If you live in northern California, like I know a lot of the nerd herd here does, one of the greatest dives in the world is a two hour car ride away in Monterey

If you live in northern California, like I know a lot of the nerd herd here does, one of the greatest dives in the world is a two hour car ride away in Monterey. The kelp forest there is like no other place on earth; it looks like a 3D set from a sci-fi movie. The bad news is visibility is a coin toss, and five times out of six it's like diving in pea soup. And the water is cold, you need double wetsuits at least. But if you ever get a high-visibility dive there, you'll be hooked for life. A lot of the dives are shore dives, you can just walk into the ocean from next to the aquarium and see some amazing things (or cold murk). Point Lobos state park may be the greatest diving site in North America.