Dive Travel Notes:
Point Lobos, California
Posted by Claude Luu on BA Diving on 3 January 2015.
Did one long dive at Point Lobos today. From the mouth of Whaler's Cove, swam to Hole in the Wall, Lone Metridium and onto Beto's Reef. Returned via nearly identical reciprocal course.
Posted by Bruce Sawyer on BA Diving on 3 January 2015.
Let me suggest one minor change which will give you a loop instead of coming back by the same path. When you’re about ½ way out Beto’s [Reef] and you note the top of the reef drops below 100’, turn and head due west over the bare sand. I stay up at 100 so as not to use up my bottom time. In about 100’ you will come to the first of the 3 Sisters. Continue west after the first one and you will hit an even bigger pinnacle about 50’ away. Then go due south and you will come to Rock Garden. From there, skirt around to the left so that the slope is on your right shoulder and you will eventually come back to Lone Metridium. It makes a very nice loop which I can just manage on a HP100 with 32%.
By Fofo Gonzalez, April 2015.
For Point Lobos (map 1), you'll have to pay $10/car for entry fee, and $10/person for diving fee (and don't forget your certification card, you will need to show it at the entrance). The parking lot is in Whaler's Cove, the yellow circle that says "You are here" in map 1. You get into the water through the boat ramp (and only through the boat ramp! You are not allowed to get in the water anywhere else). Be careful, it is sleek with algae. In low tide it can get interesting since there's a big step into the deep water at the end.
But before that take a short hike to the top of the hill at the end of the parking lot. There are some steps going up. From the top you have a nice view of the cove. Usually visibility in the cove is not very good, for the best diving you have to go out a little bit, but the kelp makes it harder. That's why it's a good idea to take this hike, to know where you need to go. Here's a good picture from above. There's a way to swim through the kelp following the sand channel. Go back to map 1 and read what it says about Doggy, Worm Patch and Sand Channel.
So, swim out so that you more or less will drop on Worm Patch, take a heading out and a heading back into the cove and write them down or set your compass, you'll need them to verify on the way back. Drop and then follow the sand channel (it's going to be pretty obvious underwater) and follow it out. Then take a left when the structure starts opening up on the left, and you should be close to Hole in the Wall (a small hole about 1 m in diameter, close to the ground, on a rock wall). You can swim around this area, by now you should be getting close to needing to go back, but if you still have air you can look for the Lone Metridium, further to the left past the wall with Hole in the Wall.
On the way back you can swim underwater past Worm Patch, and surface when the algae and kelp starts to get too thick and confusing so that you can figure out where you are. Usually it's a short surface swim to the ramp from there.
Another good dive would be Middle Reef.
Again, swim slowly so that you can find the nudibranchs, the abalone, crabs, shrimp, etc.
There are fresh water hoses to give your gear a quick rinse.