Point Lobos - Whaler's Cove with 13 year old

[mposin]

I'm starting to plan a road trip with my family for this coming July that will include a couple days in Monterey. My 13 year old has been certified since last July. He is comfortable with beach entries, and is used to doing surface swims before descending. As a Junior O.W. Diver, he is supposed to limit his depth to 40 fsw.

A normal dive for us would be a typical Laguna Beach dive: beach entry, swim out a ways, drop down in maybe 15-20 fsw, swim along a reef for 20-30 minutes staying mostly between 25 and 40 feet, turn around, come back along the reef for another 15-20 minutes, and surface close to the beach.

Reading the reviews, it sounds like Point Lobos would be a good choice for us. I understand it is uncrowded, has lots of sea life, good visibility, shallow depths, and an easy entry. But I also understand that a lot of the better stuff is a little further out and a little deeper. So my question is, if we are doing a beach entry at Whaler's Cove, which way and how far should we swim before dropping down, and what should we do then? Compass headings? Landmarks? Things to watch for? Turn around point?

Any advice appreciated.

 

[dannobee]

I'm somewhat familiar with Laguna Beach and I'd say shore diving Point Lobos is quite bit better.

Enter at the boat ramp and hang a left. Follow the sand channel (distinguished by the lack of surface kelp). You can dive either Middle Reef off to the East or Cannery Point to the West. This should help, too.

As for being uncrowded, that's true, but if you plan on diving on a weekend, you'll need reservations. Weekdays you can usually get by without them.


.

 

[emttim]

I'm starting to plan a road trip with my family for this coming July that will include a couple days in Monterey. My 13 year old has been certified since last July. He is comfortable with beach entries, and is used to doing surface swims before descending. As a Junior O.W. Diver, he is supposed to limit his depth to 40 fsw.

A normal dive for us would be a typical Laguna Beach dive: beach entry, swim out a ways, drop down in maybe 15-20 fsw, swim along a reef for 20-30 minutes staying mostly between 25 and 40 feet, turn around, come back along the reef for another 15-20 minutes, and surface close to the beach.

Reading the reviews, it sounds like Point Lobos would be a good choice for us. I understand it is uncrowded, has lots of sea life, good visibility, shallow depths, and an easy entry. But I also understand that a lot of the better stuff is a little further out and a little deeper. So my question is, if we are doing a beach entry at Whaler's Cove, which way and how far should we swim before dropping down, and what should we do then? Compass headings? Landmarks? Things to watch for? Turn around point?

Any advice appreciated.

Point Lobos is indeed a good choice...the usual location people dive is Whaler's Cove and, since it's a cove, even if the ocean is bumping it may still be fairly diveable at Whaler's without any hassle upon entry due surf since there probably won't be any (unless it's bumping really hard).

The problem with Lobos is you need to book for the weekend several months in advance from what I understand so make sure you get your reservations in asap.

If you want to stay 40 fsw or less, then you can just go straight out from the entry point and go around in that area. Everywhere inside the cove is roughly an average of 30' or maybe a shade over. You can do either a square, there and back line towards and returning from the opposite side of the cove, etc....doesn't really matter, either way you'll get a good dive. The only heading you don't want to take is one out of the cove since it leads towards the Monterey Trench and you can get fairly deep heading that way...I've been to 87' going that direction before.

The vis is generally the same as it is for all of Monterey although there may be less debris in the water since the bottom usually isn't churned up as much due to the cove protecting it. However, the entry is easy but there is one big thing worth noting for safety reasons: the ground on the entry is VERY SLIPPERY. Watch your step and use the rocks on either side of the entry point for handholds as you wade in...it's very easy to lose your balance since algae grows on the bottom of the entryway and makes it anything but firm footing.

