Montana Reef Dive

[mikemikethepike]

Mike, you had some great vis! What's with what appears to be a line that's strung along the side of the reef appearing between 9:25 and 9:35?

Guy

After wathcing this video from 2008, it appears like there were a lot of lines in the area. I am not sure if they were for navigation or for some sort of survey.



In any case, cave line always peaks my interest.

 

[Guy Alcala]

After wathcing this video from 2008, it appears like there were a lot of lines in the area. I am not sure if they were for navigation or for some sort of survey.

In any case, cave line always peaks my interest.

Given that was Beto and Susan (Gasp! An unclipped and dangling SPG on one of the BAUE gods?), I'm not surprised there was cave line out there, as BAUE has done a lot of surveys and exploration. Indeed, one of the divers had a full reel clipped off. But I thought that the line from your dive on this weekend looked thicker than cave line, although it's hard to be sure from the video. Certainly, it wasn't newly laid like the stuff in the 2008 video.

Guy

 

[Rainer]

When I went there (with a couple of BAUE members), we ran line from Crossroads Pinnacle to Montana. We then left the reel, did a tour of Montana, before picking it up and scootering back. Helps confirm the ride back.

It's a fun dive. Definitely a LONG scooter run (I think it's just outside the range of a Sierra; I borrowed a Gavin to make the trip). Still think Twin Peaks is the best dive I've done out there, though.

Thanks for sharing the video!

 

[fdog]

A couple of trips ago I got curious and actually laid hands on this mystery line. It isn't cave line - probabally abandoned anchor rode.


All the best, James

 

[Guy Alcala]

James, thanks for the info.

BTW, Mike, what was your route out and back? Did you head north from Sea Mount or Beto's Reef until you hit Crossroads, then cross to Montana? Or did you cross to GPW and/or GPP and follow the base of the latter, then cross to Crossroads and Montana, or something else entirely? As the line was on your right on the way back in you must have been cruising along the NE side of Crossroads.

Guy

 

[mikemikethepike]

James, thanks for the info.

BTW, Mike, what was your route out and back? Did you head north from Sea Mount or Beto's Reef until you hit Crossroads, then cross to Montana? Or did you cross to GPW and/or GPP and follow the base of the latter, then cross to Crossroads and Montana, or something else entirely? As the line was on your right on the way back in you must have been cruising along the NE side of Crossroads.

Guy

James provided some really awesome Navigation for this dive. I really need to thank him for getting us out and back so nicely. We went out following the base of GPW to Q-Tip and then went along the west side of Crossroads to Montana. On the way back we followed the East side of Crossroads, back to Q-Tip to GPW. Then we crossed over to HitW from GPW.

 

[Guy Alcala]

James provided some really awesome Navigation for this dive. I really need to thank him for getting us out and back so nicely. We went out following the base of GPW to Q-Tip and then went along the west side of Crossroads to Montana. On the way back we followed the East side of Crossroads, back to Q-Tip to GPW. Then we crossed over to HitW from GPW.

Thanks. I'm not familiar with the location of Q-Tip, as I've only been out as far as Beto's, and on another dive the N side of 3 Sisters (or maybe Shortcut Reef - it was my first time at Lobos and we swam out to the NW to a bottom depth of 116 feet, and had a pinnacle on our left). Is it the small reef that the 110' contour curves around south of Crossroads?

Reason I ask is that I'm thinking of swimming out to Crossroads one of these days; I've run some preliminary numbers and can probably do it with a cave fill in my 112 (~ 148 cu. ft.), otherwise doubles (more gas, but more drag too). Distance isn't a problem, it's gas and time.

Montana's probably a pinnacle too far swimming, as it's just a bit distant to be in my comfort zone -- it would be a long way for me to surface tow a buddy back (or vice-versa) in an emergency, in anything other than ideal conditions.

Guy

 

[mikemikethepike]

Thanks. I'm not familiar with the location of Q-Tip, as I've only been out as far as Beto's, and on another dive the N side of 3 Sisters (or maybe Shortcut Reef - it was my first time at Lobos and we swam out to the NW to a bottom depth of 116 feet, and had a pinnacle on our left). Is it the small reef that the 110' contour curves around south of Crossroads?

Reason I ask is that I'm thinking of swimming out to Crossroads one of these days; I've run some preliminary numbers and can probably do it with a cave fill in my 112 (~ 148 cu. ft.), otherwise doubles (more gas, but more drag too). Distance isn't a problem, it's gas and time.

Montana's probably a pinnacle too far swimming, as it's just a bit distant to be in my comfort zone -- it would be a long way for me to surface tow a buddy back (or vice-versa) in an emergency, in anything other than ideal conditions.

Guy

Montana Reef is accessible by boat or by DPV and is definately not a kick dive. Q-Tip has been accessed on a doubles kick dive by Team Bunny:

[youtubehq]PbfMauFz4Zc[/youtubehq]

 

[mikemikethepike]

Thanks. I'm not familiar with the location of Q-Tip, as I've only been out as far as Beto's, and on another dive the N side of 3 Sisters (or maybe Shortcut Reef - it was my first time at Lobos and we swam out to the NW to a bottom depth of 116 feet, and had a pinnacle on our left). Is it the small reef that the 110' contour curves around south of Crossroads?

Reason I ask is that I'm thinking of swimming out to Crossroads one of these days; I've run some preliminary numbers and can probably do it with a cave fill in my 112 (~ 148 cu. ft.), otherwise doubles (more gas, but more drag too). Distance isn't a problem, it's gas and time.

Montana's probably a pinnacle too far swimming, as it's just a bit distant to be in my comfort zone -- it would be a long way for me to surface tow a buddy back (or vice-versa) in an emergency, in anything other than ideal conditions.

Guy

Montana Reef is accessible by boat or by DPV and is definately not a kick dive. Q-Tip has been accessed on a doubles kick dive by Team Bunny:

[youtubehq]PbfMauFz4Zc[/youtubehq]

 

[fdog]

Hope this answers some questions!

It's about 1800 feet to Q-tip, and 2700 feet to Montana. We made the run on generally speed 3 with Cudas:

BTW, I have the BAUE map that I've rotated to true north and placed to ground truth. This is in the form of a .kmz that opens in Google Earth. It's great to generate various runs with.

...Of course, this assumes you know the true performance of your scooter! Finding out the real speeds and range was the reason we started the Tahoe Benchmark. We initially relied on manufacturer supplied numbers and usually ended up swimming back.


All the best, James