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AdvancedShore entry

Butterfly House

California, United States
AOW suggested5–27 m depthShore entry7mm or semi-dry + hood typical

Butterfly House at a glance

Butterfly House is a advanced shore dive site in California, United States with depths of 4.6–27.4 m (15–90 ft). Typically most favorable Aug · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Giant kelp, Blue rockfish, and Lingcod. Recent reports put the water around 14°C (57°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 2h ago
1.4 mwaves — about a meter and a half expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 14°C · seasonal avg 14°C

Site hazards: Steep cliff path with heavy gear (multiple trips advised), significant surge in the shallows, rapidly changing conditions, hazardous rock-reef with rogue waves to the left of the entry, current pushing north beyond the protective rocks

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Sun
Sun7:00–21:00
Mon7:00–21:00
Tue7:00–21:00
Wed7:00–13:00
Thu—
Fri7:00–21:00
Sat—

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:40 · Sunrise 6:09 · Sunset 20:18

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 5.2 km from site · graded 2h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

What Divers Say

Known for: Giant kelp, Blue rockfish, Sea otter
Best time: Very small swell days, typically fall; abort if conditions look questionable

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. Jan8%13°C3.0 m
  2. Feb1%13°C3.2 m
  3. Mar4%12°C3.0 m
  4. Apr19%12°C2.3 m
  5. May14%12°C2.3 m
  6. Jun18%13°C2.1 m
  7. Jul56%14°C1.6 m
  8. Aug71%14°C1.5 m
  9. Sep38%16°C1.9 m
  10. Oct22%16°C2.3 m
  11. Nov12%14°C2.7 m
  12. Dec9%14°C2.8 m

August hastypically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life seen at this site

Species noted at this site — not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

  • Giant kelpCommonly seen
  • Blue rockfishCommonly seen
  • LingcodOccasionally seen
  • Sea otterCommonly seen
  • Nudibranchs (various)Commonly seen
  • Vermilion rockfishOccasionally seen
  • Harbor sealCommonly seen

Fills & rentals nearby

Facts from OpenStreetMap, corrected by the community — listed by distance only. Details change; confirm with the shop.

  • Monterey Bay Scuba8.2 km

    Report a fix

  • Bamboo Reef Scuba Diving Centers8.5 km

    Mo-Fr 09:00-18:00; Sa-Su 07:00-18:00 hours from OpenStreetMap — call ahead

    Report a fix

Shop facts come from OpenStreetMap and community corrections, shown nearest first. PickADive lists facts and contacts only — no listing is sponsored or ranked.

Site details

An advanced Carmel shore dive named for the private home with a butterfly-shaped roofline on Scenic Road south of Carmel Point. A steep winding path leads down the cliff to a rocky staging area and tricky entry, beyond which lie granite reefs, sand channels and a rich giant kelp forest with depths dropping from 15-20 feet near shore to 60-90 feet within kicking range. The site is exposed to swell from nearly every direction and should only be dived on very small swell.

reefshore

Steep cliff path with heavy gear (multiple trips advised), significant surge in the shallows, rapidly changing conditions, hazardous rock-reef with rogue waves to the left of the entry, current pushing north beyond the protective rocks

Reviews

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