Scattered images from Sunday, April 3, 2011. The rocks and swell; dive partners; and another self-portrait #49.Point Lobos, Carmel, CA: too much swell, too little visibility. Just up the coast at Carmel River Beach, four free divers had to be rescued. Discretion is the better part of valor, as they say.
Above you can see the swell hitting the point, though we were sheltered in the cove, easing our way into the water from the boat ramp. In the two shots of the surf hitting the rocks, I like how the waves seem to come from different directions. (Or, beautiful from any direction, any angle.)
We didn't even think about heading out there, but hoped to move off the boat ramp, drop down, and explore. Even in that modest hope, we were stymied as the visibility was less than three feet. Hold you hand out at arm's length, and you couldn't quite see your hand. That bad. Wiser heads no doubt expected the sheer murk due to all that swell, but we'd hoped for better conditions since the swell had been coming down. No luck. We bagged the dive and headed back to shore. Frustrating, yes, but also good practice.
Other divers claimed that visibility improved to 10 or even 20 feet further out, but we had already derigged and unsuited by the time they reported back. (I almost said "we'd defrocked," but that's just frustration talking.) Perhaps visibility would have been improved further out in the soup, but the dense murk promised little for a lot of energy. Still: what if, what if? Lobos is one of best spots on the Central Coast for heightened visibility. Cold water, too, from the undersea canyons, but such waters often bring greater range of vision too.
Seaside Phat Burger chicken combo pleased me and consoled me. Maybe we didn't get a full dive in, but we suited up, got wet, meant well, and ate well too.
Next time, you know?
