Bamboo Reef Pool

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.

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.

Bamboo Reef Dive Centers, 94107 San Francisco

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.

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.

Scubapro

Breakwater Cove (★3.9)

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.

Sonoma Coast Divers LLC, 94928 Rohnert Park

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bass Lake (★3.6)

Bass Lake is a popular inland dive site in Northern California with easy entry and sloping bottom. Perfect for open water classes and new divers.

Doran Beach (★3.4)

An easy beach entry leads to large sandy bay. Along the south side of the beach is a rock jetty, which generally has a lot of fishermen. The area is generally protected by the headlands, so surge is usually minimal. Visibility often is not great. Currents are generally mild. Stay away from the boat channel.

Box Beach, Electra (★4.4)

Average depth of 12 feet and max depth of 19 feet if river is low. From the parking lot head down to the beach and there is a picnic table with a rock near the trail that was used by native indians to pound the acorns. The sandy beach quickly falls down to 19 feet and ends on the other side against a granite wall.

Fort Ross (★3.6)

A beach entry can make this site tricky if the surge is coming in from the wrong direction. Once in the water there are a couple of options. To the NW you can find a series of pinnacles and the remains of an old wreck (nothing to penetrate). To the south, you will find a series of rock walls.

Sonoma Coast Divers LLC, 94928 Rohnert Park

Timber Cove Boat Landing (★3.6)

This dive site is accessible via the Timber Cove Campground and boat landing where you will have to pay a day-use fee unless you are staying to camp.

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.

Gerstle Cove State Park (★3.4)

Gerstle Cove is located within the Salt Point State Park approximately 45 minutes from Jenner, CA. The cove is a rocky beach with a loading area right above. All cars must park in parking lot. Seasonally maintained bathroom and shower facilities are also right on site. State Park day-use fees apply to all visitors

Sunrise Recreation Area (★4.0)

Just as you enter the gate of the Douglas blvd Folsom lake entrance your right you will find a building with a blue metal roof. As you head to the water you will notice that they have blocked off and area for swimming. The vis there is 5-10 feet and no current. Great place to do a gear check out.

Fair Oaks Bridge (★4.0)

Visibility depends on the flow of the Folsom damn outlet. In the Summer when the river is flowing heavily, there is a significant current; however, this is a dive site not to miss. Depth range is 20-25 feet and vis from 10-15 feet. If you like drift diving this is the place to be.

Mares, Predrag Vuckovic

Black Miners Bar State Park (★3.6)

One of the more popular freshwater dive sites in California found in Lake Natoma. Not the best visibility but easy to access calm conditions, and a great spot for new divers to practice their skills.

Tahoe Dive Center, 89449 Stateline

Folsom Point (★3.7)

Folsom Lake is one of the most frequently dived lakes in California and a very popular spot for open water training due to the lake’s calm waters. It offers plenty of parking and easy entry. The bottom of the lake is fairly silty so use good buoyancy otherwise the visibility will go from 20-30 feet to zero.

Mares, Predrag Vuckovic

Anchor Bay (★4.4)

An easy, mostly protected, shore entry from a private campground brings you to the dive site. The north part of the bay is rocky and full of life. Decent underwater hunting can be found here.

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.