Metridium Fields

[Chavodel8en]

@Chavodel8en
You can actually see the pipe faintly, just below/right of the words "Monterey Harbor". This drop site appears to be almost 300 yards out. Is that right?
Dropping and heading magnetic west is actually heading back toward the beach slightly. Are you very close to the pipe end this far out? If not, it seems you could save a little distance by heading about 300° to the pipe, then out to the end, then due North to Metridium Field.
Is this close?

300 yards out seems about right -- maybe a little closer than that. Its a healthy swim.

Due West gets you to the pipe, maybe closer to shore, and I enjoy exploring the pipe a bit. 300° is probably more direct, and gets you closer to the end of the pipe, although I haven't done it, so I cant attest to it.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

If you look into the end of the pipe sometimes there’s a big lingcod hanging out there.
I just surface swim until I get pretty close to the cement pumphouse and then go down. I swim underwater parallel to the beach until I get to it and then follow it out. I like to check out the pipe itself, that’s part of the fun of the dive. Lots of nudi’s and cool things on it even in the shallows.

 

[3D diver]

On a good day you can see the pipe from the surface. Follow it 'til you can't, then drop and follow it to the end. Hang a left ~45 degrees---magnetic north---and you'll soon be there.

 

[btroxell]

Here is a map I made which shows the Big Pipe (the red line). "MILSTN" is the main metridium location (there are a lot of rocks with smaller colonies in the area).

Ben

 

[lexvil]

Here is a map I made which shows the Big Pipe (the red line). "MILSTN" is the main metridium location (there are a lot of rocks with smaller colonies in the area).

Ben

Cannon?

 

[Chavodel8en]

Ah! Guess I didn't rotate the map enough to account for mag dev, if the pipe is almost due north. Thanks!
Can't wait to try it!

I actually dived the pipe/metridiums on Saturday. And I was a bit mistaken. The pipe's orientation is not really due North - its close, but more like 30 degrees. But you still go due North from the end of the pipe to hit the metridiums

 

[rsingler]

Finally got around to confirming all of this.
@BikerBecca had it right - "zero-pipe-zero" is as easy as it gets. That said, if you want to save gas, taking @Chavodel8en 's suggestion is perfect:
Using @MaxBottomtime 's picture here://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/metridium-fields.569053/#post-8439321

to save maximum gas, make a leisurely surface swim out to the intersection of the line of Reeside Ave. to your south, and the line created by the bathroom and the building behind it on the breakwater, to your east.
Dropping there to ~35' will place you SE of the pipe over a fairly barren sand bottom. Swim about 30 kick cycles on 300° to the pipe, turn right, and enjoy the last third of its length for starfish and nudi's, on a heading of about 030°. When you get to the end, turn left heading 360° for 20-30 kick cycles and the Metridiums will loom into view.
This was my 34 year old son's first dive with me after getting certified last Sat morning. He didn't know what to expect, and loved it. We then navigated back up the pipe until a group of knuckleheads kicking up sand destroyed the vis, so we turned left 120° for a long meander to the breakwater wall and enjoyed the rockfish hiding in the rip-rap, and still finished with standard reserves. A great dive, for Breakwater.

So...
zero-pipe-zero,
or landmark drop, 300-pipe-zero to save gas.
Here's where you're heading:

Thanks to all!

 

[BikerBecca]

Nice write-up @rsingler.

Are you an instructor in Monterey? I'm wondering if we've met. I was there last weekend working as the DM for Paddy with a group of new Open Water students doing their Monterey checkout.

 

[ryanoceros]

Becca, I did this dive following the same instructions with a buddy on our first dive after our dive course. We were really stoked to find it on our own and had a lot of fun.

 

[wnissen]

This thread was helpful for me and @dive1bb in finding the meretridiums, thanks to everyone. Now finding the pipe on the way back was a different story. I thought we were south of the pipe and took the wrong heading. Once I realized I had missed the pipe I took the reciprocal of the pipe and we only ended up one building over from the bathroom, which wasn't too bad all things considered. I was just sad we didn't get to see all the cool stuff on the pipe on the way back. Next time we'll take a fixed heading from the end of the pipe and be sure which direction to head.

Now I need to find a similar diagram for Point Lobos. I have no interest in swimming back through the thick mats at the top of the kelp, so finding the sand channel will be key. Thanks, everyone.