This is another structure that Tyler had mentioned a while ago that has been on my list to go explore. Tyler and some dive buddies had first found and dove the target back in 2007/2008 but didn’t have great visibility and I doubt that anybody has been back since then.
The target is located relatively close to the outfall off of Pt Loma as can be seen from the map below. The target is big enough to show up on the terrain plot on Google satellite image.
We believe that it is part of the system that was used to construct the Point Loma Outfall and was used to keep the pipes together while they were connected. Tyler found some pictures online of Pipe Horse systems that were used.
The structure that I dove is pretty basic; therefore, we aren’t sure if it was used during the initial construction of the outfall or whether it was used when they extended it out further.
In the Google map shown below, you can faintly see the original diffusers to the right and then the newer ones that were part of the project to extend the outfall to the left.
The Dive
We had another weather window and snuck out on Wed, 9 March. The conditions were good with almost no swell but some wind that was forecasted to increase. The structure is very obvious on the sonar system:
I dropped down on the target and the visibility was “okay” on the surface but very good on the structure.
The sun was out so I was able to shoot in a lot of ambient light. I was using my a7r4 camera with a new WWL-1B wet lens and the Keldan lights. The photos came out well with a lot of color from the lights and a nice contrast with the natural light. I’ve included a bunch of photos below.
The structure is covered in nice white metridiums like many of the deep wrecks in Southern California and an array of colorful anemones.
Coming Up….
Tyler had a couple deep targets to look at with the sonar system after the dive. Most of them didn’t look very promising. HOWEVER, there was one that looked very promising and we can’t wait to go back and dive it to figure out what it is….
Great weather, is there any significant current on decent? My IANTD certification is 200 feet. Do you use a trimix deco diving your deeper depths ?
Hi Barry,
On the day of that dive, there wasn’t much current; however, on other days in the same general area I’ve had ripping currents.
I’m not sure what you mean by “do I use a trimix deco?”
I dive a rebreather and my diluent is definitely trimix. I think I dove 11/44 on that dive. I also have a deep bailout gas that is trimix (I think it was 19/30 or so) because I have to be able to breathe it at my deepest point of the dive.
If you are asking about that dive on open circuit, it would definitely warrant trimix for back gas and then likely two deco gases depending upon your time at depth (probably Nx50 and O2).
– brett