Metridium Fields (Intermediate/Advanced)
Metridiums are large white anenomes that love shale hold fasts better than granite (the most common rock around here). There is a shale bed about 300 yds off shore just off San Carlos Beach. The dive is rated as intermediate/advanced because the distance from shore is significant (just getting there takes descent air consumption), and the depth is 45-55 feet.
Navigation suggestions are just that -- suggestions. Dive at your own risk.
Image Legend: Red
- generally uninteresting unless you like sand or surgy rocks.
Yellow
- better diving but tends to have less fish and invertebrates
Green
- best diving at the site
Be aware that the photos "compress" distances as you go from shore to the open ocean. It may appear that there is little good diveable area (green), but that is only because of its distance from shore in the picture.
View from the Picnic Area
Navigation to the site is easy. Coming from the Pump Station (the gray and green building next to the bathrooms at the far end of the park) is a 36 inch pipe. It is the ONLY pipe of its size in the area. Swim out the kelp channel until are about 1/2 the way out in the kelp bed in front of the Pump Station. Drop down. Using your compass do a back and forth sweep on a 330 and 150 heading. You are looking for the 36 inch pipe. Once you pick it up, follow it seaward (about 30 degree heading) all the way until it ends. Two warnings: 1) the beds are a considerable ways from shore, and 2) there is boat traffic out there. Be careful!
Once you have the end of the pipe, set your compass on a 15 degree heading. After a few minutes kick, you will find the first set of shale beds. It is not a very large area. There are multiple beds out there and I am sure I don't know where they all are. If you take a 330 degree heading from this first bed, you should find a second and third. The lower the visibility the harder is can be to find the metridiums.
Watch your air! You are at 50+ feet. And don't forget, you have to make it back to shore. If you had to swim back through the kelp on the surface in the summer, it will be an exhausting and arduous swim.
Now it is time to turn the dive. Navigation back is an approximate 180 degree swim. Don't count on picking up the pipe on the way back. After you judge that you have made some progress back into the kelp, you can turn to a 240 degree heading to go directly back to shore.
