Explore Northern California

Northern California offers divers a truly unique underwater experience, defined by its rugged coastline and chilly waters. The region's diverse marine environments include stunning rocky reefs, sheer walls, and historic wrecks, each teeming with a variety of marine life. Divers can expect encounters with playful sea lions, colorful nudibranchs, and the majestic giant Pacific octopus, all set against a backdrop of vibrant kelp forests swaying in the currents.

Dive sites such as Glass Beach and Caspar Bay reveal hidden treasures, with sea-glass laden shores and mesmerizing rock formations. Gerstle Cove provides an ideal environment for both beginners and seasoned divers, while Breakwater Cove is a popular spot for shore dives. Given the area's cooler temperatures, a drysuit is recommended to fully appreciate the beauty below the surface. Northern California's dive sites offer a charming and adventurous experience that's sure to captivate any diver.

Upcoming Events

Diver Level Programs / Courses

High Sierra Divers

Scuba Skills Update

24 Jan 2026

It is easy for dive skills to get rusty and to lose confidence when you have not dived for a while. With the SSI Scuba Skills Update, we will get you back in the water and diving with ease in no time. This scuba refresher course allows you to review and practice scuba skills you learned in your Open Water Diver program, under the guidance of an SSI Professional. This is a great course to take just before a dive holiday, so you spend less time worrying about your skills and more time admiring the marine life. If you are a non-certified Open Water Diver student, a Scuba Skills Update is ideal for practicing your dive skills before your open water training dives. With no fixed course duration, you can take your time and focus on the skills you need help with.

Diver Level Programs / Courses

High Sierra Divers

Navigation

04 Feb 2026

In this specialty program, you will gain the advanced skills and knowledge you need to safely and confidently navigate underwater. You will learn how to use a compass and natural navigation techniques, estimate distance, how to leave and return to a designated point, plus basic navigation patterns. You will also be taught how to combine navigation techniques to enhance your diving experience. All of which hones your underwater observation skills, improves your dive safety and helps you to get the most out of every dive. Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Navigation Specialty certification.

Diver Level Programs / Courses

High Sierra Divers

Night Diving and Limited Visibility

04 Feb 2026

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

High Sierra Divers

Deep Diving

04 Feb 2026

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.

Travel & Tours

Dolphin Swim School, Inc.

Isla Del Coco - Cocos Island Aggressor - September 11th - 21st 2027

11 Sep 2027

The all-new, 124-foot Cocos Island Aggressor will cruise from Puntarenas, Costa Rica to Cocos Island, a remote, uninhabited Pacific island whose waters are world-renown for schooling hammerhead sharks, manta rays and whale sharks. The 22-passenger, four-level luxury dive yacht was designed from the keel up with passengers’ comfort, safety and indulgences in mind

Dive Sites Show on map

Sonoma Coast Divers LLC, 94928 Rohnert Park

Stillwater Cove (★3.7)

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.

Sonoma Coast Divers LLC, 94928 Rohnert Park

Lovers Point (★3.7)

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.

Sonoma Coast Divers LLC, 94928 Rohnert Park

Aumentos Pinnacle (★4.4)

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.

John T. (#2853837)

Hurricane Bay (★4.3)

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.

Bamboo Reef Dive Centers, 94107 San Francisco

San Carlos Beach (★4.0)

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.

Tahoe Dive Center, 89449 Stateline

Fallen Leaf Lake (★3.9)

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.

Tahoe Dive Center, 89449 Stateline

Rubicon Point (★4.1)

Rubicon point is accessible by boat or off shore from Lester Beach near D.L. Bliss State Park. Parking would be $10 cash only. Or call us at the shop to set up a boat tour!

High Sierra Divers, 95603 Auburn

Lester Beach (★3.8)

Lester Beach near D.L. Bliss State Park, $10 cash only for parking. Then find yourself on the beach for a shore dive. There is a shelf that you can drop off, and offers part of the Rubicon Wall.

Mares

Whaler’s Cove (★4.2)

Whaler’s Cove is the most popular dive location in Point Lobos, offering unbelievably rich and pristine walls, pinnacles, and kelp forests. The cove itself is only about 30 feet deep, making it a great spot for snorkeling and beginning divers.

Mares

Point Lobos State Reserve (★4.2)

Bluefish Cove is the best area of Point Lobos to dive and is accessible either by a long swim from the ramp around the corner into the cove or by hoping on the once-a-month boat charter that will take divers straight to the cove to dive.

Mares, Janez Kranjc

Monastery Beach (★4.2)

N. Monastery Beach. High sand dune, strong pounding waves, and loose gravel. Enter from the North side, stay on the outside of the wash rock, follow kelp outline and dive in about 30-40 feet of water. Take a 350 degree heading and arrive at the beginning of the trench. Follow the contour line at any depth.

Scubapro

Breakwater Cove (★3.8)

The Breakwater is a very popular dive site for Open Water classes with its calm water, easy entry, and protection from ocean swell. It is a fairly short walk from your car to the water and there is a dive shop within walking distance for air fills.

Mares

Metridium Fields (★4.1)

Metridiums are pure white anemones that look like flowers on a stalk. The Metridium Field is a group of rocky outcroppings covered with Metridiums. Navigation is done by following a large pipe until it ends and then heading due north for a short distance will take you to the Metridium Field.

Scubapro

Otter Cove (★3.9)

Easy shore entry. Can get rough if the swell is coming from the wrong direction. Lots of kelp straight out from the beach. Easy navigation out and back, and once in the kelp it is nice to run along the edges.

Mares, Janez Kranjc

Monterey Bay (★3.8)

All of Monterey Bay is considered a marine sanctuary and attracts thousands of divers every year from all over the world. Dive sites are scattered all along the bay with plenty of easy entry sites for newer divers and deeper water close to shore for more experienced divers.

Diving in Northern California

Northern California offers a diverse array of dive sites, catering to both novice and experienced divers. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a popular spot for shore dives, featuring the iconic Breakwater, where divers can explore kelp forests and encounter sea lions and otters. The balance between shore and liveaboard diving options ensures accessibility for all preferences.

Wreck enthusiasts will appreciate the SS Palo Alto, a unique concrete ship located at Seacliff State Beach, while Point Lobos offers a more secluded dive experience with its rich marine biodiversity and striking underwater topography. For those seeking unique experiences, night dives at Monterey's Cannery Row reveal nocturnal marine life and the captivating bioluminescence of the bay's waters.

The best Months to dive in Northern California

Northern California offers year-round diving opportunities, although conditions can vary significantly by season. During the summer, water temperatures typically range from 13°C–16°C/55°F–61°F, while winter temperatures can drop to 10°C–12°C/50°F–54°F. Visibility is often best in the fall, reaching up to 15 meters/49 feet, but can be reduced to as low as 3 meters/10 feet in spring due to plankton blooms.

Weather factors like coastal winds and currents significantly affect diving conditions. The region experiences higher winds and stronger currents in spring, which can impact dive plans. While diving is possible throughout the year, late summer and early fall are generally considered the most favorable periods due to calmer seas and clearer visibility, making them ideal for planning dives.