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Shore entry

McAbee Beach

California, United StatesDirections
Open Water suggested3–14 m (10–45 ft) depthShore entry5mm wetsuit typical

McAbee Beach at a glance

McAbee Beach is a shore dive site in California, United States with depths of 3–13.7 m (10–45 ft). Typically most favorable Aug · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Sea otter, Pacific octopus, and Kelp rockfish. Recent reports put the water around 19°C (66°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Next window today· 8:00–19:00 · favorable & moderate · sunset 18:17

Forecast for this hour · 3:00 · run 4 h ago
0.9 m (3.1 ft)waves — under a meter expected (waves — about three feet expected)

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 19°C · seasonal avg 16°C ( · Forecast 66°F · seasonal avg 60°F)

Site hazards: Rusted rebar in the shallows on the El Torito (south) side of the beach, especially when sand is washed away; kelp entanglement; tourist boat traffic

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Lightest wind: Sat
Mon8:00–10:00 favorable, 10:00–14:00 moderate, 14:00–17:00 favorable, 17:00–19:00 moderate

1.2 m waves · 6 kn wind (3.9 ft waves · 6 kn wind)

Tue8:00–10:00 favorable, 10:00–15:00 moderate

1.7 m waves · 7 kn wind (5.4 ft waves · 7 kn wind)

Wed8:00–19:00 moderate

1.7 m waves · 5 kn wind (5.5 ft waves · 5 kn wind)

Thu8:00–19:00 moderate

1.6 m waves · 5 kn wind (5.2 ft waves · 5 kn wind)

Fri8:00–11:00 moderate, 11:00–12:00 favorable, 12:00–19:00 moderate

1.5 m waves · 5 kn wind (5.0 ft waves · 5 kn wind)

Sat8:00–14:00 favorable, 14:00–15:00 moderate, 15:00–19:00 favorable

1.3 m waves · 2 kn wind (4.1 ft waves · 2 kn wind)

SunNot in the forecast yet

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

Every forecast dive window each day, site-local time, from wave and wind forecasts. Numbers under each bar are daylight averages.

First light 6:59 · Sunrise 7:25 · Sunset 18:17 · some windows run past sunset

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 2.5 km from site · updated 25 Oct, 22:23 GMT-7

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Compare this weekend’s windows near McAbee Beach

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.

Dived here today — did the forecast match?

What Divers Say

Known for: Sea otter, Kelp rockfish, Giant kelp
Best time: High tide on calm days; fall for best visibility

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. January, 8% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 13°C (56°F), waves have typically been 3.0 m (9.9 ft), wind has typically been 12 knots
  2. February, 1% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 13°C (55°F), waves have typically been 3.2 m (10.5 ft), wind has typically been 13 knots
  3. March, 4% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 12°C (54°F), waves have typically been 3.0 m (9.9 ft), wind has typically been 14 knots
  4. April, 19% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 12°C (54°F), waves have typically been 2.3 m (7.7 ft), wind has typically been 11 knots
  5. May, 14% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 12°C (54°F), waves have typically been 2.3 m (7.5 ft), wind has typically been 11 knots
  6. June, 18% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 13°C (56°F), waves have typically been 2.1 m (6.9 ft), wind has typically been 11 knots
  7. July, 56% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 14°C (57°F), waves have typically been 1.6 m (5.4 ft), wind has typically been 9 knots
  8. August, 71% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 14°C (58°F), waves have typically been 1.5 m (5.1 ft), wind has typically been 9 knots, historically most favorable
  9. September, 38% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 16°C (61°F), waves have typically been 1.9 m (6.1 ft), wind has typically been 9 knots
  10. October, 22% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 16°C (60°F), waves have typically been 2.3 m (7.6 ft), wind has typically been 9 knots
  11. November, 12% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 14°C (57°F), waves have typically been 2.7 m (8.9 ft), wind has typically been 10 knots
  12. December, 9% of days have historically been favorable, water has typically been 14°C (58°F), waves have typically been 2.8 m (9.3 ft), wind has typically been 10 knots

August has typically 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 recorded at this site, by month

Recorded observations — evidence of past sightings, not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

Rough labels: “Commonly seen” usually means two or more recorded sightings near this site in public dive logs (GBIF), “Occasionally seen” one; “Seasonal” and “Rarely seen” come from dive-guide research. Not a measured rate.

  • Hexagrammos stelleri recorded here Jul (1 record)

    most recent 2014

  • Phoca vitulina recorded here Jul (1 record)

    most recent 2014

Newest record here: 2014. Counts are occurrence records near this site from public biodiversity datasets (GBIF), grouped by calendar month across all sampled years. Sightings vary — past records are context, not a prediction.

Fills & rentals nearby

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

  • Bamboo Reef Scuba Diving Centers230 m (0.1 mi)

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

    Report a fix

  • Monterey Bay Scuba917 m (0.6 mi)

    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.

Data updated July 2026

Site details

A small pocket beach on Cannery Row next to the El Torito restaurant, diving over historic cannery debris and a healthy kelp forest. Lengths of old pipe run from near shore out to about 40 feet and serve as navigation aids, and McAbee Pinnacle lies offshore. An easy, protected entry popular for relaxed kelp dives close to downtown Monterey.

pinnaclereefshore

Rusted rebar in the shallows on the El Torito (south) side of the beach, especially when sand is washed away; kelp entanglement; tourist boat traffic

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