SAN DIEGO SCUBA DIVING AREAS
La Jolla, Wreck Alley, Point Loma, and Coronado Islands (in Mexico)
WHEN TO GO
Diveable Months: Year-round
Best Conditions: Fall & Winter
access
Boat Diving: All dive sites
Shore Diving: La Jolla only
COST
Boat Diving: avg. $130 - $250
Shore Diving: free - $250
visibility
Imperial: 5 to 80 ft (avg: 20 ft)
Metric: 1 to 24 m (avg: 6 m)
SURFACE WATER TEMP
Imperial: 58° to 70°F
Metric: 14° to 21°C
BOTTOM WATER TEMP
Imperial: 48° to 65°F
Metric: 8° to 18°C
protection
Mandatory: 7mm wetsuit or drysuit
Recommended: Hood, booties, gloves
marine life
- Red gorgonian, strawberry anemones
- Sevengill, horn, swell, & angel sharks
- Stingray, bat ray, guitarfish
- Yellowtail, lingcod, halibut
- Halfmoon, blacksmith
- Garibaldi, sheephead
- California spiny lobster
- Giant spinned sea star
- Sea lion, harbor seal
- Giant sea bass
- Nudibranch
BOAT CHARTERS
Waterhorse Charters ⭐️
Marissa Charters
main dive areas
la jolla
wreck alley
Point Loma
Coronado islands
San Diego Scuba Diving
San Diego scuba diving packs the whole punch of cold-water diving:
- Kelp Forests: richer at Point Loma area, but also found in La Jolla
- Canyons & Walls: prime spots are Scripps Canyon & Train Wheels
- Wreck Diving: famous underwater collection at Wreck Alley
- Sea Lion Diving: a day trip to Coronado Islands' local rookery
- Specialty Diving: lobster, night, and shark diving are possible here
Dive Conditions
Brave birthday diver ventures out at the Coronado Islands without a wetsuit (Photo by Jon Schmitt)
Photo by Jon Schmitt
Dive conditions here change hourly. We keep a running Conditions Report spreadsheet to better forecast future visibility for our boat charters.
Visibility
This is what you can expect from San Diego scuba diving visibility:
- Average: 20 to 30 ft
- Best: 50 ft+ locally & 100 ft+ at the Coronado Islands (fall & winter)
- Worst: 5 ft (usually during algae blooms)*
Water Temperature
San Diego waters are nutrient rich, which helps kelp forests and cold-water species like sea lions and some shark species to flourish.
Surface temperatures vary with the seasons and range between:
- May - October: 62° to 70°F
- November - April: 58° to 61°F
Bottom temperatures don't ever get too high and range between:
- May - October: 56° to 65°F
- November - April: 48° to 55°F
Coronado Islands, a day trip to Mexico away, tend to have 1 to 3°F higher surface and bottom temperatures. Every bit counts!
Exposure Protection
If you plan to scuba dive in San Diego, exposure protection is a must.
An extra layer of neoprene is always helpful when diving in San Diego, which is why we recommend full 7mm wetsuits with hood, booties, and gloves.
If you are certified and comfortable with it, a drysuit is not a bad idea for an even-warmer dive.
Dive Site Access
You can dive La Jolla Cove and La Jolla Shores by shore, but you'll need a private or commercial boat to access any other dive site in San Diego.
Waterhorse Charters - us - and Marissa Charters have the only United States Coast Guard inspected commercial dive boats in town.
Photo by Phil Colla
San Diego Dive Sites
The San Diego scuba diving map and list below includes our top favorite dive sites from La Jolla, Wreck Alley, Point Loma, and Coronado Islands. Although not all of San Diego dive sites are represented here, these are the main local recreational dive sites.
Darker icons represent advanced sites (over 60 ft) and brighter icons represent open water dive sites (under 60 ft).
P-38
- Max. Depth: 130 ft
- Level: Advanced
- Formation: Wreck
- Highlight: Historical Plane
Scripps Canyon
- Max. Depth: 130 ft+
- Level: Advanced
- Formation: Canyon
- Highlight: Deep Walls
La Jolla Pinnacles
- Max. Depth: 90 ft
- Level: Advanced
- Formation: Rocky Pinnacle
- Highlight: Nudibranchs
La Jolla Shores
- Max. Depth: 130 ft+
- Level: Open Water, Advanced
- Formation: Sand, Canyon
- Highlight: Night Diving
La Jolla Cove & Kelp Beds
- Max. Depth: 50 ft
- Level: Open Water
- Formation: Kelp Forest
- Highlight: Shore Diving
HMCS YUKON
- Max. Depth: 100 ft
- Level: Advanced
- Formation: Wreck
- Highlight: large size (366 ft)
NOSC TOWER
- Max. Depth: 60 ft
- Level: Open Water
- Formation: Wreck
- Highlight: Mini 'Oil-Rig'
Ruby E.
