Dive Plan @ Monastery South?

[KelpCoasters]

Do any of you super experienced divers out there have any recommendations for a dive plan/route at Monastery South? Drop next to the kelp? Beyond the kelp? Any topography that I should check out for sure? Any resident fish/mammals? How far of a surface swim to access, say, 100ft?
Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

The interesting stuff at South Monastery is in the kelp bed. Most
anything else (until you get round to MonoLobo) is sand. There is
a patch reef in about 60' that will probably have kelp on it this time
of year. Look for a detached patch of kelp. I used to surface
swim to the patch, take a compass heading for main kelp, drop,
check out the patch, then follow my compass across the sand to
the main reef.

If you want 100' at South Monastary and not have sand, you'll
have to get round to MonoLobo.

 

[melfox26]

It's a healthy surface swim out to 100 fsw at Monastery South, if getting deep is your intention, you're better off going to North.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I dug out some bathymetric data. If you go to the patch reef, and swm NNE (about 25
degrees magnetic), there's a side canyon that MIGHT be interesting. On the other hand,
it might just be deep sand.

Deep sand can be cool. I did a dive one time off Moss Landing because we couldn't
get to the breakwater because the roads were closed for a marathon. There was some
interesting invert life. And a couple of bat rays and I scared the crap out of each
other.

 

[Drewpy]

I went there for the first time a few weeks back and loved it!
We swam out just to the right of the kelp bed and dropped about 100-150yds out-we stayed in the sand with the reef and kelp just to our left,there are several canyons that break to the left-great rock formations and lots of life, which is where we entered the reef.There seems to be a resident angel shark in that vicinity-we spotted him in the sand,and several divers last week saw him as well. On the return we stayed in the kelp/reef and followed it back in to shallow water, hung a left to the sand and exited at the beach.
Sorry no coordinates or headings...Its hard to get lost

Enjoy! Ill be there tommorrow if the surf is manageable!