Farty and I spent Friday surveying shore dive sites south of Point Lobos. We went to Mile Marker 67, Mile Marker 66, Moby Ling Cove, and Reverse Cove. Our goals were to locate approach trails and entries that would not require superhuman effort and to plan for a return trip of at least 2 dives.
All of these sites are wonderously beautiful. People stopping for pictures up at the road short change themselves by not walking down the bluffs. Each site has one or more deep, sheltered coves with clear water that you can easily see 30 feet down into. From the rocks above, I could see fish, kelp, invertebrates, and a mermaid or two. The bottom sand is off-white, so the water has that hypnotic aquamarine color so familiar up in Carmel. You have an urge to jump in, just for a look.
The bad news is you cannot make a safe approach and entry at any, except one, of these sites. More accurately, there are places to get into the water, but making an exit carrying tanks could turn you into sea star food. Thanks to the wet winter, the access trails are eroded to where you are as likely to end up in a body cast, as to end up in your scuba gear. Farty and I checked the approaches thoroughly. It seems at one time there were better trails. For example, there are the ruins of cement stairs at Moby Ling.
The exception is Reverse Cove. It's still an advanced dive site and a long trek to the entry point. However, the reward outweighs the effort. There is a quarter mile walk to a low bluff that you can carry tanks down. At the bottom of the bluff is a tiny sub-cove that gives a sheltered entry to the larger Reverse Cove. This is a good site for a day trip where you carry your gear in, suit up on shore, and make a couple of dives, with lunch and a beach nap in the sun in between, harbor seal style.
Note that these sites are perfect for freediving, if not for scuba. I'll probably return to a few of them for an in-water, snorkel-only survey. With water so clear, and the shallow coves, tanks aren't worth the risk and effort.
Steve