- Max. Depth: 80 ft
- Level: Advanced
- Formation: Wreck
- Highlight: Colorful Anemone
Old Ingraham Street Bridge
- Max. Depth: 70 ft
- Level: Advanced
- Formation: Wreck
- Highlight: Bridge Rubbles
El Rey
- Max. Depth: 80 ft
- Level: Advanced
- Formation: Wreck
- Highlight: Kelp Harvester
6 Fathoms
- Max. Depth: 60 ft
- Level: Open Water
- Formation: Kelp Forest
- Highlight: Sevengill Sharks
New Hope Rock
- Depth: 35 ft
- Level: Open Water
- Formation: Kelp Forest
- Highlight: Shallow Reef
Horsehead Reef
- Max. Depth: 60 ft
- Level: Open Water
- Formation: Kelp Forest
- Highlight: Walls
Dino Head
- Max. Depth: 100 ft
- Level: Advanced
- Formation: Kelp Forest, Cliffs
- Highlight: Dinosaur Rock
Train Wheels
- Max. Depth: 100 ft
- Level: Advanced
- Formation: Kelp Forest, Cliffs
- Highlight: Wrecked Wheels
Lobster Shack
- Max. Depth: 60 ft+
- Level: Open Water
- Formation: Rocky Reef
- Highlight: Sea Lions
Keyhole
- Max. Depth: 60 ft+
- Level: Open Water
- Formation: Rocky Reef
- Highlight: Archway
Middle Grounds
- Max. Depth: 60 ft
- Level: Open Water
- Formation: Rocky Reef
- Highlight: Rocky 'Fingers'
Diving Specialties
SHARK DIVING
Here is what you need to know about shark diving in San Diego:
- Common Species: horn sharks, leopard sharks, sevengill sharks
- Rare Species: swell sharks, tope sharks, smooth-hound sharks
- Rarest Species: great white sharks, blue sharks, mako sharks, thresher sharks
- Cage Diving: there is no great white shark cage diving in San Diego, but charters leave from San Diego to Mexican Guadalupe Islands
- Dangers: Shark attacks are incredibly rare in San Diego, specially for scuba divers
- Season: scuba diving in the Kelp Forests for sevengill sharks (spring), snorkeling at La Jolla Shores for leopard sharks (summer), looking under rocks and inside crevices on most dive sites for horn and swell sharks (year-round)
If you're interested in shark diving, see our San Diego Shark Diving guide.
LOBSTER DIVING
Here is what you need to know about lobster diving in San Diego:
- Season: October through March (specific dates here)
- Required Gear: Lobster game bag, gauge, dive light
- Lobster Limit: Seven lobsters per person, per dive
- Licenses: Lobster Report Card and Fishing License (buy them here)
- Legal Size: 3 ¼ inch carapace (measured like this)
- Location: Anywhere you don't see red (or some blue) on this map
- Best Spots: Point Loma Kelp Beds & Mission Bay
NIGHT DIVING
Here is what you need to know about night diving in San Diego:
- Season: year-round
- Gear: dive light, SMB, reel
- Species: shrimps, octupus, crabs, horn sharks, guitar fishes, halibuts
- Best Spots: Mission Bay & La Jolla Shores (from shore), Scripps Canyon & HMCS Yukon (by boat)
Photo by Charles Hobson
Photo by Michael Wimmer
Photo by Michael Wimmer
Dive Shops
San Diego has 5 dive shops, 2 scuba charter companies, and a number of scuba diving companies offering tours and lessons. Here's a list of all San Diego companies and all the services they offer:
WATERHORSE CHARTERS
(yours truly 😀)
OCEAN ENTERPRISES
- Dive Shop
- Dive Courses*
- Dive Travel
- Guided Shore Diving
Beyond Land Adventures
- Dive Shop
- Dive Courses*
- Dive Travel
- Guided Shore Diving
MARISSA CHARTERS
- Boat Diving
- Dive Courses
- Guided Shore Diving
HOUSE OF SCUBA
- Dive Shop
- Dive Courses
- Dive Travel
SAN DIEGO DIVERS
- Dive Shop
- Dive Courses
NORTH COUNTY SCUBA CENTER
- Dive Shop
- Dive Courses*
SCUBA GUY CHARTERS
- Boat Diving (6-pack)
- Dive Courses
ODYSSEA BY FLETCHER
- Dive Courses*
- Guided Shore Diving
ZACH SCUBA SHACK
- Scuba Courses
- Guided Shore Dives
SCUBA SAN DIEGO
- Scuba Courses*
- Guided Shore Dives
SAN DIEGO SCUBA GUIDE
- Scuba Courses
- Guided Shore Dives
LA JOLLA DIVE
- Scuba Courses
- Guided Shore Dives
scuba diver girls
- Guided Shore Dives
*These companies charter our boats for some dive courses & group dives
You'll love San Diego diving
Our two dive boats make weekly trips to the most popular San Diego dive sites mentioned above. Plus: we lend you tanks and weights, feed you, help you with your fins, and give you insider tips before each dive.
We'll take you there.
Photo by Ed Olu