familiarize myself with the environment and the gear at a relatively easy site. I would say that the Breakwater structure itself made for a more interesting dive than I would have expected from a site that is known primarily for training. The Breakwater's rocks provided many hiding places for animals and structure for kelp to anchor itself.
We went to Monastery Beach on the second day in order to ensure that we seized the opportunity to dive that highly regarded but more weather-sensitive site on a day when conditions were unusually good for it. It was clearly one of the more interesting sites and yielded the most remarkable animal encounters and photo opportunities. It was also the hardest shore entry and exit of the trip, even on an unusually good day, but it might have been easier if we had gone later in the week, after I had adjusted. The unusually large grains of sand at this site have a remarkable tendency to get stuck in gear and cause one to sink into them more than usual, leading one of the guides to call them “monster berries.” Their greater size may also cause them to settle more quickly and thus give this site better visibility.
We went to Lovers' Point on the third day, when conditions were the least favorable. It was notably easier, even on an otherwise rough day, but it was also probably the least interesting site, possibly due to the overpopulation of urchins. It nonetheless had a decent selection of interesting animals here and there, including a monkeyface prickleback, which the guide described as an unusual sight.
We went to Point Lobos on the fourth day, when conditions improved. We did not have an advance reservation but just showed up, and fortunately they had spaces for us, as it is less busy during the week. Point Lobos was also clearly one of the more interesting sites, and I would say that its reputation is well-deserved. It was probably more interesting for the overall environment, rather than individual animal encounters, and was clearly the richest example of kelp forest that I saw. We also explored a pair of small caverns at the outer edge of the sheltered cove. The boat ramp made the shore entry very easy, but the density of the kelp in the cove was occasionally a bit of hassle during surface swims.
We went to McAbee Beach on the last day. This site was similar to Lovers' Point but had denser kelp forest and more interesting animals and topography, such as its small pinnacle.
(to be continued)
I enjoyed my five-day diving trip to Monterey and neighboring Carmel by the Sea in March 2019. This trip was my first exposure to both cold water diving and North America's Pacific coast. I am posting this detailed trip report as a resource for other out-of-state divers and other new cold water divers and also as an outsider's perspective for local California divers on this sub-forum.
The quality of the private guides and other services that I received from Aquarius Dive Shop exceeded my expectations and facilitated my first experience with this unfamiliar environment and the greater difficulty of cold water shore diving. Above-average diving conditions (by local standards) for most of that week further enhanced the experience. I confirmed my suspicions that my tolerance for cold is high, but I underestimated the awkwardness of unfamiliar cold water gear and indirect effects of the cold. I found the local animals, particularly the smaller ones, more interesting than the kelp coverage, which may have been thin for seasonal reasons. I agree with what appears to be a common view that the Carmel dive sites are richer and more rewarding than those in Monterey. I am now curious about diving elsewhere along the Pacific coast of North America, including nearby Big Sur.
Why I Went There
I had long been curious about cold water diving, with a desire to expand my horizons beyond the warm waters of the Caribbean and Southeast Asia that I have already experienced. I had also been interested in exploring environments other than the coral reefs that are the usual focus of much warm water diving, such as wrecks, caverns, and muck dive sites. I had also come to suspect that my tolerance for cold might be above-average by comparing notes with other divers in tropical destinations, and I thought that perhaps this tolerance would enhance my ability to enjoy cold water diving.
I had considered diving locally in the tri-state area, but the great depth of the many of the wrecks that seem to be the typical fare around here and other conditions left me hesitant to do my first cold water dives locally. I knew that the Pacific coast of North America is a richer cold water environment in its marine life and thus considered my options there instead. I had heard about Monterey's underwater environment even before I became a diver (e.g. the Aquarium), so name recognition was a factor. I also liked the predominance of shallow shore diving in Monterey, as I had acquired a taste for shore diving on Bonaire, and I thought that perhaps privately guided shore diving would be a more comfortable introduction to an unfamiliar environment and unfamiliar gear. Monterey is also roughly in the middle of the Pacific North American destinations that I considered, neither too far north nor too far south.
