San Francisco Centre?

[ruftytuftydiver]

I'm off to San Francisco in November and need to know the diving conditions and recommendation of a centre. We are staying in Concord in the Bay Area.
All info apreciated, Cheers.

[tony dwyer]

I'm off to San Francisco in November and need to know the diving conditions and recommendation of a centre. We are staying in Concord in the Bay Area.
All info apreciated, Cheers.

I can't offer info on San Francisco (apart from some touristy stuff), but suggest that while in the area you should try to visit Monterey and Carmel. There is a fantastic dive site at Point Lobos near Carmel. It's part of a reserve and is run by the US National Parks people. When I dived there some years ago the water was crystal clear and crowded with fish and other wildlife, including Sea Otters and Seals. Most of the area is home to giant Pacific Kelp. Diving among these plants in good light is like flying through a forest.

There is a dive centre at Monterey Harbour where you can hire all you need. They were a little taken aback by me only needing tanks & weights as I had brought my own gear.

The aquarium at Monterey is a must visit and there are many good places to eat.

The water was relatively cold in April. You will find that a full 7mm semi or a drysuit will be required. Temperatures are very much like those in UK waters.

In November you are likely to find the weather a trifle damp. Fog is very common. It can get quite cold so pack warm clothing.

My sister lives in Martinez, which is right next to Concorde. I get regular updates on conditions from her.

The shopping mall in Concorde is huge! Take money, stuff is cheap.

There is a mountain nearby called Monte Diablo. It often has snow on the top and offers wonderful views at sunset.

You can travel into San Francisco on the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transport). We usually get on at Walnut Creek, just west of Martinez. You can buy all day tickets to travel on most of the tubes (BART), trams and buses in the city. It's a very economical way to get around.

To get anywhere else a car is required. A 2 hour drive east will get you to Murphy's Trading Post (really!) from there it's a short trip to Big Trees, where you can see Giant Sequoias.

Another place worth a visit is Point Reyes to the north of Frisco. Driving up and then down Mount Tomalpais is quite a hoot and you get to do it both ways!

have fun

regards

Tony

[Alison Boler]

Hi
Here's my twopenneth: Monterey is a fantastic centre for diving - the aquarium there is excellent - showpiece of the marine reserve that extends around that part of the coast. Quite a few operators. I would also recommend a trip to the Farallon Islands if you can organise it - look at the link below for info from our website. Our page also points you at other California diving links - the www.scubadiving.com ones are very good. There's a good bulletin board too.
If you are diving this coast in November, it will be reasonably cold even by British standards - wear a drysuit or 7mm wetsuit with hood. There is a large ever present swell which creates major surge in shallow depths - it makes some people feel sick. If you're susceptible, think about medicine. The surf has travelled thousands of miles by the time it reaches the Pacific Coast. The kelp forests are amazing - try and dive one with a local operator who knows what they are doing. Be prepared for the fact that California divers often swim out from the shore rather than use boats. They swim further than we would consider normal in the UK and through surf that can seem breathtaking to the average Brit. Just go with it and comfort yourself with the fact that it might be slow going on the way out, but the ride back to shore will be "excitingly fast"....
Not sure when lobster season is in California but have a feeling it could be the autumn....
There are quite a lot of dive clubs in California, often but not always centred around a dive shop, but they are generally very welcoming. They often have dives you pay for (boat) and free dive meets for shore diving. Search for scuba clubs on the web and you will find quite a few.
Have a great time.

Allie
PS
Touristy things to do: Alcatraz
Chinatown
Carmel
The drive south from San Francisco into Big Sur - don't miss this.
Hearst Castle if you can get this far down the coast.
Cannery Wharf
Monterey Aquarium and Monterey itself
Wineries north of SF
Ride a streetcar
See the sequoia forests north of SF
Have a great time
Allie

[tony dwyer]

Allie

I second the bit about the wineries in Napa Valley. Make sure that you have a nominated driver or go by bus as you are likely to get somewhat sozzled! Free samples galore! Nice wine and some interesting tours.

Hic ):

[andy botten]

I agree with all of the above. Monterey was magic.
All I would say is if you have/want a dry suit - get a logbook sticker.
I dived with MBDC. www.MontereyScubaDiving.com I was even offered steel cylinder :)
13C in August but warm and sunny on the surface.Vis 10m+
They had a group of NAUI divers on the boat and I hooked up with a buddy pair as a three
A plus point for me was I could walk to the aquarium for the morning and had my two dives in the afternoon.

[David Bailey]

We dive from a popular surfing beach in San Diego - fortunately zoned to avoid any unfortunate accidents - but the surf and the length of the swims involved is not like anything I did in the UK.

The water is cold, don't be fooled by warm surface waters, the thermocline can be breathtaking. Of course wearing a drysuit on the surface can also be pretty unpleasant, but it's worth it underwater.

Spiny Lobster season is 2nd October - Mar 16. But be sure to follow the rules (these are complicated, see <a href="http://www.dfg.ca.gov/" >http://www.dfg.ca.gov/</a>)- two californian abalone poachers just got 2 years in prison.

Have fun, it's a bit like really good British diving, but with the best weather of the year every day.

Dave