Explore California

California offers divers a unique underwater experience, celebrated for its stunning cold-water diving opportunities. The state is renowned for its spectacular kelp forests, where sunlight streams through the swaying kelp, creating an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere. These majestic underwater forests are home to an incredible array of marine life, including the playful sea lions, colorful nudibranchs, and the occasional majestic whale. Divers can explore a variety of environments, from vibrant reefs teeming with life to the eerie allure of Wreck Alley. Shore diving in Southern California is particularly popular, with easy access to diverse underwater landscapes. Meanwhile, boat dives and multi-day liveaboard trips offer the chance to discover more remote locations such as the Channel Islands and Catalina Island. Each site presents its own unique charm, whether it's the bustling marine reserves or the historic shipwrecks. Seasonal temperature variations mean divers should be prepared with appropriate gear, like a thick wetsuit or drysuit, especially during cooler months. Whether you're a seasoned diver or a curious beginner, California's dive sites promise a memorable adventure filled with diverse marine encounters and breathtaking natural beauty.

Places to Explore

Northern California

33 Divesites 8 Centers

California’s northern coast is rugged and has chilly water, but it’s also beautiful and charming with rocky cliffs, windy roads and spectacular diving.

Southern California

26 Divesites 9 Centers

The famous ’Wreck Alley’, kelp beds and beach diving await you in Southern California.

Channel Islands

18 Divesites 2 Centers

Also known as the Galapagos of North America, the Channel Islands are a protected park within America’s National Park system.

Upcoming Events

Diver Level Programs / Courses

Catalina Scuba

Open Water Diver

15 Nov 2025 + 1 more

This globally recognized certification program is the best way to begin your lifelong adventures as a certified scuba diver. Personalized training is combined with in-water practice sessions to ensure you have the skills and experience required to become truly comfortable underwater. You will earn the SSI Open Water Diver certification.

Instructor Evaluation

Cal Poly Maritime Academy

Instructor Evaluation - IE

21 Nov 2025

The Instructor Evaluation (IE) is the final step of SSI’s 2-Step Instructor Training Approach Divemasters or equivalent-level professionals will have to successfully complete the Instructor Training Course (ITC) first where you’ll learn how to:

• Conduct academic sessions
• Lead confined water training
• Teach Open Water Diver and various Specialty programs like Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress&Rescue, Perfect Buoyancy and more
• Develop student management and communication skills

Already an experienced instructor with another agency? You may be eligible for shortened oboarding options where you will only have to complete certain parts of the Instructor Training Course (ITC) followed by passing an Instructor Evaluation (IE). Contact an SSI Training Center near you to learn more.
Already certified as an Assistant Instructor with another agency? You could continue your professional journey with SSI. Get in touch with a local SSI Training Center to explore your options.

Professional Level Programs / Courses

Scuba Schools of America

Open Water Instructor (Instructor Training Course ITC)

23 Nov 2025

Start today - You need to be a Divemaster or equivalent to join SSI´s 3-Step Instructor Training Approach. The training process starts with joining the Assistant Instructor / Instructor Training Course combination accompanied with Digital Learning. After successful completion of the Instructor Training Course (ITC) you will enroll in an Instructor Evaluation (IE) to qualify as an SSI Open Water Instructor. This 10 day training program entitles you to teach various key SSI programs independently like Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue and Dive Guide. For those who want to take more time to learn and to gain valuable teaching experience between the training programs the 3 parts can also be taken as single steps - Assistant Instructor, Instructor Training Course (ITC) and Instructor Evaluation (IE) one after the other at own pace and with a flexible schedule.

Diver Level Programs / Courses

High Sierra Divers

Advanced Open Water Diver

24 Nov 2025

If you cannot decide which specialty programs are the best choice for you, join the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver program! You will try Deep Diving and Navigation plus a variety of 3 more specialty areas of choice before committing to full specialty training. It is a great way to experience what advanced diver training is all about and how valuable it can be to your diving adventures. During the Advanced Open Water Diver Program, you will experience 5 different specialties by completing one open water training dive per specialty after a comprehensive briefing with your SSI Instructor. By taking this program you will have total freedom to explore. You can complete the full Specialty trainings any time in the future and credit your Advanced Open Water Diver training towards them.

