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Shore entry

McAbee Beach

California, United StatesDirections
Open Water suggested3–14 m 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 18°C (65°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 14h ago
1.4 mwaves — about a meter and a half expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 18°C · seasonal avg 16°C

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

Best: Wed
Fri7:00–13:00
Sat7:00–10:00
Sun11:00–12:00
Mon7:00–18:00
Tue11:00–20:00
Wed9:00–20:00
Thu—

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 6:21 · Sunrise 6:47 · Sunset 19:21

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 2.5 km from site · graded 14h 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.

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. 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 recorded at this site, by month

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

Species seen here

  • Hexagrammos stelleri recorded here Jul (1 record)

    most recent 2014

  • Phoca vitulina recorded here Jul (1 record)

    most recent 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 Centers0.2 km

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

    Report a fix

  • Monterey Bay Scuba0.9 km

    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

Reviews

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