I will be updating this thread with conditions leading up to the dive day along with dive location for anyone looking for a dive buddy. As I'm local, I'll also check "above water" vis during the day on Thursday and Friday as well as check with local divers about conditions leading up to Saturday's meet up. As of right now, conditions on Saturday look very average: 7' swell on average across various websites and very low wind. That should make many spots around Monterey Peninsula dive-able. Leading up to Saturday, conditions look really nice with small mixed swell. With the cloud cover in the forecast, I expect visibility to be above average on Saturday.
I'm looking forward to seeing many people get out there and fish on Saturday and for the King of the Tritons entries to be top notch. There have been some huge fish coming out of Monterey in the past couple months. I'll keep everyone as up to date as my resources allow!
I got 8 stitches in my thumb late last week, so I'm hoping I heal enough to dive on Saturday with you all!
Thanks Eric
03/10/2020 Update:
It appears the days leading up to Saturday (other than today) will be dry, but it might start sprinkling on Saturday afternoon. This is good news because if it rained in the days leading up to it, there would be increased bacteria and potentially less visibility. Thankfully, it looks like cloud cover will be present all week which should also limit any algae blooms which means vis should be pretty good - at worst still very huntable.
The marine forecast looks the same with very low wind, very small wind waves (1') and a typical NW swell of 5-7 feet. This means that most spots will be open but there will be a fair amount of water movement on the surface. I'd caution diving in exposed areas (coves with mouths facing NW) of big sur. Remember to buddy dive and only dive within your comfort zone. A 7' swell could get pretty sporty depending on the location.
Thank you Eric for the updates! These and your youtube video for checking dive conditions really has helped me out to prepare for trips.
GREAT NEWS! The swell forecast dropped by over a foot so Saturday is looking even better than before. I am hearing that current vis as of today, 3/11, is 30' in most areas.
Also great news, we are stoked to share that Matt Bond (epic chef known for growing/foraging nearly all the ingredients he ever uses in his insane meals) will be doing a presentation for the Monterey Bay Triton's meeting this Saturday at Black Bear Diner in Monterey.
Thanks for the conditions updates eric!
LOCATION FOR MEET UP:
For those who need a dive buddy (we highly encourage diving in pairs, one up one down) or need a place to dive if you're not familiar with Monterey area, the meet up spot will be Coral st. at 8:30 AM. It's easy to launch a kayak, usually pretty protected from shore break (easy launch & shore dive) and has great structure both near shore and out further (the further out spots range from 30-60' over the band of pinnacles). Park near the red circle in the image below and dive either north or south, depending on where you want to go with your buddies. In the shallows (with a bit of hole hunting) you will easily find Monkey Face Prickleback Eels (it's actually a fish, not an eel, but looks like one) deep in small cracks and holes, black and yellows, kelp rock fish, cabezon, blues, opal eye and an assortment of perch. Deeper out in the kelp you're likely to find just about everything (including sheephead and lings). I'd encourage wearing a shark shield if you have one, just to be safe. NOTE: You can NOT take invertebrates in this location (e.g. scallops) because it's an SMCA. If you have any questions about the meet up, please let me know asap.
UPDATE FOR 3/12 @ 8 AM: Reports from divers yesterday of good vis and a little bit of water movement at depth (surge) along with some decent shore break which is to be expected with the marine forecast for yesterday (Wind waves, NW 6' @ 14sec, S 2' @ 16sec) Mixed swell with a long interval south swell is a recipe for some surge but still very divable. Thankfully we are going Saturday which is a touch smaller on both sides than it is today and less windy but we still want every one to choose a spot they are comfortable diving and remain well within your limits.
MEETING CANCELLED.
MEETING CANCELLED.
MEETING CANCELLED.
COVID-19 and the TRITON MEETING:
As dive day director (which includes advising and making decisions on safety), We are cancelling the meeting tomorrow in the interest of public health and safety. DO NOT COME TO THE MEETING tomorrow. With so many social distancing precautions being taken by everyone else, we would be foolish not to do the same. King of the Tritons entries will not be accepted until our next official meeting, but Fishy Triton entries will still be accepted.
If you still want to dive tomorrow, see the info below.
DIVE CONDITIONS:
Dive reports around Lovers Point to Point Pinos have promising 20+ foot vis and very little surge. The wind wave forecast has picked up slightly since yesterday, but the NW swell has dropped. Looks like it might turn out to be a above average dive day. The below forecast from (NDBC - raw data from ocean buoys) is looking not bad: SW winds 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 3 to 4 ft. NW swell 3 to 5 ft at 11 seconds and S around 2 ft at 14 seconds. A chance of showers.
This makes me comfortable saying that Northern Big Sur might actually be accessible. Potentially sporty (surface chop from wind waves and mixed swell) but I'm guessing not unsafe (depending on the spot). Always watch the ocean for at least 15 minutes at the site you intend to get in at to understand how entry and exit might affect your dive.
If you have any questions for me, please comment on this post. I have email notifications turned on and will check it throughout the day/evening.