Visiting in early October - where to dive?

[fobturbo]

A lot of people still dive in 7mm farmer John + hood. If you are drysuit certified, there are places that you can rent drysuits from. I know for sure Diver Dan's in San Jose will rent them ($70/weekend) if you have the c-card. I'm not sure if Any Water Sports does. I believe Bamboo Reef has drysuits for rent as well. Others will chime in for other shops.

 

[kathydee]

It may be that I can only get out diving on 16th but will try for one evening on 14 or 15th too. It'd be wonderful to hook up with someone from SB but certainly don't want to impose on anyone.

Do you reckon the water is warm enough for a 7mm? Or is it possible to rent a dry suit (I know it's not around here)?

TSandM - I'll hopefully have my fundies by then, course will certainly be complete, whether I've completed successfully or not remains to be seen . I'll wait til after I've done it and see whether to contact BAUE at that point - I'm still waiting to get a better feeling for whether DIR is for me or not and hoping the fundies course will answer this for me.

Thanks again for the responses - very helpful indeed.

J

Hi John,

Temps are around 10-11 C, plenty of people dive a 7mm, I don't . If you have a c-card you can probably rent a fusion at Bamboo Reef in Monterey, but who knows if the seals will fit :Scuba Diving lessons, classes, courses - San Francisco, Sonoma Coast, Marin, Monterey, Northern California Bay Area | Bamboo Reef Scuba Diving Centers

If conditions are nice, I agree with Lynne - Phil Sammett's private RIB Phil Sammetis a great way to get out to some beautiful diving.

It's possible I'll have the time for mid-week shore diving or a night dive, but won't know till early September.

You rarely need midweek Lobos reservations, but the park closes at dark so we night dive elsewhere.

Good luck in your Fundies class - have fun!

 

[dannobee]

Wait, is it in September or October?

 

[InTheDrink]

Sorry - Monday morning fuzziness. It's 13-17 Oct.

J

 

[InTheDrink]

Hi John,

Temps are around 10-11 C, plenty of people dive a 7mm, I don't . If you have a c-card you can probably rent a fusion at Bamboo Reef in Monterey, but who knows if the seals will fit :Scuba Diving lessons, classes, courses - San Francisco, Sonoma Coast, Marin, Monterey, Northern California Bay Area | Bamboo Reef Scuba Diving Centers

If conditions are nice, I agree with Lynne - Phil Sammett's private RIB Phil Sammetis a great way to get out to some beautiful diving.

It's possible I'll have the time for mid-week shore diving or a night dive, but won't know till early September.

You rarely need midweek Lobos reservations, but the park closes at dark so we night dive elsewhere.

Good luck in your Fundies class - have fun!

I've got the appropriate c-card but have only a couple of dry dives to date. Didn't find it very much different than wet but no doubt if in front of fellow SBers will turn into an immediate and fully fledged stroke. Anyhow, good for a laugh if nothing else and great to know that there's Ops out there that rent them. I think 10C for me would require a dry suit. I'm getting weak and soft in my dotage.

If you're around for a dive any time then that would be really brilliant. I'll check back in early Sep and see whether you're free or not. That would be a real treat

J

 

[cmburch]

Well you chose about the best time of year for diving our coast. In general, the ocean and weather is great in October.

I use wetsuits down to about 8C. A one piece 7mm will not work for Northern California. A 7mm Farmer John - 14mm across chest should be fine.

 

[kathydee]

I've got the appropriate c-card but have only a couple of dry dives to date. Didn't find it very much different than wet but no doubt if in front of fellow SBers will turn into an immediate and fully fledged stroke. Anyhow, good for a laugh if nothing else and great to know that there's Ops out there that rent them. I think 10C for me would require a dry suit. I'm getting weak and soft in my dotage.

If you're around for a dive any time then that would be really brilliant. I'll check back in early Sep and see whether you're free or not. That would be a real treat

J

Great - feel free to PM me. Ok, I lied just a little, often our water is 11-12 C !

 

[Hinalo]

If you're diving wet in Northern California there are a few options. The 7mm farmer john rig is very popular but requires a substantial amount of lead. My year-round wetsuit solution has kept me very comfortable even in 46˚ f (about 8 C) and requires 10 lb less than a farmer john outfit: 7mm full jumpsuit, 7mm/3mm hooded vest, 4mm gloves, 7mm booties.

(disclaimer: I mostly dive dry except when it's real hot topside or when my drysuit is away for repairs.)