Jade Cove is an Adventure in all respects!  Plan on making this a full day trek, if not spending the night in the area.  After making an incredibly beautiful drive up (or down) the coast, be prepared for a mild version of Gorilla diving.  The reward?  A souvenir piece of jade to take home to display with your other diving trophies.  There are regulations to be aware of.  A good starting place for web research is <a target="_new" href="http://www.mbnms.nos.noaa.gov/Intro/press_releases/980708.html">here</a>. Getting in at times is accomplished by going under the thick bull kelp that's near shore and has a thick canopy. It's shallow and is affected by heavy surge. In August there is a thick krill layer near the bottom (5ft thick) that decreased the viz to 2-5ft. Beautiful reef, fishes, and if you look carefully you will find pieces of jade.

A rememberence from Daniel S. McDermed:  In 1966 my Dad's hobby was scuba diving, and my grandparents' hobby was making jewlery. In the murky water of Jade Cove, Dad's exploration of a small underwater cave produced a large piece of jade that weighed 17 pounds. I remember a young man offered my Dad 35 dollars a pound for it while my Dad stood there in those chilly waters.  Dad said "Thanks but this man has some real plans for this chunk." Much more than the money offered was gained from the retained stone.

Found 70 miles South of Monterey and 70 miles North of San Luis Obispo, between Gorda and Pacific Valley, on Highway 1. The trail head leading to Jade Cove (Main, Central Jade Cove) is .4 miles south of Plaskett Creek Campground entrance on Cabrillo Highway 1. Free parking on the west side of hwy 1. Walk the straight dirt path to the narrowing switch back trail. There is a spring halfway down with water on the path, the very last leg has an anchored rope line for balance! Cross over some large boulders at the bottom to the cove.

Jade Cove

This is a tough dive site due to the 150 yard walk to the cliff edge and the 150 foot vertical drop to get to the site. Conditions will be dangerous in the winter with exposure to the open ocean. The trail is difficult but manageable. The best time to dive is march/April on a calm day after the kelp forests have been torn away by the winter surf. Vis varies from 10-30feet. Jade can be found with diligent search and is worth the effort. Plan on doing at least two tanks as it is 1.5 hours from civilization. Plaskett creek campground is less than a mile away. Good luck on your jade hunt.

Vince Pellerin's Dive Log

@vince_pellerin

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