I would personally recommend going straight out from the entryway, maybe go 50 yards out and then start a square first going on the same heading as out from the entryway then taking 90 degree turns to the left...that area has a lot of stuff. You'll see several types of anemones (some big ones too), lots of different types of rockfish, perches, maybe some cabezon or lingcod, etc. I wouldn't recommend the area to the right of the entrypoint because its the dead end of the cove basically and is probably just shallow and not much there (haven't dove that area though so not sure).

Another thing you could try is take a NW heading (not actually NW, just NW from facing the cove at the entryway) and do a there-and-back line. You'll hit basically the same area. Lobos is a fun diving spot and I hope I can go there again sometime soon, it's an awesome spot.

 

[Ben_ca]

You'll find a lot of interesting things within the 40ft range that most of us take for granted. There's the middle reef area for you to explore... don't forget rock wall on your left as you enter the boat ramp. You can follow that out toward the Cannery Pt area.

Here's some more maps to drool over...

MoCal DIR

BAUE Pt Lobos Maps

 

[astrofunk]

If you don't make it to Lobos, both Lover's Pt. and Macabee are easy shore entries with plenty to see at less than 40 ft.

 

[emttim]

If you don't make it to Lobos, both Lover's Pt. and Macabee are easy shore entries with plenty to see at less than 40 ft.

The problem is both Lover's and McAbee have a lot of surge, so more often than not, those two dive sites are not as enjoyable as say Breakwater or Lobos (although they are easy shore entries) due to the surge and lower vis as a result of said surge.

McAbee is a great site to go to though for another reason...bring black fins and you'll see why. The seals seem to love them and a seal encounter always makes for a great dive. Lover's is an ok beginner site. If you do the rightmost one, which is Lover's 3 or Inner Lover's I believe, there's a snack bar to grab chow at after the dive which is nice and if you head out to about 30' then do a square to the left you'll kind of cover some of the same ground as Lover's 2. At least in the summer, that area is awesome because there's a bunch of kelp that forms a grotto underwater that's populated by a lot of pile, zebra and rubberlip surfperch.

 

[Gombessa]

I've not found MacAbee to be any more surgy or surfy than, say Breakwater. The two sites are literally right next to each other, and what goes for one usually goes for the other. But the Carmel side tends to be consistently better for viz on typical days. If you can get the Lobos reservation, that's the way to dive in style.

 

[Anti-Hero]

I've not found MacAbee to be any more surgy or surfy than, say Breakwater. The two sites are literally right next to each other, and what goes for one usually goes for the other. But the Carmel side tends to be consistently better for viz on typical days. If you can get the Lobos reservation, that's the way to dive in style.

I've seen MacAbee completely blow out a couple months ago, and the breakwater was flat; it was bizarre

 

[astrofunk]

The problem is both Lover's and McAbee have a lot of surge, so more often than not, those two dive sites are not as enjoyable as say Breakwater or Lobos (although they are easy shore entries) due to the surge and lower vis as a result of said surge.

That's not been my experience. For dives at less than 40 ft, Lover's can be great; Macabee can be great; the Breakwater can be great; Pt. Lobos can be great (and there are others as well.) It's not true that Lover's or Macabee has consistently more surge than anywhere else. I brought them up because they are excellent alternatives if you didn't swing a Lobos reservation, and you don't feel like diving after a bunch of classes at the Breakwater.

Whether any site is "not as enjoyable" as any other will be entirely due to the idiosyncrasies of the conditions on a particular day, and to personal taste.

 

[mposin]

Well thanks, everyone. I've read your posts and checked out the links from dannobee and ben_ca (I wish I could find maps like that of Laguna!), and it looks like a good route might be to head generally NW, following the wall to the left of the entry, out until my son gets to 1500 psi, make a 90 degree right hand turn and swim to the middle reef, make another 90 degree right turn and follow the reef back SE, make another 90 degree right hand turn and head back towards the boat ramp at 15 fsw, surfacing when he gets to 500 psi. I think this is essentially the clockwise version of emttim's "square" route. Thoughts? And if we do this route, how far should we surface swim at the beginning before dropping down?