Scuba Diving in Southern California

The centerpiece of Wreck Alley and one of the largest diveable wrecks in California. A 366-foot Canadian destroyer escort sunk as an artificial reef in 2000, she went down the night before her planned sinking and now rests on her port side in about 100 feet of water, with her deck between 65 and 75 feet. She's covered in white metridium anemones, strawberry anemones, and gorgonians, and holds sea lions, harbor seals, rockfish, bass, perch, and large crabs. She's big enough that one dive only scratches the surface. Advanced Open Water or equivalent is required, with 15 to 30 logged cold-water dives recommended.

The Yukon's neighbor in Wreck Alley and a strong second dive. A 166-foot former U.S. Coast Guard cutter, intentionally sunk in 1989, she sits upright on the bottom in 50 to 85 feet of water. Shallower and smaller than the Yukon, she can be fully explored in a single dive and is covered in anemones and marine life. She works as a follow-up to the Yukon, a shallower, more accessible wreck that's genuinely fun in its own right. Advanced Open Water certification is required.

A shore entry at the southern end of La Jolla Shores, reached via the alleyway next to The Marine Room Restaurant. It's a shallow reef dive with good visibility and considerably less foot traffic than the more popular spots nearby. The bottom is sandy and gradual, the reef holds plenty of marine life, and conditions tend to be calmer than more exposed sites. A solid choice for a relaxed dive when you want to skip the crowds.

Part of a protected marine reserve where no marine life can be taken or disturbed, and decades of protection have made it one of the most life-dense shore dives in Southern California. Sea lions are the main event, interactive and curious in a way that surprises first-time visitors. The Cove also has shallow rocky reef, sea caves with open-air chambers you can surface inside, horn sharks, moray eels, stingrays, and garibaldi. Visibility averages 10 to 30 feet and can exceed 40 on good days. Any certified diver can dive here, and it's worth doing on every trip.

Inside the Vedder Ecological Preserve in Laguna Beach, part of the marine protected area along this stretch of coast. The entry is off a small, semi-protected sand beach in Heisler Park and is beginner-friendly when surf is under three feet. Depths run 10 to 35 feet, visibility averages around 20 feet, and the site has kelp, rocky reef, garibaldi, aggregating anemones, urchins, and reef fish throughout. On calm days it's a beautiful dive, and it connects to Fisherman's Cove around the point for a loop dive in good conditions.