Video: Point Lobos Cavern Diving March 7, 2009

[Gombessa]

Looking at the swell models, we had made grand plans on Saturday to tackle a fairly aggressive recreational dive. In the end, it didn't pan out the way we had hoped, but that let us get in a couple of fantastic shorter dives: the first was to our regular haunt: Hole in the Wall, and the west side of middle reef. The second was a short surface swim across the cove, to make our first visit to the cavern around Coal Chute Cove. What an experience, it's an entirely different kind of dive, incredibly fun even in its puniness (and boy was it dark). Viz for the first dive was about 30-35ft, for the second dive 15-20ft.

This was also one of the few days when the swells seems markedly higher than what the predictions called for.

Hi-def version available at: YouTube - Point Lobos Cavern Diving?


For some reason, the video on the YT page doesn't seem to play unless I click on the HD link. Please let me know if you run into any problems viewing...

Kenn

 

[ScubaSteve]

I am starting to love seeing your videos Kenn. Diving a kelp forest is moving up higher and higher on my MUST DIVE list.

 

[mikeguerrero]

Ken,

Your videos get better and better, I can't wait to see what you shot next....

MG

p.s
When are you going to launch your own mini series and what would it be called?

 

[TSandM]

CAVES AT LOBOS! Who knew?

I hereby DEMAND to be taken there in May.

(Fun video, BTW. I love the "we're totally lost" segment )

 

[KRL1973]

Thanks Kenn,

Last time I dove Whaler's I looked around coal chute point and didn't notice any of the cave entrances. Where exactly did you find the entrance to the cavern?

Was it inside the mouth of Coal Chute Cove? North or South side? What depth? Any prominent landmarks?

thanks
Ken

 

[Gombessa]

Thanks all!

To answer the questions about the caverns, from what we could see, they're more like big swimthoughs, "big" meaning a lot smaller than a lot of lava tubes I've seen at Kona, maybe a long walk-in closet in an Atherton/Hillsborough mansion. Not a whole lotta room for three people to move around in. I don't know if there are multiple caverns, we just found the one we did, and we really couldn't tell it was an entrance until we were right upon it (the viz was getting pretty milky in the cove).

The easiest way to find it: Surface swim just past the southern tip of the entrance to Coal Chute Cove. Descend and hug the wall of the cove on the right, the entrance is against the wall just inside the mouth of the cove, south side. I've heard it's only diveable when conditions are quite calm, and I believe it (if there was surge running in and out, you could get pretty beat up in the confined quarters there).

Lynne - we can do it if you bring a reel with you - 400' should be sufficient

 

[jfcl01]

Nice.
What's up with the rabbits?

 

[Gombessa]

What rabbits?

 

[jfcl01]

the one to your left, for example..and the two at the start of your video...oh geez...am I seeing other people's imaginary friends again..?

 

[Gombessa]

the one to your left, for example..and the two at the start of your video...oh geez...am I seeing other people's imaginary friends again..?

As Jeff so wittily put it, those are sea hares.