point lobos in April

[wrybosome]

Hi all,

I'm going to be staying at Pt Lobos for a few days at the end of April to do a marathon with my uncle and was hoping to get a few dives in while I'm there. If anyone has some good advice about shops and dive sites close to Pt Lobos I'd really appreciate it. It's my first time out to NorCal and I really know nothing other than to expect cold water and kelp.

I'll keep searching through this part of SB for info too, but also wanted to say hi.

Tim

 

[pacificgal]

Darn, just lost my post.
Lobos: bring your cert card, have a buddy, no solo diving there, reservations needed usually for weekends, weekdays not so much.
My first post was better, this is the gist though.
Are you looking for buddies too or does your uncle dive?
Glenn's Aquarius II at the Breakwater (San Carlos Beach) is where I go for tanks. Lobos is 10-15 mins. south on the freeway from there.

 

[wrybosome]

My wife is coming too and she's certified, but if anyone local wants to meet up that would be great! We have no clue about local diving conditions and left to ourselves will probably stay very conservative if by ourselves.

 

[pacificgal]

Well, to be honest, a local would probably be conservative with you too, which is OK, better to be safe than sorry.
Get in touch with me when you're in town, I'd be happy to take you out to a couple favorite spots, would most likely be on a Sunday though.

 

[dannobee]

How many dives will you have by then?

I'm willing to bring my little boat, but the spots that we go aren't what I'd consider "conservative" for someone with less than 50 dives.

Are you comfortable down to 100 ft yet?

 

[pacificgal]

I am, I'll go

 

[wrybosome]

I won't have any more dives by then, it's below freezing out here and I don't own a drysuit. I'm at 30 dives now, one of them to 105 ffw. My comfort range depends on vis and my site knowledge, but I wouldn't start out in a new location with a depish dive.

We'll probably dive that Monday, since the we arrive Saturday and the race is Sunday. If we dive by ourselves then we'll probably do Whaler's cove. Surface swim from the beach out till we're near the kelp beds. Anything we ought to be aware of at this site? Tidal currents etc?

 

[dannobee]

Yes, climb up to the top of the hill to overlook Whaler's Cove. If the big storms haven't ripped out all the kelp, you'll see an area where there is no kelp on the surface, going straight out North to open ocean. That is the sand channel. Use that as a highway to surface swim to the better spots. Unless you want limited vis and generally less "stuff" to see, you'll need to surface swim through the sand channel before descending.

The boat ramp (where you must enter and exit) is sometimes slimy with algae, so be careful.

... Anything we ought to be aware of at this site? Tidal currents etc?

 

[wrybosome]

Thanks, I see exactly what you're talking about on google earth. You're talking about following a clear channel out past the cove entrance. What kind of depth and currents should I expect?

 

[dannobee]

Depths will be shallower than 50 ft unless you kick to the end of the rocks, at which point it drops to ~100 ft, but gradually. You'll likely get tired of the surface swim and descend somewhere in the sand channel, which is fine. There is plenty of stuff to see on either side of the sand channel.

But again, the further you kick out, the better the vis and creatures (usually).

There aren't "currents" to speak of in Whaler's Cove, but some tidal variation and corresponding surge is possible. It's usually pretty benign.

Now, if there happens to be huge seas that day (think BIG Pacific storm), it's possible for the surge to extend all the way up the boat ramp and into the parking lot. Rare, but it happens.