It's very dangerous, even very experienced divers die out there. Just this past season 6 drivers have died or have been lost at sea in the waters off the Mendocino Coast. Here's a news article about the most recent
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041129/NEWS/411290327/1116/SEARCH02
It's all up to you, but for me the water around here is just too unpredictable to be safe in.