Dillons Beach / Bodega Bay

[SLOfisher]

Any divers from this area or familiar with Ab diving around here? I am headed up there the weekend of July 10th for my cousins Bachelor party (strange place for a bachelor party.....dont ask me why) and I was thinking about taking my dive gear and giving Ab diving a shot.

Will be camping in a spot at Dillons beach, and wondering if there were any good Ab diving places around the area. It would be my first time going for Abs, so a beginner, or intermediate spot is preferred.

Or, if anyone from the area was planning to dive that weekend, I would be totally stoked to tag along on Sat or Sun morning.

Slofisher-

[phil herranen]

ab season is closed in july
phil

[SLOfisher]

Ah....well, nevermind. April 1st - July, is the season then?

[thereefgeek]

My first ab dive ever was out of Dillon, around the point at the rock to the south. Of course, this was during the OPEN part of the season. It's a wee bit sharky out there and there are usally seals/sea lions around. If you're a better swimmer than them, I say go for it.

[SLOfisher]

Yeah, those sharky waters would be a little nerve racking....great pic btw, very clear. How did you get out there to dive? Boat or did you swim across and then walk across the point?

[Styric]

Dude! There are big fatty GWS out there. Reefgeek definately manned up for that ab dive. I would only hook and line that spot personally. There are people that dive there though. Check out the Dillons Beach website...there is a pic of a big batray that has huge bite radius munch marks.

[divingdoc]

OK, here are a few facts from someone who lives in Dillon Beach and spends a lot of dive diving there:
(1) ab season IS closed in July but reopens Aug. 1 thru Nov 30
(2) around Tomales Point there are several nice ab beds where, without much trouble you can get fat abs between 8-9 inches.
(3) the "man in the grey suit" IS there... I have had two encounters with him trying to collect rent, the second of which made me swear off diving there for abs for 5 years.
(4) while there is no "truly safe" time, spring and summer are better than fall which is when the sharks come in. Last year the program from Bodega Bay Marine Lab tagged something like 21 great white sharks off Tomales Point,mostly done from Sept-Jan.
So.... it's your choice!!

[divingdoc]

[ OK, here are a few facts from someone who lives in Dillon Beach and spends a lot of dive diving there:
(1) ab season IS closed in July but reopens Aug. 1 thru Nov 30
(2) around Tomales Point there are several nice ab beds where, without much trouble you can get fat abs between 8-9 inches.
(3) the "man in the grey suit" IS there... I have had two encounters with him trying to collect rent, the second of which made me swear off diving there for abs for 5 years.
(4) while there is no "truly safe" time, spring and summer are better than fall which is when the sharks come in. Last year the program from Bodega Bay Marine Lab tagged something like 21 great white sharks off Tomales Point,mostly done from Sept-Jan.
So.... it's your choice!!

"ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, I'D RATHER BE HERE THAN IN PHILADELPHIA"
W.C. FIELDS

[Trimbandit]

Not to derail, but divingdoc that is a FAT looking stringer.

Originally Posted by divingdoc

[ OK, here are a few facts from someone who lives in Dillon Beach and spends a lot of dive diving there:
(1) ab season IS closed in July but reopens Aug. 1 thru Nov 30
(2) around Tomales Point there are several nice ab beds where, without much trouble you can get fat abs between 8-9 inches.
(3) the "man in the grey suit" IS there... I have had two encounters with him trying to collect rent, the second of which made me swear off diving there for abs for 5 years.
(4) while there is no "truly safe" time, spring and summer are better than fall which is when the sharks come in. Last year the program from Bodega Bay Marine Lab tagged something like 21 great white sharks off Tomales Point,mostly done from Sept-Jan.
So.... it's your choice!!

"ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, I'D RATHER BE HERE THAN IN PHILADELPHIA"
W.C. FIELDS

[The "Fisher"]

Originally Posted by Trimbandit

Not to derail, but divingdoc that is a FAT looking stringer.

I was thinking the same thing. Thats one hell of a haul. You have any more pics?

[thereefgeek]

My point was that knowing now what I didn't know then....

I'D NEVER EFFIN' DIVE THERE AGAIN.

We went out in a 14' Avon with a 25 horse Merc. We were in the water 1/4 as long as it took us to motor there. I only popped two that day.

[Styric]

These pics are from the Lawsonslanding.com website.

[Styric]

[quote=divingdoc;991857]
(3) the "man in the grey suit" IS there... I have had two encounters with him trying to collect rent, the second of which made me swear off diving there for abs for 5 years.
QUOTE]

I would love to hear those stories...

[A.P.]

One of my buddies is the researcher doing the shark tagging there. I went out to assist him last fall. We saw about ten in three days, and tagged a few of them. These sharks ranged in size from 12' to 17-18'. The scary thing was the sharks we didn't see, we were picking up acoustic pings from previously tagged sharks...at one point there were 5 sharks within a 100 meter radius of our boat. You could not pay me enough to get in the water where that arrow is on reefgeek's map. PERIOD. Props to all who do! You all are CRAZY!

[bbprodive]

Bring your gear up and head up north of us here in Bodega Bay, there are some good spot to shoot Rock Fish and Lings. Ab season is closed in the Month of July. And Steve has shoot many good looking stringers like that, maybe someday soon I will post the pictures from our trip to Alijos Rocks last year with Steve in his outstanding 3 mm wetsuit top and red legs (what a sunburn)