Lobos Sea Mount Navigation

[Ben_ca]

Lobos today was pretty good at the deeper spots. Did deep Betos on mix and it was a Milky 40-50. HIW 30. Inside cove was pretty bad

 

[KRL1973]

Thanks, Ben. Yes, I have the compass headings from the BAUE maps. I was hoping some people might have some helpful landmarks or signposts that might supplement compass headings.

The natural downslope from HITW certainly makes sense, at least running N-S. What about E-W? The Sand Channel cuts across north of HITW. Do you run across and leave the Sand Channel in heading north?

And then there's the problem of knowing if and when you've found it, in the absense of a sign: "Welcome to Sea Mount." I have headed N from HITW, sloping to 95' or so. Wasn't sure if I had found Sea Mount or something else.

Checked my log for the couple dives I did to seamount. Only thing I can add to other replies is follwing the natural downslope look for it on your left when you hit ~70-80fsw. I didn't note in my log but recall an accumulation of about basketball or larger sized rocks piled across the bottom of the slope where I turned to my left and ascended the mount.

I Had 40+ft viz both times I went and that is a big help.

good luck

 

[fdog]

If you can make it to HITW you've certainly got good enough skills to find Seamount.

The only potential difficulty with Seamount is it's kinda poised on a subtle ridgeline; as you're heading out, if you are too far to the left, the slope falls away towards Three Sisters with no real stand-out features that tell you that you've missed. Until you're at 90-100' and surrounded by a blocky bottom that gives you no clue to your location, and you're well narced.

I'd suggest deliberately missing to the right. Leave HITW, bear a bit to the right, and stay within sight of the edge of the kelp, and swim north (deeper).

If the vis is good, when you are at about 80', you should be able to see it by looking to your left, as a looming dark thing the size of a house.

If the vis is not that great, when you are at about 75', you will find a distinctive formation on the bottom just inside the edge of the kelp: a small ampitheatre of relatively flat, smooth bottom, surrounded by the usual blocky rocks. The bottom is coated with the same red carpet of tube worms you see at worm patch. (this is a common place for us to do gas switches for deco) Turn NNW (310 degrees magnetic) here and a short swim of maybe 80' will find you at Seamount.


All the best, James

 

[3D diver]

So...

I know you found Sea Mount your first dive yesterday, how'd the second go?

 

[mahjong]

I didn't find it. Navigating for the team was a ringer with a GPS chip installed in his brain. We headed 330 from HITW. At a depth of roughly 90' we turned westward and arrived at a reef that I thought should be Seamount. Our leader said no (later he told me that that was the beginning of Betos). From there we headed SW and a large reef emerged--that was Seamount. From Seamount we headed back west of the sand channel (proper) and came through the back side of HITW (was looking for Lone Metridium but didn't catch sight of it--we had to pass close by it, though). Very nice loop dive out of and back into the cove.

On the second dive, with a new leader, we spent 79 minutes in Middle Reef trying to scramble the GPS chip of the first dive's leader. Not sure if we succeeded. Another very nice dive, nonetheless.

Just a genuinely very fine diving day at Lobos!