Posted by msblucow on June 10, 2000 at 14:21:00:
In Reply to: Monastery Beach? Whales? posted by Ryan on June 10, 2000 at 12:07:06:
Congratulations on getting certified! I was just in the Monterey Bay area (I live in LA) and had the opportunity to dive both Point Lobos and Monestery Beach. My advice: get to Point Lobos as quickly as you can and avoid Monastery Beach like the plague! Both are beautiful dive spots, but Monastery Beach is for advanced divers only. You have to be very experienced with shore entries and exits. You have to hump your gear over a long, steep strand of beach, then enter an area with heavy surf and surge. Personally, I never would have tried it, but I was with an experienced buddy who had dived there dozens of times. Point Lobos, on the other hand, is a great spot for a newbie diver. You can gear up at the parking lot and enter the water via a short boat ramp. The water is calm and protected. You see forrests of kelp, tons of inverterbrates, curious sea lions and big fish lurking in the rocks. You will need to make reservations before hand (check out http://pt-lobos.parks.state.ca.us/scuba/scuba.shtml for information). I would reccomend contacting one of the local Monterey dives shops (or Dive N Board - I think they're local to you) or posting on the web for a dive buddy who's been to Point Lobos before. It'll make your first dives there really great! Good luck!