Middle Reef

Middle Reef is a short swim from the entry. One published account places it just north-east of the boat ramp at Whalers Cove and gives its depth as 20 to 65 feet, roughly 6 to 20 m, so the whole reef sits inside a straightforward recreational profile. The transit costs little enough that a team can spend the dive working the rock rather than getting to it.

What the reef gives back is small. In that same account the divers put their heads into the nooks and crannies with lights on, looking at everything from nudibranchs to leopard sharks, and the visibility opens up to about 20 feet, or 6 m, once they are down. Neither the depth nor the water clarity rewards rushing: this is a dive for holding position on one stretch of rock and looking closely.

The exit is the part to plan. The boat ramp is where most injuries at Point Lobos happen — few as they are in general — because the concrete is slick with algae, and it is the same ramp every team crosses going in and coming out. At low tide it is fully exposed and the breakers cross it. Coming back with gas and energy still in hand matters more on this dive than the depth does.