I understand that many divers that visit Monterey are local to Northern or Central California and come on weekends, especially in the summer. Coming all the way from New York, I felt that I needed a longer trip in order to justify the travel time and costs. I also wanted a longer trip in order to make the most of the learning curve in an unfamiliar environment with unfamiliar gear, which turned out to be a good decision, as it took me more than a few dives to adjust. I would normally do a Saturday-to-Saturday trip in the Caribbean, with six diving days. I did only five days on this trip because of the greater rigor of cold water diving and in order to dive only on weekdays and thus avoid crowds. I also went in March in order to avoid summer crowds and plankton blooms and winter swells. This timing worked out well, as there were hardly any other divers at any sites other than Point Lobos, waves were low by local standards, and I experienced none of the “miso soup” visibility that others mention here.
Aquarius Dive Shop
I contacted the three main Monterey dive shops – Bamboo Reef, Breakwater, and Aquarius. The result was that Aquarius was the clear choice for me, and in retrospect it worked out well. Aquarius was the most prompt in responding, which I have found is usually a good sign. They were the most accommodating and flexible in what they were willing to offer, including private guides, three dives per day, and Nitrox in high-pressure steel 100 tanks. I wanted a private guide primarily because of the unfamiliar environment and gear and also because I have found that private guides usually yield more enjoyable experiences (which they did in this case). I wanted three dives per day, rather than the usual two, in order to justify the travel time and costs and in order to make the best of the learning curve. I would normally do four or even five dives per day in tropical environments, if and when possible, but I went for “only” three due to the greater rigor of cold water diving. In retrospect, three dives was just right for me, as I was exhausted at the end of the day and probably could not have done any more. I wanted Nitrox in steel tanks in order to reduce the amount of lead that I would need to carry, because of the heightened DCS risk when one is cold, and because I had heard that cold increases some divers' air consumption (although it did not appear to do so in my case). More generally, I got the best vibe from Aquarius and sensed that I would have good chemistry with them, which turned out to be true.
Aquarius provided quality service. Tank fills were always complete and had what may have been the most consistently accurate Nitrox blends that I have ever received. The guides demonstrated thorough knowledge of the local dive sites and the ways in which weather conditions might make them unsuitable for diving or otherwise affect them. They could even recognize grains of sand from a certain dive site by their size and consistency. They assisted me with the initially unfamiliar and cumbersome gear and occasionally tricky shore entries and provided tips that made me more competent and self-sufficient by the end of the week. They demonstrated significant stamina and endurance for three cold water shore dives a day, with most bottom times longer than an hour and a few as long as 70 or 80 minutes. They demonstrated thorough knowledge of the local marine life and solid wildlife spotting skills. They had rinse tanks for my gear, where I could leave it for them to hang up at the end of the day. They fixed one of my BCD weight pockets when grains of sand prevented it from locking into place. I would dive with Aquarius again if and when I were to return to Monterey.
Where We Went
We went to the Breakwater on the first day in order to familiarize myself with the environment and the gear at a relatively easy site. I would say that the Breakwater structure itself made for a more interesting dive than I would have expected from a site that is known primarily for training. The Breakwater's rocks provided many hiding places for animals and structure for kelp to anchor itself.
We went to Monastery Beach on the second day in order to ensure that we seized the opportunity to dive that highly regarded but more weather-sensitive site on a day when conditions were unusually good for it. It was clearly one of the more interesting sites and yielded the most remarkable animal encounters and photo opportunities. It was also the hardest shore entry and exit of the trip, even on an unusually good day, but it might have been easier if we had gone later in the week, after I had adjusted. The unusually large grains of sand at this site have a remarkable tendency to get stuck in gear and cause one to sink into them more than usual, leading one of the guides to call them “monster berries.” Their greater size may also cause them to settle more quickly and thus give this site better visibility.
We went to Lovers' Point on the third day, when conditions were the least favorable. It was notably easier, even on an otherwise rough day, but it was also probably the least interesting site, possibly due to the overpopulation of urchins. It nonetheless had a decent selection of interesting animals here and there, including a monkeyface prickleback, which the guide described as an unusual sight.
We went to Point Lobos on the fourth day, when conditions improved. We did not have an advance reservation but just showed up, and fortunately they had spaces for us, as it is less busy during the week. Point Lobos was also clearly one of the more interesting sites, and I would say that its reputation is well-deserved. It was probably more interesting for the overall environment, rather than individual animal encounters, and was clearly the richest example of kelp forest that I saw. We also explored a pair of small caverns at the outer edge of the sheltered cove. The boat ramp made the shore entry very easy, but the density of the kelp in the cove was occasionally a bit of hassle during surface swims.
We went to McAbee Beach on the last day. This site was similar to Lovers' Point but had denser kelp forest and more interesting animals and topography, such as its small pinnacle.
(to be continued)
