Monterey, California

[sorvju-f]

Monterey, California

Our last Bahama adventure lead me to have pre-pre trip to California, San Francisco due to mother nature, together with Michael and his lovely wife Heather. Main part of this extra week we were just tourists round San Francisco and eated in fabolous restaurants!

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Francisco%202%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Francisco%2020%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Francisco%205%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Francisco%2013%20WM%20800.jpg/full
We had also helicopter ride over the San Fransisco and flied under the Golden Gate ( this is not permitted during every flight ). Actually I was rather disappointed to shoot video during helicopter ride because propellers were shaking camera and HD you really can see it from final result. They didn’t allow me to open existing little window to make pictures so you can see reflections from helicopter windows from the pics.

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Francisco%208%20WM%20800.jpg/full

Half an hour helicopter ride costs USD 450 ( 3 of us ).

Jukka

[sorvju-f]

Some more/San Francisco:

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Francisco%206%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Francisco%204%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Francisco%2014%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Francisco%201%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Francisco%207%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Francisco%2022%20WM%20800.jpg/full

Jukka

[sorvju-f]

Some more San Francisco

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Fransisco%2019%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/San%20Francisco%2028%20WM%20800.jpg/full

We had also the boat trip round Alcatraz:

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/Lokit%20800%20WM.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/Michael%201%20wm%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/Alcatraz%204%20WM%20800.jpg/full

Jukka

[sorvju-f]

We decided to use one day by driving about 3 hours from San Francisco to Monterey to have couple of dives there.

We rented to me 7mm suit already from San Francisco…it was little bit too small to me. I am still wondering that there was rather big diving center in San Francisco, but the owner told that there is hardly any diving round San Francisco.

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/San%20Francisco%2022-25.04/Monterey%2020%20WM%20800.jpg/full

Monterey is very interesting place, but you need also good timing to be there…the same luck we had with the viz in Key Largo we didn’t have. Viz was terrible! But it can be good and if it is good I can only imagine the video and picture challenges there are. Sea lions, otters, kelps, orcas and even great white.

It was rather difficult to find boat to take us out, but finally we got one having one extra diver plus us.

We used this diving boat and they took good care of us:

http://www.beachhopper2.com/

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Monterey%20diving%20boat%20WM%20800.jpg/full

Captain and the dive assistant:

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Monterey%20Captain%20WM%20800.jpg/full

They told us that best time to dive there is winter…December to February and the viz is best 2 days after the storm. Normally boat dives are done early in the morning as the weather is getting worse during afternoon period. It is possible to do shore dives any time of day.

UW was hard surge and viz very bad….first dive I used video and second dive still…actually only macro pictures gave some results. I had little bit same feeling UW as we had in Antarctica/Ushuaia…lot of anemons and kelps and cold water. I also saw one sealion shape very far. I LOVE KELPS.

Topside there was lot of sealions and we met the school of dolphins...hundreds of them:

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Monterey%20dolphins%203%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Monterey%20dolphins%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Monterey%203%20WM%20800.jpg/full

Jukka

[sorvju-f]

Of coarse this area is famous also because of otters:

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Saukot%202%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Saukot%203%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Saukko%207%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Saukot%201%20WM%20800.jpg/full

Jukka

[sorvju-f]

Underwater the result of pics is rather limited:

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Anemoni%20Monterey%202%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Monterey%20anemone%203%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Nudi%20Monterey%20WM%20800.jpg/full

http://sorvjuf.1g.fi/kuvat/Monterey%20California/Anemoni%201%20Monterey%20WM%20800.jpg/full

As last words I would like to say that Monterey is dry suit place and timing to get some camera results should be planned by staying longer period there during winter time.

Jukka

[Ken Hawk]

Jeez I thought you would have got a few day out of posting them, What happened to Jukka style :D

[sorvju-f]

Jeez I thought you would have got a few day out of posting them, What happened to Jukka style :D

As there was just 4 UW pics...I think that 4 months is Jukka style from other end:rolleyes:

Jukka

[Jonathan Bird]

Hey Jukka,
Looks like you had a fun little trip out there! The only time I dove in CA, the viz was crap as well.

Jonathan

[tkelly]

Great anenome and sea otter shots Jukka.