Metridium fields

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

JustinW

Contributor
Messages
1,127
Reaction score
3
Location
Rocklin, CA
Ok, so I thought it would be an easy search. I figured there would be dozens of directions on how to drop in on the metridium fields. The best one I can find yet is a lineup of the left side of reeside intersecting with a reading of 270 towards the bouy offshore. Chuck's site gives GPS and says to drop in at 65 feet. Well i know I won't have my depth gauge or my GPS in the water with me from this shore dive. So what are the line ups I need to hit this just right?
 
From the Yahoo BA group:

Yes, just discovered this a few months back. We love it. It's got
a pipe leading out where numerous critters enjoy the habitat.
Believe it or not, plenty of abalone even....saw 7 on our last dive
about a month ago. First I've seen since diving Monterey Bay in 5
years. If you head out directly from the stairs, the pipe is maybe
20' to your right. It submerges completely at about 32' if I
recall. But we were told by other divers that it eventually leads
to Metridium Fields if you follow that compass line. Very shallow
dive unless you go well beyong the kelp area. We're considering
trying a night dive out there at some point as the pipe seems a good
place to find octopus. Tons of crabs, shrimp, etc.... Couple of
nasty rocks usually submerged at entry/exit so be careful. Nice to
have a Nitrox tank on when coming back up those stairs ;-)

Mark Michaelsen



--- In ba_diving@yahoogroups.com, antizen@u... wrote:
> There's a little beach next to the Monterey Plaza
> Hotel, under which kayaks are stored. It's just South
> of the Breakwater....
>
> I've never dived it. Anyone??
>
> Greg Dilley
 
I have a couple really good ways to get out there.

1. Swim out from the left hand side of shore as you are facing the ocean. Swim out a ways, a bit past the kelp if I recall. As you are looking at Reeside street, make sure you are to the left of it. Drop down and take a 315 degree heading, you should find the big pipe in about 5 minutes (varies depending on how far you kick out, probably the same as the wash rock at N. Monastery is your target). Follow the pipe to the end. At the end of the pipe, take a heading due North, and in about 25 kickstrokes you will be there.

2. Swim out on the same side of the beach. Swim out until you line up the backs of the bathroom and the deli with the great tritip sandwiches. For the other direction, line yourself up with the left side of backscatter (the building with the big whale on the side). Drop down there and go due north. This should bring you to the big pipe pretty quickly, and you can either follow it out and go north on the end, or you can keep going N and you should find some.

I'll be around Sat afternoon briefly getting fills at Manta, and would be happy to pop by and explain it if my directions are fuzzy. I'lll probably be there somewhere around lunchtime.

There are lots of abs in Monterey. They just hide better here ....

Mark
 
hmm still not totally clear, but thats ok, since conditions should be good, I will likely dive coral street in the afternoon, I have 4 "dives" planned in the morning helping with classes before I can have fun.
 
Max,

This is referring to Hidden Beach, which is down the street a tad from San Carlos Beach. It is supposed to be a nice little dive.

There are LOTS of pipes all around that area. The one that leads to the Metridium Fields is pretty big. If you think you've found it, you have the wrong pipe. If you KNOW you have found it, that is the right one.

Mark

MaxBottomtime:
From the Yahoo BA group:

Yes, just discovered this a few months back. We love it. It's got
a pipe leading out where numerous critters enjoy the habitat.
Believe it or not, plenty of abalone even....saw 7 on our last dive
about a month ago. First I've seen since diving Monterey Bay in 5
years. If you head out directly from the stairs, the pipe is maybe
20' to your right. It submerges completely at about 32' if I
recall. But we were told by other divers that it eventually leads
to Metridium Fields if you follow that compass line. Very shallow
dive unless you go well beyong the kelp area. We're considering
trying a night dive out there at some point as the pipe seems a good
place to find octopus. Tons of crabs, shrimp, etc.... Couple of
nasty rocks usually submerged at entry/exit so be careful. Nice to
have a Nitrox tank on when coming back up those stairs ;-)

Mark Michaelsen



--- In ba_diving@yahoogroups.com, antizen@u... wrote:
> There's a little beach next to the Monterey Plaza
> Hotel, under which kayaks are stored. It's just South
> of the Breakwater....
>
> I've never dived it. Anyone??
>
> Greg Dilley
 
He put us right on it when I dove with Him last!
Great dive BTW!
Good luck
 
Mark's directions are spot on, once you find how to get there you'll be able to find the fields every time

we did a wednesday night dive there a few weeks back, swam out along the pipe to the fields, swam around them for a while then swam to the breakwater wall , and in along it, if anyone wants to try it it's a nice dive. Lot of sand between the fields and the wall, but there are some cool sections of rock on the way over to check out, lots of halibut in the sand too
 

Back
Top Bottom