I have been diving at Point Lobos and it can be very cold because you are so close to Monterey Canyon and you get the cold water upwelling. With that said, Whalers cove is just that, a cove, and therefore pretty well protected from the waves and surf. Who knows what happened to these folks. It is sad for sure. I would really like to know what happened because I am a PADI instructor and anything I can pass on to my students to keep them safer is invaluable to me.