Diver Level Programs / Courses

Cal Poly Maritime Academy

Open Water Diver

24 Nov 2025

Diver Level Programs / Courses

Scuba Schools of America

Wreck Diving

26 Nov 2025

Many of the ocean’s best dive sites are wrecks. These impressive structures attract unusually high densities of marine life and give you the chance to immerse in living history as you dive. There is nothing quite like wreck diving and the SSI Wreck Diving specialty will give you all the skills and knowledge you need to become a safe and confident wreck diver. With a combination of academic and confined water sessions, you will be taught how to safely conduct non-penetration dives around wrecks and artificial reefs, up to a depth of 30 meters. You will also get to practice your wreck diving skills during open water training dives. All of which will ensure you can enjoy wreck diving with confidence and get the most out of every dive. Upon completion of this program, you will earn your SSI Wreck Diving specialty certification. Continue your adventures and become a wreck diver. Get started online today!

Diver Level Programs / Courses

Scuba Schools of America

Deep Diving

10 Dec 2025

The SSI Deep Diving Specialty will teach you all you need to dive to depths between 18 and 40 meters, through a mixture of academic sessions and open water dives. You will learn to plan and safely complete your deep diving adventures and use computers and gas consumption calculations to get the most from your deep dives. Upon completion, you will earn your SSI Deep Diving Specialty certification and be able to explore beautiful deep dive sites wherever you choose. This SSI Specialty is also a prerequisite for some advanced training, making it the next logical step to take in your dive education.

Diver Level Programs / Courses

Scuba Schools of America

Recreational Sidemount Diving

10 Dec 2025

In this sidemount diving course, you’ll learn all you need to go single or two-cylinder recreational sidemount diving up to a maximum depth of 30 meters or to your certification depth, whichever is deeper. Sidemount diving is already common practice for wreck, mine, and cave divers, but now the benefits are being discovered by more recreational divers. With no heavy tank on your back, you’ll be more comfortable in the water and find your streamlining and trim improve effortlessly. By using less energy you may reduce your gas consumption so you can make the most of your dive time. With better buoyancy control, easier access to your valves and more redundancy as well, sidemount diving offers safety and peace of mind. This is the best sidemount diving course to discover and enjoy the enticing advantages of this dive style. You learn all the skills and knowledge you need to safely and comfortably dive with a single or two-cylinder sidemount equipment configuration.

Diver Level Programs / Courses

Scuba Schools of America

Night Diving and Limited Visibility

14 Dec 2025

Night diving requires different skills from diving during the day. The SSI Night Diving and Limited Visibility specialty is the best way to learn about night diving and practice the techniques you will need to become a safe and confident night diver. In this program, you will be provided with all the knowledge and skills you need to safely and comfortably dive at night or in limited visibility conditions. With a combination of online learning and open water training dives, you will learn how to enter and exit the water, use specialized equipment, and how to communicate with your buddy easily at night or in limited visibility. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Night Diving and Limited Visibility specialty certification and be ready to go night diving with confidence.

Diver Level Programs / Courses

Scuba Schools of America

Dry Suit Diving

14 Dec 2025

Drysuit diving opens up a world of opportunities, including diving remote Arctic destinations and exploring cold-water dive sites teeming with life. Dry suit diving also keeps you warm on multi-dive days when you do not want to spend your time getting in and out of a cold wetsuit. The SSI Dry Suit Diving specialty program is the best way to become a dry suit diver and teaches you all the knowledge and techniques you need to dive safely and comfortably in a dry suit. You will learn how to use specialized equipment, like dry suits and BCs, the benefits of dry suits and how to deal with dry suit emergencies – which are unique to this type of diving. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Dry Suit Diving specialty certification.

Professional Level Programs / Courses

WAVES Project

Assistant Instructor

07 Mar 2026

The Assistant Instructor rating is the next step after becoming a Divemaster along the scuba instructor pathway. It allows you to collect valuable teaching experience, practice briefings, teach academics, and conduct in-water training. If you want to further your career as a dive professional, you can finish the Instructor Training Course, pass the Instructor Evaluation, and become an Open Water Diving Instructor.

Professional Level Programs / Courses

WAVES Project

Open Water Instructor (Instructor Training Course ITC)

12 Mar 2026 + 1 more

Top Dive Sites Map

★★★★☆ Ruby E (Wreck)

The wreck of the Ruby E is part of San Diego’s famous ’Wreck Alley.’ Sitting just offshore from Mission Bay, the Ruby E is accessible only by boat and sits in deeper water, therefore is recommended for advanced divers only.

★★★★☆ Stillwater Cove

Gentle beach access into a southwest facing cove. Usually protected from northern swells. 250-300 yards large rocks with wall type environment dropping +50 ft. Unloading parking located at entrance to cove, park in Stillwater Cove Campground Day Use Parking Area. Restrooms, picnic tables, BBQ are on beach.

★★★★☆ HMCS Yukon (Wreck)

The Yukon lives in an area known as ’Wreck Alley’ and is San Diego’s most popular wreck dive and one of the largest wrecks in all of California at 366 feet long! Sitting just off Mission Bay, the Yukon is an advanced dive as it sits in 100 plus feet of water.

