Where's the best vis?

[Shasta_man]

My wife and I are newly certified divers in Monterey. My main interest was for vacation diving but I'm enjoying diving here as well.

We've been to some usual novice sites: Breakwater, Macabee's and Lovers Coves.

Issue is that the vis has been pretty bad when we've dove. Probably 10 feet or a little more on Sunday at Lovers.

My wife is unimpressed by the lack of vis and things to see and is questioning the ROI.

Is the vis better at the Carmel sites, or someplace else within driving distance...? What the story on the best possible vis?

Thanks for your time.

 

[tschroeder250]

Welcome to the wonderful world of diving! The Monterey area offers some fantastic diving, but as you have discovered, the viz can be nonexistent at times. Carmel will nearly always be better, and diving from a boat will help as well. The dives in Carmel will probably be more advanced, but may not be beyond your abilities. Diving from a boat in Monterey Bay will generally yield better viz, but not like going around the corner. The best way I have found to get to Carmel is to catch a boat out of Monterey.

There are a number of beach dives in the Carmel area, but the entries can be challenging. Monastery is the obvious candidate, but the beach is very steep and the exit can be treacherous. If you can plan ahead, try to get to Point Lobos. You can get to some excellent dives from the boat landing, but they limit the number of diving teams each day, and charge a small fee. I haven't made too many shore entries down in Carmel, but I am sure another NoCal diver can chime in.

 

[Burner]

I dove last weekend.
On Friday night in Breakwater vis was about 5-8 feet.
Thursday and Friday in Point lobos, vis was 10-20 feet inside the cove, 30-50 feet outside the cove.
Saturday at Monastery vis was 30-40 feet at 100 feet, less in the kelp.

If you aren't up for Monastery yet, I would recommend the cove in Point Lobos. Right now to get though to the outer area with better vis you have to go through some kelp. If you have good air consumption, you can drop down at the edge and head out along the wall, but its nicer to already start out where you want to dive.

Saying that you aren't seeing anything when you are a new diver usually means you aren't looking enough. Last time I dove the wall at breakwater vis was about 5-10 feet but I saw around 10 different species of nudibranch. IMO diving in this area is very different then tropics in what you see. Generally in the tropics you are looking for big things and darting all over the place because you saw something neat. Diving here you can find tons of great stuff if you go extremely slow and check out every little crack. Shine a light into the cracks and see what there is. Maybe make a goal for yourself on what you want to see and try to find it.

Granted great vis makes the dive seem so much better, to get that dive off a boat (expensive) dive during the week at lobos (or make reservations for the weekend) or try to get someone experienced to take you to Monastery.

 

[divenut2001]

Get used to it You can dive the same site two days in a row and it will be like pea soup one day and 40 ft vis the next . But this is what makes us some of the best divers. If you can dive here you can dive any where. When you go to some warm water destination it will seem so easy in comparison.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Do a boat dive there. They'll find you something worthwhile. That's what they get paid for

 

[SkubaDiveChick]

Sometimes the viz is just bad... I've learned to change my focus point. Instead of trying to focus too far ahead of myself and look for fish, structures, etc, (It just makes you frustrated with the viz) I've changed my focus to "macro." I like to get in really close to rocks, a section of grass, kelp, or whatever I'm near... And then I just look at all the small things there are to see. You'd be amazed at what you can find! At that point, the viz hardly matters.

 

[Scuba Cowboy]

The best vis I've experienced on CA coast was offshore at Pt. Lobos, 70-80 ft a couple times. Get yourself on one of the charter boats going there & you'll soon experience it. I also agree 100% with SkubaDiveChick, I've found focusing on the little stuff to be some of the most fun. There is a world within the world that most people miss.

 

[zf2nt]

Visibility is almost always better in the Carmel sites than along Monterey Bay. I swam out from Whaler's Cove in Point Lobos about a week ago and the visibility was easily 50' in the vicinity of the Cannery Point Pinnacles. If you can take a weekday off, go check out Point Lobos. Alternatively, the south side of Monastery beach offers some interesting scenery in about 40' where the sand comes over to meet the kelp forest. There are also a few sites just to the north of Monastery you might want to investigate--Carmel River, Copper Roof House, etc. Another alternative for you is to take a boat trip out to the pinnacles. Just don't let your wife give up on the local diving! There really is a lot to see here.

I suspect you were being generous in your estimate of visibility Sunday. I was down at Breakwater on Friday and the visibility was barely 8'.

Bruce

My wife and I are newly certified divers in Monterey. My main interest was for vacation diving but I'm enjoying diving here as well.

We've been to some usual novice sites: Breakwater, Macabee's and Lovers Coves.

Issue is that the vis has been pretty bad when we've dove. Probably 10 feet or a little more on Sunday at Lovers.

My wife is unimpressed by the lack of vis and things to see and is questioning the ROI.

Is the vis better at the Carmel sites, or someplace else within driving distance...? What the story on the best possible vis?

Thanks for your time.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Bruce, you just advised newly certified divers to go to Monastery, with no warnings
about Monastery. That's irresponsible.

Monastery is arguably Monterey County's best beach dive. But seven days out of ten,
it's advanced diving. Two days out of ten, it's undivable. One day out of ten it's the
upper end of intermediate diving. It's NEVER a beginner's beach. Don't dive it without
someone who knows it. Entry and exit require special techniques. Conditions can
change quickly. A diver died in the surfline there last year.

 

[mossym]

It's NEVER a beginner's beach. Don't dive it without
someone who knows it. Entry and exit require special techniques. Conditions can
change quickly. A diver died in the surfline there last year.

agreed, however, in his defense, he did mention the south part of the beach, where the break tends to be more forgiving, however, you can thrown around in the south end too. i agree with having someone who knows it show you the ropes when you dive it first...