Links to Central and Northern California Dive Spots from the Good Folks at
Monterey:
Aquarium Reef - Aquarium Reef is named after the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which towers above the dive site.
Aumentos Reef - Other skippers call it George's Reef, or Outer-Outer Chase Reef.
Bluefish Cove - This site is part of Point Lobos State Reserve and no fishing is allowed. Thus, the fish here are large and numerous, and the marine life pristine.
Breakwater - Its calm, shallow water make it a great place for scuba instruction, while the abundance of marine critters make it a popular place for photographers and sightseers.
Butterfly House - You will find no finer example of a giant kelp bed than at Butterfly House.
Carmel Meadows - Divers can explore deep canyons, huge pinnacles and vertical mini-walls.
Carmel River Reef - More fish and invertebrates my be found along the reef as it bends towards Carmel Beach. Look for harbor seals hunting in the rocky canyons.
Castle House - These rocky reefs are covered with just about every hue of the rainbow - red Tealia anemones; red and lavender corynactis; and yellow, orange, and cobalt blue sponges. There is color everywhere.
Cathedrals - There are two "cathedrals," one is a long narrow canyon that is closed on the top for part of its length, and the other is more of a swim-through or arch.
Copper Roof House - Many of the shallow rocks are covered with layers of coralline algae, wherein smaller critters find shelter and food. Among the algae may be found an assortment of nudibranchs.
Coral Street - Inshore rocks are covered with numerous species of algae. Several species of brown algae and thick carpets of red, coralline algae cover all of the rocks. Juvenile gamefish and other tiny fish are abundant among the near shore rocks and algae. This is a great area for fish watching.
Del Monte Beach - Within the protective environment of the eel grass are numerous juvenile fish and an assortment of tiny nudibranchs that are unique to this habitat.
Diablo Pinnacles - The Pinnacles supports one of the better populations of lingcod and cabezon in the Monterey area.
East Pinnacle - Divers should take the time to look among the branches of the coral. Crabs, shelled mollusks, and sea stars often take refuge in the protection of the coral.
Gibson Beach - The first thing you will notice here are the fish. They are everywhere. Thick schools of blue rockfish move among the kelp in shallow water. Big, fat vermilion rockfish, lingcod, and cabezon are found among the jumble of boulders.
Hidden Beach - The near-shore bottom is mostly sand that gives way to a rock and sand patch reef system. Sandy areas are good places to look for—and photograph—sea pens, white, orange and purple tube-dwelling anemones, as well as aggregating anemones. This area is also a good pace to find sand dabs, hermit crabs, and olive snails.
Hopkins Deep Reef - A larger and more expansive Metridium Field is directly off Hopkins Marine Station. Most call this site "Hopkins Deep Reef."
Hopkins State Marine Reserve - This reef was initially protected in 1931 as a study site for Stanford University and University of California scientists, and last year was given additional protection under California Marine Life Protection Act. In the absence of human predation, the fish here have grown accustomed to swimming with researchers and other non-threatening divers.
Inner Chase Reef - Inner Chase Reef is known among local divers as one of the best sites for underwater photography in the Monterey Bay. This reef is swept by ocean currents, yet receives moderate protection from Point Pinos.
Jade Cove - Jade Cove is located in the southern portion of Monterey County and is remote and seldom-visited
Monastery Beach - One of the most popular beach sites in the Monterey area is Monastery Beach.
Lingcod Reef - This is a picturesque part of Monterey County where the dive sites are framed by wave-carved granite cliffs and cypress-covered hills
Lobos Rocks - When optimal weather hits Monterey, divers head south of Point Lobos for some superb, untouched diving. They head to Lobos Rocks.
Lover's Point - Dense colonies of dime-sized strawberry anemones carpet the rocks in hues of red, orange and lavender. Larger anemones such as the red rose, spotted rose, or giant green dot the rocky surfaces and surge channels. If you continue to the right you will encounter a sandy area where numerous bat rays may be found.
McAbee Beach - McAbee is located in the middle of Cannery Row and this protected, sandy beach offers a fine selection of the marine life that has made the Monterey Bay so famous.
