Club Dive - South Monastery 1-24-26
Derek Suring | Published on 1/25/2026
Seven club members, 3 dogs, and one partner attended the club dive at South Monastery. The weather was sunny and pleasant. Waves varied between 1 and 3 feet high. Watching the ocean closely allowed for fairly easy entries and exits. The vis was very poor close to shore due to a large amount of sand and torn-up plant matter in the water. Further out it opened up with reports of 25 to 35 feet. Winter storms have reduced the kelp to some smaller beds on the outer edge of the reef. Six divers completed the first dive - 4 kicking and 2 using DPVs (one diver had equipment problems early on and had to abort). The kickers enjoyed their dive at the outer edge of the reef. The DPVers saw several large schools of black rockfish (or blue, I cant tell the difference), a number of lings (one big one), and a few sheeps head near mono lobo wall. The second dive 3 dove DPVs (one being towed) to "circumnavigate" the marine canyon dropoff from South Monastery to North. They ascended (to see their position) about about 15' from the wash rock on North Monastery reef. Check out the still photos and video posted on aquatutus.org site. [In the Club Dives Forum]