Posted by kayakdiverguy on December 16, 1999 at 23:14:34:
In Reply to: Monterey/Carmel Diving posted by GZ on December 16, 1999 at 09:55:59:
I live in the area and I can tell you that in the winter, when the conditions are right, the diving can be spectacular. But when there is surge, vis tends to be low, less than 10/15 at times. A few weeks ago, I dove Coral Street (local dive shops can readily tell you where these spots are)and got followed the whole time by a seal. It was awesome. But Coral Street is only good on calm days. For other days, try Lovers Point (one of my favorites) or try to reserve a spot to dive Point Lobos (you will need a buddy for this--reservation can be done on the net). The usual dive spots, i.e., Breakwater, McAbee Beach, etc., tends to be okay and they may be your best bet some days.
When in town, talk to either Aquarius or Bamboo Reef dive shops. They tend to be up to speed on daily conditions and can point you to the best sites for the day. Check the net for the wave model of Monterey Bay and you can also tell how the day is going to be in terms of wave (doesn't tell you about the viz though).
For boat diving, I like the Cypress Charter people. They tend to go further south. Other boats take you around spots in the bay--what fun is that when you pay big bucks for diving?