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Map of San Carlos Beach / Breakwater Wall
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Shore entry

San Carlos Beach / Breakwater Wall

California, United States
Open Water suggested3–18 m depthShore entry7mm or semi-dry + hood typical

San Carlos Beach / Breakwater Wall at a glance

San Carlos Beach / Breakwater Wall is a shore dive site in California, United States with depths of 3–18.3 m (10–60 ft). Typically most favorable Aug · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see California sea lion, Sea otter, and Strawberry anemone. Recent reports put the water around 16°C (60°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 3h ago
1.5 mwaves — about a meter and a half expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 16°C · seasonal avg 14°C

Site hazards: Boat traffic near the marina and breakwater tip, kelp entanglement, weekend crowds and low visibility from student classes, occasional surge outside the cove

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Sun
Sun7:00–21:00
Mon7:00–21:00
Tue7:00–21:00
Wed7:00–14:00
Thu7:00–12:00
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 2.4 km from site · graded 3h 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: California sea lion, Sea otter, Strawberry anemone
Best time: Fall and winter mornings for best visibility; arrive early on weekends for parking

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

  • California sea lionCommonly seen
  • Sea otterCommonly seen
  • Strawberry anemoneCommonly seen
  • Hermissenda nudibranchCommonly seen
  • Blue rockfishCommonly seen
  • CabezonOccasionally seen
  • LingcodOccasionally seen
  • Giant kelpCommonly seen

  • Phoca vitulina recorded here Jan, Sep, Nov (3 records)

    most recent 2016

  • Crossaster papposus recorded here Sep (2 records)

    most recent 2013

  • Zalophus californianus recorded here May, Nov (2 records)

    most recent 2014

  • Aplysia californica recorded here Oct (1 record)

    most recent 2013

  • Chorilia longipes recorded here Oct (1 record)

    most recent 2013

  • Chrysaora fuscescens recorded here Aug (1 record)

    most recent 2010

  • Echinarachnius parma recorded here Aug (1 record)

    most recent 2010

  • Hermissenda crassicornis recorded here Mar (1 record)

    most recent 2012

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.

  • Monterey Bay Scuba0.1 km

    Report a fix

  • Bamboo Reef Scuba Diving Centers0.9 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

The most popular shore dive in Monterey, located beside the 1,700-foot Coast Guard breakwater built in the 1930s. A gently sloping sandy beach gives one of the most protected entries in the area, leading to a boulder wall encrusted with strawberry anemones, sponges, tunicates and nudibranchs, with a resident sea lion colony at the breakwater tip. Heavily used by training classes; weekend visibility suffers and parking fills early.

reefshorewall

Boat traffic near the marina and breakwater tip, kelp entanglement, weekend crowds and low visibility from student classes, occasional surge outside the cove

Reviews

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