Scuba Diving club,
Southern California
JADE
COVE
By DR. SAMUEL MILLER
FIRST PUBLISHED 1965
LOS ANGELES
COUNTY UNDERWATER NEWS
(DOVE & RESEARCHED 1957 TO 1965:
PUBLISHED1965)
Want to dive in a different area? Like to rough it?
Do you like to dive with a chance for profit?
If the answers to the above questions are yes, then a weekend diving for jade is for you! There are many stories told about the small of real estate in Central California called “Jade Cove”. Some reports are that untold amounts of jade are waiting for those who want to dive for it; other reports say that the diving is poor because the surf is always high and the water is dirty. Still other reports say diving the area is so hard to find and difficult to get to that it is not worth the effort. Basically all these statements are somewhat correct, but here are the facts surrounding it; you be the judge.
Route: Located two
hundred fifty (250) miles north of Los Angeles between Gorda and Lucia in the
Los Padres National Forest, Jade Cove offers the diver an opportunity for
diverse adventure. From the high speed
bumper –to- bumper traffic on the LA freeways to the two lanes, winding
mountainous highway #1 with all its awe inspiring views, the drive to Jade cove
could be called an adventure in its self.
To get there take the
Hollywood freeway tot he Ventura freeway, drive through Ventura on to Santa
Barbara, and continue to San Luis Obispo.
At San Luis Obispo you change from the freeway (Highway 101) to Highway
#1, which has recently received a face lift and is now a beautiful four lane,
high sped road which almost completely bypasses the towns of Morro Bay,
Cayucos, and Cambria. This highway
follows the coastline from Morro Bay north, but the improved portion ends
abruptly three miles south of San Simeon and turns into the two-lane, twisting,
bumpy Highway #1 that most people remember from years gone by. Consider San Simeon as the reference point
for the rest of the journey because from there to Jade cove is one of the most
sparsely populated areas in California.
Diving conditions: The least that can be said
about this area is that the diving conditions are different! The first thing to be noticed by the south
land diver regardless of time of year is the bone chilling water. It is cold!
Full wet suits, hoods boots gloves and what have you is the diving
uniform of the day (any day). The
second bit of difference is the plant life.
Large, tough ribbon kelp (Egregia Laevigata) grows profusely in the
shallow water. This same type kelp is
found in southern waters; however, its northern counterpart seems to be longer
tougher, thicker and generally stronger.
Although it grows in great abundance near shore, very little difficulty
will be encountered entering of exiting through it.
Approximately seventy-five
(75) to one hundred (100) yards off shore lay a large bed of “Elk” or “Bull”
kelp, (Pelegophyous Porra). This kelp
is the largest of the California marine plants and grows in abundance in the
Jade Cove area. It is easily recognized
above water by the mass of huge leaves and bladder floats. Underwater the kelp is attached to permanent
object by a hold fast which supports a large stem void of leaves or branches,
until it terminates at the surface into a large solitary bladder float, which
in turn branches into six (6) to twelve (12) broad leaves. No difficulty should be encountered with
this kelp underwater because of the absence of leaves and its massive size; on
the surface it is like swimming through a logjam
At a depth of approximately twenty (20) feet, the bottom kelp (Pterygophora Californica) of this area is encountered. This kelp seldom exceeds three feet in height, and it grows in great abundance. Because it is short bottom growing kelp, it is rather easy to become entangled or snared by it when searching for jade. However, any diver who has had experience with Catalina kelp should not have any difficulty in diving in it or freeing himself from it.
Marine life is extremely
scarce by comparison to southern waters.
There are no lobsters! The fish
are of the perch variety, and are spooky.
There are some red abalone but these too are extremely scarce. If Duncan Hines were in the diving business,
he would recommend Jade Cove for game.
Diving for jade: Jade most commonly is
found underwater where there is a “flow” of rocks: that is, where strong tidal
and wave action has piled up a number of small rocks in one area. This type of are generally located between
two large rocks in a crevice, or up against a rock where the larger rock has
acted as a baffle and trapped the smaller rocks behind it. After locating a “flow” the area should be
visually inspected for bright shiny rocks with little or no marine growth. If
none is seen it is quite possible the lighter rocks have covered the jade,
because of its weight. A systematic
rock by rock search of the flow should be undertaken if conditions permit
Jade in this area may vary
from light green in color to a dark, shiny black. Serpentine, which is also found in abundance here, has no
commercial gem stone value but has the same color characteristics, however jade
is much harder. The novice diver rock
hound that cannot readily identify jade underwater by sight and touch must
utilize another method of identifying jade.
Jade has hardness rating of seven (7). In layman’s language this means
that a knife or sharp metal instrument cannot scratch it. The best method to positively identifying
jade underwater is to carry a beer can opener (the common church key) on a
rubber band around the wrist. When a
likely specimen is located, scrape the opener across it in several places. If it scratches the rock forgets it; it is
probably serpentine. If small
microscopic particles of metal are deposited from the opener into the scratched
areas, it is probably jade.
Jade is heavy and slick;
therefore some sort of bag to carry it is essential. The average pieces found are less than the size of a softball, so
small a small goodie bag or event a large mans sock will suffice.
Diving shops: Diving shops are rather
scarce in this area. The closest one
Al’s Sporting Goods, is located 53 miles south in Cayucos. This combination café, sporting goods,
fishing and diving shop is located in the center of town on the West Side of
highway one (1). It is hard to miss
with signs advertising Wilson golf balls, Penn Reels, Hamburgers and Scuba
equipment tacked all over it.
Another diving
shop and only other source of air is located fifty-five (55) miles north in
Monterey. Located a few blocks from the
historic Cannery Row, the Seven Seas Dive shop parallels the modern
professional shops of the southland by offering a complete line of equipment
and services. The owner, Ted Duffy, is
an experienced, highly competent diver who has always done more than his share
to assist out of town divers and direct them to the better diving spots and
making their stay in Monterey comfortable.