Monastery Beach, North - The wall between 80 and 130 feet is steep with large boulders, undercuts, caves, and vertical surfaces. This topography makes for an interesting dive even without the marine life. Rock walls are dotted with large Telia anemones, and brightly colored sponges.
Monastery Beach, South - The granite outcroppings are covered with an interesting assortment of invertebrates. Coralline algae covers the tops of most rocks. The nooks and crannies of the rocks are filled with photogenic little critter.
Mono-Lobo Wall - Lingcod and cabezon can be found here hiding among the rocks while various species of rockfish occupy different places in the reef ecology.
Monterey's Mystery Wreck - This site is just east of the Point Pinos Lighthouse and about 200 yards offshore. The wreck is, unfortunately, not intact, and consists of a debris field covering some 50 by 100 yards.
North Cypress Point - The rocks here experience a great deal of current and have accumulated a thick invertebrate growth that is unlike anything you will see along the Monterey/Carmel Bays. Unusual sponges, nudibranchs, and tunicates may be found here. This is also a good fish watching and fish photography.
Otter Cove - Huge red Telia anemones dot the surfaces of the surge channels and giant green anemones are more common in calmer water where sunlight reaches the bottom.
Outer Butterfly Reef - What is really impressive with this area is the fish life. There are numerous lingcod sitting on rocky perches. Most of these are covered with scores of copepods. There are also a large numbers of vermilion rockfish (a.k.a. redfish), grass and kelp rockfish, and cabezon. This is a fish photographer’s heaven since the fish here are particularly friendly and often line up to have their portraits taken.
Pinnacles - Every scuba destination boasts a number of “must see” dive sites. These sites are so exceptional and so representative of the destination that you have not really experienced the destination unless you visit these sites.
Point Joe - The reef here is full of color. Cobalt blue, orange and yellow sponges and encrusting tunicates paint the rock in quilt-like patterns. Huge, orange sea cucumbers poke out from cracks in the rock and extend their tentacles into the current. Strawberry and telia anemones accent the rocky walls.
San Carlos Beach - If you are looking for a comfortable beach dive with a lot of marine life, along with all of the amenities, then I urge you to check out San Carlos Beach
Stillwater Cove - The cove is aptly named since it is very protected from that pesky California phenomena, the northwest swell by Pescadero Point. It also has a superb collection of marine life.
San Francisco:
Farallon Islands - "These dive sites, in my humble opinion, offer the very best diving in all of California and put many highly rated, warm-water destinations to shame."- Bruce Watkins
Sonoma:
Fisk Mill Cove - Fisk Mill Cove takes its name from the lumber mill that operated here in the late 1800s and is the most recent acquisition to Salt Point State Park. There is a large bed of bull kelp offshore, and the shallow areas of the rocky reef are covered with a layer of palm kelp. Otherwise, the rocks are also covered with coralline algae, giant green anemones and encrusting invertebrates. There are small greenlings, and a few small rockfish hiding in the palm kelp. The three-dimensional nature of the bottom and the splash of color here and there makes this a fun place to dive.
Kruse Ranch - Kruse Ranch area offers some of the finest near-shore abalone diving in Sonoma County, but you must pay the price. All of the entries are almost a one-half mile hike from Highway 1.
Ocean Cove - Just south of Salt Point State Park, Ocean Cove is an idyllic setting that has been catering to divers for many years.
Salt Point State Park's South Cove - I have seen few divers haul tanks down the bluff here, but access to deep water after only a 40-yard swim would make this one of the more comfortable beach dives along this part of the coast. Otherwise, it is a fun place to hunt for abalone.
Stillwater Cove - The ease of entry makes this a popular spot for scuba and free diving instructors to bring their beginner classes, but experienced divers will find Stillwater a great place to launch a boat, diveboard, or even swim to many sites for excellent game diving.
Anchor Bay - Anchor Bay offers first class abalone hunting and fishing grounds, along with beautiful underwater topography and marine life. This is a family campground and non-divers will find plenty to do beachcombing, exploring, or just doing nothing.
Mendocino: