San Diego Bay water is nasty!

[Brian D]

Dove on my boat this weekend to clean the bottom. Low tide, visibility about 2 inches. No, really. I was behind the boat and went down and could not see the rudder. Had to go back to the surface. Then after cleaning the rudder, I moved (at least I thought I did) forward to the keel. Couldn't find it and went back up. I was between the boat and the dock.But the worst is... a slight intrusion of water into my mask. Hits my eyes and I almost want to pull the mask off because of the stinging. The water is so acidic.But, the bottom is (sorta) clean. I'm just saying.

 

[Rick D]

Upside....

...is you probably get a lot more time between bottom jobs in that toxic soup *x Let's see, you're in the south bay, down from all the navy shipyards, right? Probably been stuff going in there for a hundred years and, as I recall, not much of a tidal flush there either. Still looking at Challengers? Rick D.

 

[rfrye1]

No way in SD Bay.....

I'm moored in SD bay too at the Marriott. The $40 a month I pay to have my bottom scrubbed is the best thing I do. We get some tidal flow in & out of our marina, but SD bay is a dead end as far as the tide is concerned. With all those shipyards, "grey water", illegal "black water", I'm sure the water is pretty bad.I always wondered why they didnt put some kind of cut into the silver strand area to help circulate the water thru there. Especially the south bay.Bob

 

[Brian D]

Bob...

I wish they would put a channel there. Then I'd have ocean access and I'd sail there more than the bay. 3 to 4 hours just to get out of the bay, yikes!Rick, still have my eye on that Challenger 32 in Dana Point. However, I really want to move out of South Bay and get closer to home. So I am stuck between rock and a hard place.

 

[Joe]

mission bay is beautiful....

... no problem.

 

[Val]

diving in the "Big Bay"

Been there, all you can see is the hull in front of your face...with a light...Just hang on to the hull with the suction grip and clean what's in front of you, move on to the next section...I don't dive in the bay on the weekends anymore unless I have to, all the liveaboards and rec boaters are on their boats which means more grey water on top of the already pretty scummy water. Also diving at slack tide, high or low is not good for cleaning bottoms, the slime you scrub off just clouds up the water making viz worse. Better to clean it mid day, on a week day, if that is an option, during an incoming or outgoing tide where a current will carry the stuff away. You are already using a suction grip anyway...viz might be better on one or the other tidal flow....then again in south bay, maybe not.If you are at a dock, you can clean part of the hull along the waterline and a couple feet below from the dock with a brush on a long handle...less time in the toxic soup.A light (mini Q40) attached to your mask is helpful...and one on a lanyard...to help you find the boat...Happy diving.

 

[Kris13969]

Thats pretty bad

My father would clean the bottom of his boat at the dock in South Florida. Then sail to Biscayne Bay and go back in the water which was cleaner and see all the spots he missed. It always surprised him.

 

[Brian D]

I would love to find a sandy beach...

On a flood tide. Pull my boat up until the keel just touches bottom. Drop anchor, then start cleaning. Time it so the tide is just starting to ebb. A friend of my in North Carolina used to take her Grampion 26 to a sandy beach to do just that. It was a blast.