Point Lobos (Granite Point Wall) vids - Sept 13

[Gombessa]

Wow, what a day. Sounds like conditions were spectacular pretty much everywhere, and it was no different at Lobos this Saturday. We were treated to at least 40-50ft of viz outside Whaler's Cove, maybe even more out past Middle Reef. This was our first attempt to hit Granite Point Wall, and we probably couldn't have picked a better day to do it. The morning dive was so grand that we hauled our tanks back into town to get fills at Aquarius (where I ran into Brandon finishing up some DM duites) to go it again in the afternoon. Man, it was worth it.

Highlights - successful navigation (for the most part), my first guitarfish sighting, HUGE rockfish and sheephead, a kelp canopy so dark you couldn't read your gauges, and successful MDL planning on our first doubles-length dives.

Downers - getting hopelessly lost on the inbound kick back to the cove and ascending by the washrocks near Hole in the Wall. Oops.

Dive 1:


Dive 2:


That mob of spectators at the beginning of dive 2 was about 200 high school students on a field trip. We saw them cart in two large dive-bin-sized plastic containers filled to the brim with animal crackers and m&ms. It must have been 100lb of candy.

 

[zf2nt]

Downers - getting hopelessly lost on the inbound kick back to the cove and ascending by the washrocks near Hole in the Wall. Oops.

NEXT TIME...swim back to the southern end of Granite Point Wall, then head off over the sand on a heading of 225. I've never measured it, but it can't be more than about 150' from the southern end of Granite Point Wall to the northern tip of Middle Reef. That also says that the easy way to find the wall is to go up the eastern edge of Middle Reef to the point, then head off at 045. In just a minute or so, you'll see Granite Point Wall loom up over you.

Nice video, BTW.

Bruce

 

[Gombessa]

NEXT TIME...swim back to the southern end of Granite Point Wall, then head off over the sand on a heading of 225. I've never measured it, but it can't be more than about 150' from the southern end of Granite Point Wall to the northern tip of Middle Reef. That also says that the easy way to find the wall is to go up the eastern edge of Middle Reef to the point, then head off at 045. In just a minute or so, you'll see Granite Point Wall loom up over you.

Nice video, BTW.

Bruce

Thank Bruce. I think we aimed for the northern tip of Middle Reef and headed out at 030, and back at 220. The problem I have is that I really only have a macro understanding of Middle Reef topography - there are bits and pieces I recognize but I'd have a heck of a time saying "I'm at the northern tip" or anywhere else.

It took us about 3-4 minutes of kicking from Middle Reef to the wall, which bottomed out at around 65-75ft, so I'm pretty sure we didn't take the shortest route there. I'll try 045 next time.