Stinson Beach to Muir Beach Expedition

Fellow slingers of fish from Yaks, I'm looking to do an expedition dive & paddle from Stinson to Muir beach. I'm thinking of going on June 4th or 5th during the good low tides for easy launching from Stinson. Any takers ? I have Wed. Thrs. off so I can only do it during the week days. Will be looking for good Ling holes, possible White Sea Bass hangouts and maybe some Abs.

That sounds like a cool adventure, Ranger Jim.  Be sure to post up some photos and the tale of the trip.

 

Jim,

Have you dove that stuff very much?  A while ago, one time I dove the Slide Ranch (I think that's what its called) and another time I dove the rocks at the south end of Limantour Beach.  They were pretty bad sessions.  The viz was terrible; I thought I was going to get bit; and I didn't see any fish.  Was I just unlucky?  I did get an over 10 ab at the Limantour site - but it wasn't worth it.  Luckily there was guy piloting a Boston Whaler right next to me for support, which made me feel a little better.

I guess I'm saying that that area feels real sharky - isn't it?

RJ,
How far is that? I get off duty in marin at 7am on wed. I might be up for it if the weather is cooperating. I'll keep an eye on it as it comes up. Have you ever done that run before? I'm assuming your freediving? If I go, I have to load up the truck three days before and bring it to work.
Jonesz

  I have never done this run before, that's why I'm calling it an expedition. I want to make a day out of it looking at spots and downloading anything promising into a GPS unit. As of right now it is a go for the 4th of June.
  RJ which fire dept. do you work for, I'm out at Pt. Reyes Fire but work for the county parks dept.
  pescador, the vis is usually a bit green or sometimes brown but I have seen some nice days out there and wish I could be on the water. If the surfers can sit on their boards at the Bolinas Lagoon inlet day in and day out and only have a few sightings I feel pretty good about jumping in around some rocks along that part of the shoreline. Our whole coastline feels sharky, the only place I wouldn't dive from above is the Farralons. You should come along, if anyone wants to come and hook and line that's alright too.

No disrespect intended but..... , I think that is nuts.  Maybe it is no worse than diving at Tomales.  Be careful.
Dave

Jim, I've surfed Bolinas, Stinson, and even RCA beach and I felt safer doing that than both the dives I've done in Marin.....especially at Limantour.  I really felt like I was going to come back with parts missing there.  No logic really, but don't they periodically close Stinson due to really big fish?  When I lived down there they did.

Could be very productive though.  Can't think there's much pressure.

For me (a Mendocino-ite), that's a long drive for marginal conditions.  Give us a report...this sounds interesting.

Dave

I've talked to the guys flying on REACH rescue helicopter, and they say they've seen many big submarines cruising outside of stinson. If the folks only knew. Fact is they are always around somewhere. Fortunatly they rarely come in for a taste... As bad as it might be, I still think a slow cancer death would be worse....
Hey RJ, my schedule just changed today, so I'm out for the first week of June.
Jonesz

If only Salmon was open  I would be on it for a troll.

You are a braver man than me Ranger Jim.

But then again I have gone out into Trinidad bay in an inflatable in an area where I have SEEN seals getting munched by mighty whitey............Swear to GOD though.........If I even see a white shark out there to HELL with the raft...I am doing the Jesus thing all the way to shore!

I would be interested in hearing about the water clarity in that area though.

Jonesz, let me know when you can do it, if we can hook up for the trip that would be cool if not maybe next time. Pescador, when they close Stinson Beach it is usually due to a sighting at the inlet to Bolinas Lagoon. As Jonesz said, they are everywhere, known to be in every sea or ocean in the world, I try not to dive on a sight that has a big drop off on it since they like to ambush their prey from below. Dave, none taken, I dive the sand bar at Tomales also, I guess the main reason for this trip is to find a White Sea Bass spot.

Did this trip ever happen?  Did you actually spear some WSB near Stinson?  I never heard of it.  That would be amazing.  I would go for a fishing expedition along there for WSB but not diving, too sharky. 

Did not get that trip in this past season, but the Whites (seabass) did show up. We had them all the way down and into Tomales Bay this year with a couple caught with hook and line. As far as sharky, it can be I guess, the Farallones are worse and so is Tomales Point. We got chased out of the water Thanksgiving morning between Tomales Point and Bird Rock. A diver close to me said a 15' - 18'  GW went by about 8' under the surface and about 20' away. That cut my dive short and was glad I had my three abs already but decided not to go shoot any fish. Bodega marine Lab was out doing research with a chum bag in the water and a decoy behind the boat. They did'nt inform us of what they were doing and looked like fisherman with two poles out the back. Needless to say we were not happy about that but now I know what to look for when I'm thinking of diving out there. hopefully we'll get this trip in next season.

We got chased out of the water Thanksgiving morning between Tomales Point and Bird Rock. A diver close to me said a 15' - 18'  GW went by about 8' under the surface and about 20' away.

Wow, scary.

I gotta say, Jim, you like abalone a hell of a lot more than I do.  I wouldn't ab dive at Tomales Point.  Statistically, the picture isn't very good. In my mind, Tomales Point in an Marine Protected Area enforced by Whitey.

When I first started diving with my Dad we used to park at the pierce ranch and walk the ridge and drop down on the west side to ab dive. About halfway to the point from the ranch. He had dove there for years and no one ever said anything about sharks back then. That was 1970. There used to be a barge that would run from lawsons across the bay and my Dad would hike over the hill to dive and then the barge would take them back later.i only dove there 2 times with him and he never said anything to me about sharks. Maybe he didn't want me to be afraid or he figyred they would get me first.