- Type
- Freshwater
- Typical depth
- 12 m
- Level
- Beginner
- Visibility
- 5–15 m
- Water temp
- 10–16 °C
- Current
- Mild
- Access
- Open access
- Min cert
- Open Water
- Shore Dive
- Kelp Forest
- Sea Lion Encounters
- Breakwater Wall
- Sheltered Entry
- Beginner-Friendly
- Training Site
When to dive
Monterey Breakwater (San Carlos Beach) is the iconic Northern California shore dive — a sheltered cobble-and-sand entry alongside the Coast Guard breakwater giving access to a giant kelp forest, the breakwater wall (covered in metridium anemones), and a resident colony of California sea lions that often join divers. Year-round dive; viz peaks in autumn and winter (after the spring upwelling clears). Cold water — 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit; 5 mm hood and gloves standard.
36.6058° N, 121.8919° W
Notes
Kelp forest, sea lions, harbor seals.
Marine life
- Macro
- nudibranchs (rich diversity), decorator crab, hermit crab
- Pelagics
- jack mackerel
- Whales & dolphins
- California sea lion (resident colony), harbor seal (resident), sea otter (surface)
- Reef fish
- lingcod, rockfish, cabezon, painted greenling, kelp greenling, sculpins
- Cephalopods
- giant Pacific octopus, market squid (winter spawning runs), red octopus
- Invertebrates
- metridium anemone fields on the breakwater, sea stars, sunflower star (recovering), sea urchin, strawberry anemone
Dive clubs that visit this site
- Aquarius Dive Shopsource
Monterey, California, USA · Dive centre
- Backscatter (Backscatter West)source
Monterey, California, USA · Dive centre
- Bamboo Reef Scubasource
Monterey, California, USA · Dive centre
- Breakwater Scubasource
Monterey, California, USA · Dive centre
Sources
Bring Monterey Breakwater into your dive plan.
Open the planner with this site preselected on the map.
Open the planner →