Local Bay Area Dive Destinations
 

Monterey

Visitor Information

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Bay Area Scuba Divers enjoy most of their diving in the Monterey Area, which is in close proximity to most major cities along the Peninsula. Divers come from all of northern & central California to enjoy diverse diving with good visibility all year round.

Monterey Dive Maps & Directions

San Carlos Beach / Breakwater Cove (beginner to intermediate) Beach Access

This beach is the most widely used beach in Monterey, due to it's sheltered location & gradual sloping bottom. Every Dive School in Northern California uses this beach for training and it's an excellent beach to review skills or try out new equipment. Generally the terrain is mixed sand & rock, with remaining pipes from the old Cannery point seaward. Most divers see up to only 40 ft depth, but those with good air consumption or using surface swims can attain 60 ft or more. The quickest access to deeper water is along the rocky break wall, which drops to ~50ft  just across from the "bathroom". The lower parking lot gives access to a deli, dive store, and launch ramp. Very convenient!

Directions to Cannery Row & Breakwater:

FROM  REDWOOD CITY: Take HWY 101 south, past San Jose & Gilroy. Take the  HWY 156 WEST turnoff (1 hr. 15min.). HWY 156 intersects with HWY 1 at "University of California". Continue on past the "Monterey Beach Hotel (on right) & take the next exit "Del Monte St./ Fisherman's Wharf". Follow Del Monte past Fisherman's Wharf- Go thru the tunnel- stay in right hand lane. Take your first right, then the next right. You are now at the beginning of "Cannery Row" & Breakwater Cove.

McAbee Beach (beginner & intermediate)

This beach can be an ideal location for newer divers. Conditions are generally calm & the bottom slopes gradually to the outer reef reaching on ~25 ft. Heading out over the reef quickly gets you into deeper water of ~ 40ft with plenty of mixed rocky terrain. The marine life is varied & interesting! The easiest swim is next to the restaurant towards the white buoy. You must watch out for old ribar at shore entrance. It can be hazardous (very sharp) if you don't watch your step.

Directions:

Follow Cannery Row past Breakwater Cove to the point of land (~1/2 mile) till you get to El-Torito Restaurant, & beach entrance. Don’t park in the Restaurant’s parking lot. Corner of "Hoffman" & "Cannery Row".

Coral Street (beginner & intermediate)

Park along the road or in dirt parking lot. The location affords a protected cove, which is fairly shallow for the first 100 yards. It's a great location on a calm day, especially if divers get out to 40ft or better.

Directions:

Off HWY 156, exit "Del Monte Ave" towards Pacific Grove. Follow Del Monte Ave 1.5 miles, stay to the right to go through tunnel- becomes Lighthouse Ave. Follow Lighthouse Ave. 1.5 miles. Lighthouse becomes Central for a couple of blocks. Take a right on "First St." At the Stop Sign, take a left at "Ocean View Blvd. for 1.5 miles.

Coral St. is near the intersection of Coral St. & Ocean View Blvd. If you get to the Golf Course, you've gone too far. Coral St. is just 3/4 miles south of Lovers Point. Park on the ocean side just next to the beach. Groups generally meet by the steps leading to the beach.

Lover's Point (beginner to advanced)

Choose either the cove or diving from the ocean site in front of the Tinnery Restaurant. The cove is well protected and relatively shallow. The better sites are either towards the point or to the right in rocky terrain. It's not especially good if there's surge, due to the shallowness and sand. The ocean side allows quick access to deeper water, with the swim around the point being especially interesting in terms of topography and marine life. This is one of the Bay's best dive spots! With a longer swim past the cove, you can reach ~80ft with varied rock and sand terrain.

Erics Pinnacle (beginner to advanced)

Inner Chase Reef. The rocky structure rises from 65' to ~ 10' of the surface. It's a true pinnacle, as it stands on a sandy bottom, with low lying rocky reefs extending nearby. Loaded with marine life, and generally a calm dive. Great for new divers.

Aumentos Reef (intermediate)

Just past outer chase reef. Features include granite walls reaching from 80' to as shallow as 40'. Along the granite walls is an abundant selection of our favorite critters. Clusters of corynactis, anemones including the white metrdiums and nudibranchs make this a favorite photo dive. Rather foreign species, such as sheephead, and bat rays can be found here, along with schooling Blues. It's a place you must come to visit

Chase Reef (intermediate)

Depths range from 40' to 80'. There's plenty of marine life diversity here, although it's best accessed by boat. Conditions can be rough, so watch for wave sets before attempting shore entry.

Hopkins Reef (beginner & intermediate)

Hopkins is accessible by boat or out and to the left of McAbee Beach. Once you're over the reef, you'll find deeper water and a wide variety of marine life. It's a great photo spot, and generally calm.

Carmel Dive Spots

Copper Roof House (intermediate to advanced)

Depths range from 15 to 70ft. Follow sandy channels out to a rocky reef. Surf can be dangerous here, so again, watch wave sets, to evaluate where to dive. Be sure to follow compass and return away from rocky areas.

Monastery Beach (intermediate to Advanced)

Diving Monastery can be a real thrill! Most follow the rocks straight out to deeper water, which can be over 200' deep within diving range on the North side. Visibility can be incredible, but you must watch and be wary of surf conditions! Waves can be very powerful, and should only be attempted by experienced divers, when conditions are marginal.

Point Lobos (beginner to advanced)

Point Lobos requires a reservation on most weekends due to it's popularity. Access is via the boat ramp which allows small craft to be launched from here as well. Great diving can be found heading out from the parking lot, averaging 30 to 90ft. This is a State Reserve, therefore a no-take zone. Many divers even take the swim past the mouth and dive Bluefish Cove. Be prepared for a long swim!

   Point Lobos Dive Maps Link

East Pescadero Pinnacle (intermediate to advanced)

The pinnacle rise from a deep 130' to 55' below the surface. This is a spectacular dive when combined with the frequent great vizibility that Carmel can offer. Hydrocorals can be found here, as well as many species of anemonies.

Blue Water Aquatics, a California Bay Area Scuba Dive Center located near sunnyvale, santa clara, palo alto, cupertino, saratoga, in the san francisco bay area. Dive Club - blue water divers for all Bay Area Divers, online shopping at Divingear.com. Padi & ANDI training agencies offering general dive training, scuba lessons, technical diving & freediving. Services include air fills, nitrox, dive equipment repair & scuba rentals. Equipment sales in scuba equipment, snorkel equipment, drysuits, wetsuits for any water sports from Body Glove, bare, dui, cetacea, cressi-sub, dive-rite, riffe, oceanic,  Oms, weezle, sherwood, poseidon, aeris and others. Equipment we carry include regulators, buoyancy compensators, used scuba gear, tanks, drysuits, fins, snorkels, spearguns, wetsuits, scuba tanks & more