Dive Spot at a Glance
Location: About 10 miles south of Lucia at the southern end of
Monterey County.
Access and Entry: Park along Hwy. 1 at the large National Forest sign.
Follow the trail that crosses the meadow and switchbacks down the bluff to the
beach. There are no facilities.
Skill level: Intermediate or better.
Visibility: Fair, 10-25 feet.
Hunting: Good spearfishing for lingcod, cabezon, and
rockfish. Abalone may not be taken in this part of California.
Photography: Good macro and wide angle on days with good
visibility.
Special rules: Jade collection is regulated by both Federal and
State laws. Federal law allows the collection of loose jade from the seabed
from westernmost tip of Cape San Martin to the stairway at Sand Dollar Beach.
No tool may be used to collect jade except: a hand tool no greater than 36
inches in length and has no moving parts, to maneuver or lift the jade or
scratch the surface of a stone as necessary to determine if it is jade; a lift
bag or multiple lift bags with a combined lift capacity of no more than two
hundred pounds; or vessel to provide access to the authorized area. Each person
may collect only what that person individually carries. Pneumatic, mechanical,
electrical, hydraulic or explosive tools are forbidden. California law requires
a permit to collect jade, or any other mineral, but normally does not enforce
this rule if the jade is collected for personal use. Jade may not be collected
above the mean high tide mark.
Hazards: There is a long, strenuous walk from the parking
area to the beach. Divers should watch for big waves, surge, and thick kelp.
Something for the non-divers: There are a variety if
attractions in this area for the non-diver.
A few hundred feet north of the campground is the Sand Dollar Picnic
area and beach. This long, sandy beach
with rolling breakers, reminiscent of Huntington Beach, is reached from the
picnic area by a path and a series of wooden steps down a cliff. Because of its remote location, it is a
beachcomber’s paradise as well as an excellent playground for children.
In the mountains above Jade
cove and the campground area is the historical old mission San Antonio De
Padua. This mission is right out of the
history books with its padres and picturesque setting. On some days it is above the clouds, what a
moving experience to stand on the steps of the mission and look down on the
clouds. It is always open for business,
and services are held every Sunday.
An exploratory trip up
Plaskett Creek is always an interesting experience no matter how many times it
is visited. The creek and the path are
enveloped by large trees and lush undergrowth, which gives stiff competition to
the beauty of Yosemite Park. About one
halfway up the canyon the creek and the path are blocked by a gate and a “No
Trespassing” sign. It is strongly
recommended that this sign be respected unless prior invitation has been
extended by Mr. Hank Morales, who lives a life of solitude approximately three
quarters (3/4) mile up the canyon. In
the event Mr. Morales grants permission for a visit to his home, be sure you
sign his guest book. Also, if he is
agreeable, and there are no children along he may allow a visit to the two gold
mines several hundred feet up from his home.
These mines have been inactive for over sixty years (60) but in their
prime they produced over eighty thousand ($80,000.00) dollars in gold dust.
The individual who is more
rock hound than diver can find excellent specimens of rhodonite at Lime Kiln
Creek. This creek is located
approximately six (6) miles north of the campground. A sign on the approach to the bridge, which crosses the creek,
identifies it. On the north side of the
bridge there is a road that leads down to the creek and the beach with ample
parking and turn around area.
Okay, these are the
facts! But before you arrive at a
verdict, visit Jade Cove yourself.
After all it is a different diving area! You can rough it, and the diving can be more profitable!
DR. SAMUEL MILLER,
VINTAGE DIVING COLLECTIBLES
AUTHORS NOTE.
Please bear in mind that “Jade Cove” was the very first article
published about diving the area and represents activity over an eight-year
period, 1957 to 1965. There have been a
number of changes since that time,
Plaskett creek campground is now a concession campground
leased to Parks Management Company from the US Forest Service. It has been improved, with paved roads,
designated campsites, running water, flush toilets and a full time camp
host. The price has been adjusted to
modern standards and is now sixteen ($16.00) dollars a night per site. The camp also boasts three group campgrounds
for to a maximum of sixty campers for approximately sixty ($60.00) dollars per
night. Reservations for the Group site
must be made in advance by telephoning toll free 1 (877) 444 67 77. General
information about Jade Cove and Plaskett Creek camp ground can be obtained by
telephoning (831) 385 54 34.
Jade Coves still have the same worn trails to the edge of
the cliffs. The trail down to the water
has been improved to a path but it is a narrow steep rocky unmentioned trail
and extreme caution is advised. Even
with these improvements it still is a strenuous hike in full diving gear and
after a long dive. It may be
appropriate to devise a special cart to transport equipment to the top of the
cliff, suit up and walk the trail to the water’s edge.
Al’s sporting goods was sold to Bill Davis who renamed it
Bill’s sporting goods, which went out of business around 1995. Bill Davis now has the local fruit stand in
Cayucos.
The closest diving shop is SLO Ocean Currents founded ten
years ago by Anthony Reynolds. It is
located at 3121 South Higuera street in San Luis Obispo, telephone number (805)
544 72 27).
Mr. Ted Duffy went to the great reef in the sky a
number of years ago, but his dive shop has continued under a multiple
owners. There are now multitudes of
dive shops in Monterey area.
Mr. Hank Morales also is in the big gold mine in the
sky. Do to liability problems of our
modern litigious society the public is no longer permitted to walk up Plaskett
creek to enjoy the scenery and visit the now ninety year old gold mines.
The weather and water conditions are still unpredictable in
this area. Suggest monitoring the local
and national weather stations prior to planning a trip to Jade
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Posted April 5, 2004