Which is better: San Diego or San Francisco ( Monterey) areas?

[DiverDun]

I will be going on a business trip to San Diego and will combine it with a short holiday to get in some diving and visit a relative in the San Francisco area.

My wife will be joining me for part of the trip. She is also a diver and we will likely have to limit our time for diving to either the San Diego or the San Francisco areas.

I have managed to see some reports that would indicate that there are some excellent dive opportunities in the San Diego area. Can anyone suggest if it is any better or worse than the San Francisco / Monteray area. I realize that I may get some biased answers by asking the NorCal forum

We will be there in mid Mar.

Thank you

Jim

 

[mikemill]

I've only dove Monterey in California. One of the first things that come to mind is that Monterey is about 2 hours from SF. So it might be more convenient to dive in SD rather then making a trip from SF.

I hope those that have been in both areas can give a better answer.

 

[Brewski]

I agree with Mike. If your going to be in San Diego, there should be some good diving nearby. perhaps even wreck alley if you like wrecks. Monterey is going to take at least 4 hours of travel time to and from SF. So if your time is limited in SF then why not use it to visit with family, next time your in the area there will be time to dive the bay.

 

[dwaters]

Jim, happened to see this thread... It's like asking which is better..Ford or Chevy?
Both have their stong points and both are the best if you only know one.... so as for a So.Cal. person who has never dove north of Anacapa Is. (So.Cal.) I would say SanDiego.... but I really want to get up north to experience Monterey this year. Bottom line: you will be happy with both, just do what works best in your schedule and hit the other the next time. Enjoy!

 

[dpbishop]

Here is a link to the California Dive Boats page: California Dive Boats : The Official Page Monterey is at the top, San Diego at the bottom. If you know the dates you will be here you can see what trips they are running and make your decision. Beach diving in March can be iffy in San Diego, depending on the swell; although La Jolla Shores will usually have OK viz below 50 feet. The boat dives usually have better viz then the shore dives. (the first week of February was epic though, so you never can tell.) I think the logistics of diving San Diego may be easier. Be aware that some, but not all, California boats provide tanks and weights; you may have to arrange rentals if you go with one that doesn't.

Also, despite how it sounds, you don't have to be a wreck diver to dive Wreck Alley. There is plenty to see without penetrating the wrecks; the gorgonians on the El Rey or the NEL Tower match a Caribbean reef for color.

 

[dannobee]

Monterey/Carmel has some fantastic diving. San Diego is less colorful, but they do have some sunken ships to dive.

I won't sugar coat it, if you show up to dive Monterey/Carmel in anything less than a 7mm and a hooded vest, you'll be cold. SD will be warmer, but certainly not what I'd call "warm water."

If you're driving up from San Diego to San Francisco, you'll be driving near Monterey anyway (HWY 5-HWY 101). The drive is about 8 hours to SF, a couple less to Monterey. 101 is a pretty drive though. HWY 5 is downright boring for 300 miles.

March in either area is hit or miss, depending on weather.

Bottom line, you can't go wrong with either one, and I'm sure other factors will determine which better fits your schedule.

CA Dive News has a dive spots overview of the most popular sites in California. There is no diving around San Francisco to speak of. The currents rip going out of the bay, the vis is poor, and it's part of the "red triangle" where White Sharks tend to congregate.

.

 

[DiverDun]

Thanks for the sites so far. We both have dry suits so the cold is not a huge issue. We normally dive in Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence river on ship wrecks so would be less interested in wreck diving.

Is there much in the way of shore dives in Monterey as there seems to be a lot available in SD?
According to the comment by dpbishop, shore diving in SD in March may be a challenge. Is the same true in Monterey area? Would we see much more by having charter dives in both areas?

Thanks

 

[dannobee]

Thanks for the sites so far. We both have dry suits so the cold is not a huge issue. We normally dive in Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence river on ship wrecks so would be less interested in wreck diving.

Is there much in the way of shore dives in Monterey as there seems to be a lot available in SD?
According to the comment by dpbishop, shore diving in SD in March may be a challenge. Is the same true in Monterey area? Would we see much more by having charter dives in both areas?

Thanks

Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove has a LOT of shore diving. Some of the coastline isn't directly exposed to the swells, so there's almost always some place to dive.

A lot of the boat charter dive sites could almost be dived as shore dives (at least in Monterey Bay). If they're going around the corner to Carmel, then you're in for a treat. It'd be tough for any of the usual SoCal dive spots to beat that.

SD charters usually go out to the wrecks.

You could also shore dive Point Lobos, but if you're coming on weekend, you'll need reservations.


.

 

[Gombessa]

Thanks for the sites so far. We both have dry suits so the cold is not a huge issue. We normally dive in Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence river on ship wrecks so would be less interested in wreck diving.

Is there much in the way of shore dives in Monterey as there seems to be a lot available in SD?

If you're not interested in wrecks and want to shore dive, Monterey will probably suit you just fine. FYI, I've done the vast majority of my diving in Monterey, have only been to maybe 5-6 sites, and have never been on a boat in the area (other than a Reef Check class). And I'm not even close to getting bored with what I've seen

 

[DiveNav]

I will be going on a business trip to San Diego and will combine it with a short holiday to get in some diving and visit a relative in the San Francisco area.........

Hi DiverDun,
we have mapped several dive sites in SoCal and you could see them in 3D using our (free) dive simulator.

We have 2 dive sites in San Diego (HMCS Yukon - a Canadian Destroyer and La Jolla Shore - a deep sandy canyon (very nice at night)) and several dive sites at Catalina Island.

If you have more than a day in SoCal I strongly recommend you consider a day at Catalina Island.

Best Regards,

AM
P.S. we are working with the ARSBC on the HMCS Annapolis ..... but don't tell anybody