★★★★★ WaterWorld Universal Studios

Water World Dive Tank @ Universal Studios Hollywood, is the deepest of the dive sites at Universal Studios. If you are an SSI Dive Leader with Universal Technical Services or with Scuba Schools of America & Swim, you may schedule dives at Water World.

★★★★★ Half Moon Bay

Half moon bay is located across the lake from site 6 on the California side. Dropping down on our mooring line you will find a sunk sailboat that leads to multiple sunk boat and fish habitats. This dive site leads to the butt hole dive site which is the deepest part of the lake

★★★☆☆ Millers Folly

This site is in Skier’s Cove and is also known as Miller’s Folly. This wreck is the remains of one of the early Lake Havasu Party Boats. Millers Folly is located in 25 feet of water next to one of the larger fish habitats. A few sunk boats sit right around Miller’s Folly.

★★★★☆ Lovers Point

Nice sand entry leading to a mostly protected dive site. Straight out from the beach, you will run across ridges of rock with plenty of fish life. To the north, you will see pinnacles. Depth is moderate for the whole site.

★★★★☆ Aumentos Pinnacle

The highest point of Aumentos Pinnacle is around 40 feet. The rock on the offshore side is a steep, granite wall that drops vertically to about 60 feet and then more slowly to 80 to 85 feet. The inshore side the reef drops off in steps to 50 to 55 feet and remains at this depth until one encounters Chase Reef.

★★★★☆ Hurricane Bay

The highway is just right along this beach, making this spot easy to find and park at. There is a shelf which drops into quite deeper water quickly.

★★★★☆ Casino Point Dive Park

Casino Point Dive Park, also known as the Avalon Underwater Dive Park, is the most popular dive site on Catalina Island and one of the most popular dive sites in all of Southern California. Catalina Island is only accessible via private boat or ferry from the mainland so check ferry schedules.

★★★☆☆ Deer Creek

Easy beach entry. Park on the side of Pacific Coast Highway at Deer Creek Rd. A set of stairs leads down to the beach. Two separate kelp forest / reef systems to explore. Be careful after big storms - sand gets washed out and beach becomes rocky entry.

★★★★☆ Channel Islands Break Wall

An easily accessible dive site from Channel Island Beach. A great spot for beginners with an easy swim out to the site. Lots of critters hiding within the rocks of the break wall.

★★★★☆ Copper Canyon

Copper Canyon is known for its famous cliff jump and boat tie-ups. Which makes it great for treasure hunting underwater. I-phones, watches, sunglasses, and box anchors are jump some of the items that we have found while diving.

★★★★☆ San Carlos Beach

San Carlos offers an easy entry beach dive along with all the amenities including two dive shops within walking distance, plenty of parking, bathrooms, and showers.

★★★★☆ Fallen Leaf Lake

Fallen Leaf Lake is at 6,300 feet in elevation, is about 15 minutes from Lake Tahoe and it offers another option for altitude diving in the Tahoe Basin.

Diving in California

California offers a diverse range of diving experiences that captivate dive travelers. Among the top dive sites are the Channel Islands, renowned for their vibrant kelp forests and abundant marine life. Wreck diving enthusiasts will find allure in the Yukon, an artificial reef off San Diego, providing a hauntingly beautiful underwater landscape. For shore dives, La Jolla Cove is a prime spot, offering easy access and the chance to spot playful sea lions and colorful Garibaldi fish. Unique underwater experiences abound in California, with night dives revealing the bioluminescence of plankton and the nocturnal activities of marine creatures. Dive travelers can enjoy a balance between shore diving options, like Monterey Bay's rich biodiversity, and liveaboard adventures to more remote locations like the Farallon Islands. Whether exploring sunken ships or admiring the coastal marine life, California's dive sites promise unforgettable underwater journeys.

The best Months to dive in California

California offers diverse diving conditions throughout the year, with opportunities available across various seasons. During the summer, water temperatures average around 17°C/63°F, leading to warmer and more comfortable dives. Winter temperatures drop to about 13°C/55°F, requiring thicker wetsuits or drysuits. Visibility can range from 3 to 30 meters/10 to 98 feet depending on location and conditions, with clearer waters often found in offshore sites.

Diving is possible year-round; however, certain factors can affect the experience. Winter months can bring stronger winds and currents, impacting surface conditions and visibility. Spring and fall are popular for their calmer seas and moderate temperatures. Overall, while diving is feasible at any time, divers should consider local weather patterns and coastal conditions when planning their trips for the best experience.