fstbttms

I can see my bottom - I swim under my boat - I watch the diver clean the bottom - there is almost no growth other than a little slime and some light grass where the bottom paint is wearing off - I've been in San Diego bay for 15 months and the bottom has been cleaned 3 times. Each time the diver remarks on how clean the bottom was and how easy it was to remove the little growth that was there.

Your story about "All that being said, I assure you that a 3 or 4-week hull cleaning frequency in San Diego is not only the norm, it is essentially necessary." is the same one I heard 13 months ago from two different dive services. The one I am currently using agreed to try a 3 month schedule and monitor the effort required and the amount of growth removed each time. Three times now they have told me how surprised they were at the minimal growth they found. MAYBE - (at least here in San Diego Bay) a monthly cleaning is not necessary IF the bottom paint is well applied.

My big question is:

WHY clean on a fixed schedule? If the bottom shows no growth then NO cleaning is better for the environment than even a light cleaning. If I can see the hull from the waterline to the bottom of the keel and there is nothing to clean - what is the point of a schedule? Why not just have the bottom cleaned "as needed?"

The new regulations seem like ABCDEFG - the "Act for Bottom Cleaner Diver Employment Fulfillment and Growth"

The marina management here is providing the same info as the dive service - they are telling me that they will be monitoring the bottom cleaning and self reporting violations of the no plume regulation. There have been several "inspectors" wandering the docks here during the last week watching the divers work. Those inspectors tell me their job is ensure compliance with the no plume regulation.

Maybe things will become more clear and easily understood after a couple of months.

I will have the bottom cleaned next week and will proceed from there with no fixed schedule.