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| DIVE SITES |
Shore Diving The vast majority of shore dives in San Diego take place right outside of our shop in La Jolla. We are the only dive center in the vicinity so we know La Jolla’s Underwater Park like no other. There are three main dive sites from shore in La Jolla- La Jolla Shores, Marine Room, and La Jolla Cove. We offer a daily guided shore dive of La Jolla's Underwater Park. Here's a brief description of the three shore dive sites in La Jolla: |
| La Jolla Shores There is a deep canyon a couple hundred yards from the shore break with a sandy wall at a depth of about 55’, depending on the tide. This wall is home to a variety of fish and other marine life due to nutrient-rich upwelling that makes it’s way up the canyon floor and pushes it’s way up the wall. This upwelling also creates semi-cold conditions so we get bundled up in 7mm wetsuits and hoods. |
| La Jolla Cove The Cove is a rocky reef with an abundance of sea life including Garibaldi, Sheephead, Kelp Bass, and Sea Lions, among many others. Also abundant are invertebrates and kelp. The Cove is a shallow dive and is thus susceptible to surges and odd currents. On a calm day with good visibility, there are few dives as nice as the Cove. Morning is generally the best time to dive here. Marine Room Between the Cove and The Shores, the Marine Room dive site is situated close to the Marine Room restaurant. The Marine Room dive site is a combination of sand and rocky reef and is home to both reef and sand-dwelling creatures. There are no shower and bathroom facilities at the Marine Room so expect to see less tourist divers here. Boat Diving Wreck Alley There are several wreck dives within a quick boat trip from Mission Bay. These wrecks include the Ruby E, El Rey, Ingraham St. Bridge, a Weather Tower, and most recently and probably best known, The Yukon. The Yukon is a 366 ft. Canadian destroyer sunk in July of 2000 for us divers. Here’s a map & picture: All of these wrecks are in sand and situated in open ocean so it is recommended for you to have your Advanced certification, experience on similar dives, or hire a guide. They’re great dives but probably not ideal for a new diver still getting comfortable in the water. Point Loma Kelp Point Loma Kelp diving can be your greatest dive or your worst, depending on the day’s conditions. Point Loma’s giant kelp is the fastest growing organism in the world, growing two feet a day in ideal conditions. Imagine flying slowly through a forest of suspended fish and you can get an idea of what it’s like to dive in a kelp forest. Los Coronados The “Nods” are in Mexican waters (no passport necessary) and take about an hour to reach. The area’s “easiest” dive and closest conditions to what many are used to in the Caribbean. Most of the diving at the Nods is done on the lee side of the island so the water is protected from the oncoming swells. This makes for calmer and clearer waters and makes a nice home for Sea Lions and Harbor Seals. They’re used to divers here so expect to swim with them on your dive. Here's a sample of what you'll see! San Clemente Truly world-class diving, San Clemente is the mac-daddy of diving in Southern California. This twenty five mile long island has it all- kelp forest, every So.Cal fish you can name and clear waters. Our fast boat flying at 30 knots takes us about two hours to get there. These trips go out less frequently but is a must-dive for those that have an opportunity to go. |
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