What time do you like to start diving and why?

[pacificgal]

In looking for buddies, I have found that not many people like to get up as early as I do to go diving, so I wanted to get a feel on how you all felt about your dive day.
I set my alarm for 5 or 5:30. Mind you, during the week I don't get up until 7:30.
I get my coffee and get to Breakwater (an an example) by 7. Why?
You get a good parking spot, nice and close. You can get your first dive in before you have to pay for parking at 9 am. For dive 2 you can go somewhere else or only have to pay for 2 hours if you want to stay there. It's usually pretty calm as far as tides go. Less students there stirring up the viz. You get to leave early so you can get your gear rinsed and hung in the hopes it will be dry for your next day's dive.
Now, I'm thinking if you're not at Breakwater, maybe the 7 am isn't really necessary?
What time do you like to start your dive, and why?

 

[mikeguerrero]

You summed it up really good... I don't like to get there later than that unless I miss my alarm...

 

[mikemill]

In looking for buddies, I have found that not many people like to get up as early as I do to go diving, so I wanted to get a feel on how you all felt about your dive day.
I set my alarm for 5 or 5:30. Mind you, during the week I don't get up until 7:30.
I get my coffee and get to Breakwater (an an example) by 7. Why?
You get a good parking spot, nice and close. You can get your first dive in before you have to pay for parking at 9 am. For dive 2 you can go somewhere else or only have to pay for 2 hours if you want to stay there. It's usually pretty calm as far as tides go. Less students there stirring up the viz. You get to leave early so you can get your gear rinsed and hung in the hopes it will be dry for your next day's dive.
Now, I'm thinking if you're not at Breakwater, maybe the 7 am isn't really necessary?
What time do you like to start your dive, and why?

I get up at 5am, am out the door by 5:30am and generally at BW by 8:30-9:00am. A lot of us don't live in or around Monterey and have to travel for hour and a half to three hours or longer.

I'd love to go diving earlier but I'm not gonna get up at 3 or 4am to do so.

 

[fobturbo]

I like to dive in the morning as well, but I'm not opposed to diving at night (just not keen on driving back afterwards).
For me, reasons are:
better parking options
typically better conditions
temperatures are cooler (I burn up in my drysuit during SI)
can cherry pick closer areas for staging gear.

I'm up around 5, walk the dogs, on the road by 6ish. For reference, I'm definitely not a morning person (I get up ~9:30 on the weekdays ), but for diving I'm willing to catch up on sleep on the weekdays.

 

[dannobee]

I guess it depends. We like to roll in with the boat at 8am, get on the water and underway by 9am.

If I'm shore diving Breakwater, the earlier the better. I've been there before 6am on occasion.

If it's some place like Monastery or Lovers, I try to be there by 9-10am.

If I'm shore diving SOL (South Of Lobos), it doesn't matter much, there aren't any crowds (heck, there usually aren't any other divers), so I can pick and choose based on weather and tides.

If it's Point Lobos, I like to be in line before they open, otherwise some hikers, tourists or other undesirables will take the good parking spots.

 

[Gombessa]

I'm all for early. But it seems no matter when I get started, I always finish around the same time!

 

[micboucher]

I have no problem getting up early and love to start my dives as early as possible, but it takes me 2 1/2 - 3 hrs to get to Monterey. So if I don't have to be down there early for a boat, then I like to meet around 8:00 - 9:00 for shoring diving.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Early. Conditions generally pick up in the afternoon, and I like to clean up
the boat in the daylight. That means arriving about 7:45, underway before
8:45.

I aim to get up at 4:50 seven days a week. i don't always make it, but I
tryn

 

[drbill]

I like to dive in the morning to avoid the diminished visibility caused by classes in the dive park... but I enjoy my coffee even more in the morning and usually don't end up down there until at least 10:00 AM. Fortunately weekdays are generally better at later times.

Sometimes the higher sun angles of midday are best for video work (but cloudy days offer more even lighting conditions). Late afternoon sunlight can be interesting with certain subjects.

And of course night dives are often quite fantastic due to the different critters one sees (and doesn't see).

In short, I like to dive at all times of the day... or night (except after 10:00 pm).

 

[bbianchi]

I'm all for early. But it seems no matter when I get started, I always finish around the same time!

HAHAH I know what you mean!

Personally the earlier the better but that usually means im there by 730.