Nearly 25 divers from throughout the state will be diving this weekend to prepare for Dive The Coast 2013. Teams of divers coordinated by Kim White, founder of Dive the Coast, will begin diving from the Breakwater in Monterey on Saturday in two-hour intervals from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Public safety divers and volunteers will provide surface support with inflatables and kayaks. Some divers will head north into the bay, and the others east or west, parallel to Del Monte Beach. Each set of divers will fin kick at a depth of 20′-25′ with a surface marker buoy attached to the lead diver.
Schedule of Activities
Friday, June 8: Registration and Social Meet at Seven Seas Scuba at 5-6 p.m., 225 Cannery Row #M, Monterey, California, for a meet and greet, and Save Our Shores presentation about Marine Protected Areas.
Saturday, June 9: Distance Scuba Diving Meet at Breakwater at the Coast Guard pier just off of Cannery Row in Monterey and start diving at two-hour intervals: 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Divers traverse the coastline three teams at a time.
Sunday, June 10: Relay Scuba Diving Meet at Main Beach in Santa Cruz east of the municipal wharf, at 8:30 a.m. Depending on how many participate, divers will conduct a relay to Pleasure Point, roughly four miles.
The RSVP period for divers closed on Friday, May 25, but spectators and volunteers are welcome to come out and watch or provide surface support.
Dive The Coast is planned for June 2013. Divers will scuba as much of the 1000-mile California coastline as possible over five weeks of diving. Areas of the state are represented by 15 coastal counties in three regions. Each county organizes its own divers and test dives, and selects an ocean or diving organization as the beneficiary of any fund raising accomplished through the Dive The Coast event in their community.
Northern: Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin
Central: San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Luis Obispo
Southern: Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego
The purpose of Dive The Coast is to bring attention to the recreational activity of scuba diving, bring divers together and introduce them to unexplored dive sites, and to benefit ocean, educational and diving organizations.
Supporters of Dive The Coast throughout the state are: Silver Prince, California Diver Magazine, Aquarium of the Bay, Seven Seas Scuba, 80 Proof Divers, Channel Islands Dive Adventures, Orange County and San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper, Save Our Shores, O’Neill Sea Odyssey, MAKODIVER, Ocean Adventures Dive Company, California Ships to Reefs, Waterhorse Charters, San Diego Coast Marine Development, Fin Forward, Hardcore Dive Team, ScubaFit, Oceanic, Leisure Pro, Darkfin, Subseries, Beachopper II, E-Diving.com, Sharkys Eco Dive, Team Sharkys, Addicted Dive Gear, PlayHard Sports, and Pacific Wilderness Dive Team.