This guide to California dive travel covers when to go, which regions suit which divers, how to reach the islands, what a liveaboard trip involves and how to fit land-based sightseeing around your dives. Pair it with our California scuba diving gear guide so you pack for cold water, and with our pages on where to stay and where to eat near the dive sites.
When to Go Diving in California
You can dive California all year, but each season has its own character.
- Late summer and fall (August to November): the warmest water and, on many days, the best visibility. Southern California surface temperatures often reach the high 60s or low 70s °F, and fall is a favorite season for Monterey divers too.
- Winter (December to February): colder water and more storm swell, but also clear days between storms. Spiny lobster season, which opens in early October and runs into March, draws many local divers.
- Spring (March to June): upwelling brings cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface. Visibility often drops and the water turns green, but the plankton bloom feeds the whole kelp forest.
Conditions change from day to day with swell, wind and tides, so check a local surf and swell forecast and ask a local dive shop before you commit to a site.
California Dive Regions at a Glance
San Diego
La Jolla Cove and the La Jolla Underwater Park offer protected shore diving among kelp, reef and sea lions, with seasonal visitors such as leopard sharks in the shallows of La Jolla Shores in summer. Offshore, Wreck Alley off Mission Beach includes the former Canadian warship HMCS Yukon, sunk as an artificial reef. San Diego is the warmest and most beginner-friendly corner of the state.
Orange County and Los Angeles
Laguna Beach has a string of small coves with shore entries, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula has rocky reefs and kelp close to the beach. Boats from San Pedro, Long Beach and Redondo Beach reach local reefs, wrecks and the islands.
Catalina Island
About 22 miles offshore, Catalina is a classic first California kelp dive. Casino Point Dive Park in Avalon has steps straight into the water, a buoyed area closed to boats and garibaldi, kelp bass and sheephead among the kelp. Ferries leave from several mainland harbors, so you can visit as a day trip or stay overnight.
Channel Islands
Channel Islands National Park and the surrounding marine sanctuary protect some of the richest kelp forests on the coast. Day boats from Ventura, Oxnard and Santa Barbara run to Anacapa, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara Islands, and longer trips reach Santa Rosa and San Miguel, where the water is colder and the diving more advanced.
Monterey and Carmel
Monterey Bay's shore dives are famous for good reason: kelp forests a short swim from the beach, sea otters at the surface and colorful invertebrates on every rock. Nearby Point Lobos State Natural Reserve allows a limited number of divers each day, so reserve ahead. The water here is noticeably colder, often in the 50s °F, and many divers wear drysuits.
The North Coast
Sonoma and Mendocino are rugged, cold and exposed to big swell. The diving is beautiful but best left to experienced cold-water divers who know how to read conditions and plan entries and exits on rocky shores.
Liveaboards and Multi-Day Boat Trips
California liveaboard trips usually run one to three days from Southern California harbors to the Channel Islands and the outer islands. You sleep aboard, eat in the galley and make three or four dives a day at sites a day boat rarely reaches. Expect bunk-style cabins, a shared deck for gear and early mornings. Book well ahead for summer and fall weekends, and confirm what is included: tank fills, nitrox, meals and rental gear vary from boat to boat.
Land-Based Tours Around Your Dives
Not every day needs to be a dive day. Surface intervals and no-dive days are a good time to explore the San Francisco Bay Area, the wineries and missions around Santa Barbara, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Cannery Row, or San Diego's Balboa Park. A land day is also the safe way to finish a trip, because you should not fly right after diving.
Getting Around and Flying After Diving
- Airports: San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Jose and San Francisco all put you within a few hours' drive of good diving.
- A car makes it easy: most shore dives need you to park close to the entry with your gear, and boats often leave before public transport runs.
- Flying after diving: Divers Alert Network guidance is to wait at least 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive and at least 18 hours after repetitive dives or multiple dive days before flying.
- Mountain roads count too: driving over high passes soon after diving raises the same altitude concern as flying.
- Rules and licenses: California has many marine protected areas where taking anything is prohibited. Hunting lobster or fish where it is allowed requires a California fishing license and, for lobster, a report card.
California Dive Travel FAQ
What is the best month for scuba diving in California?
September and October are often the best months, with the warmest water of the year and frequent good visibility, especially in Southern California and Monterey.
Do I need a drysuit to dive in California?
Not always. A 7 mm wetsuit with a hood and gloves is common in Southern California. In Monterey and farther north, many divers prefer a drysuit for comfort on longer dives.
Is California diving good for beginners?
Yes, at the right sites and on calm days. La Jolla, Casino Point on Catalina and Monterey's protected beaches are popular places for new divers, ideally with a local guide or a dive shop orientation dive.