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Map of San Carlos Beach / Breakwater Wall
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Shore entry

San Carlos Beach / Breakwater Wall

California, United StatesDirections
Open Water suggested3–18 m (10–60 ft) depthShore entry5mm wetsuit 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 Giant kelp, Strawberry anemone, and California sea lion. Recent reports put the water around 19°C (66°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Favorable window now· until 18:00, then moderate until 19:00 · sunset 18:17

Forecast for this hour · 12:00 · run 14 h ago
1.1 m (3.7 ft)waves — about a meter expected (waves — about four 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: 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

Lightest wind: Sat
Mon8:00–18:00 favorable, 18:00–19:00 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)

Fri8:00–9:00 moderate, 9:00–16:00 favorable, 16:00–19:00 moderate

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

Sat8:00–19:00 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 2.4 km from site · updated 25 Oct, 22:23 GMT-7

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Compare this weekend’s windows near San Carlos Beach / Breakwater Wall

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: Giant kelp, Strawberry anemone, California sea lion
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. 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.

  • 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

  • Common decorator crab recorded here Sep (1 record)

    Schizophrys asperamost recent 2011

  • Echinarachnius parma recorded here Aug (1 record)

    most recent 2010

  • Hermissenda recorded here Mar (1 record)

    Hermissenda crassicornismost recent 2012

Newest record here: 2016. 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 Scuba99 m (0.1 mi)

    Report a fix

  • Bamboo Reef Scuba Diving Centers891 m (0.6 mi)

    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.

Data updated July 2026

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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