California has three beautiful diving regions.

The North coast region is renowned for lush, moist forests of the world's tallest trees, coastal bluffs, secluded coves and wildlife areas. From the pristine beaches and coves of Carmel by the Sea and Monterey Bay, the coastline includes numerous dive locations North of San Francisco, all the way to Mendocino and Crescent City. Each site offers its unique underwater topography and associated marine life.

The California mid region includes diving locations from South of Pt. Lobos State Park (Carmel by the Sea) to Laguna Beach. This long stretch of beautiful beaches can be categorized as open-water diving, with some protected coves and inlets. Capitalizing on optimal weather as well as observing tides and current conditions are crucial to an enjoyable dive experience.

The California South listings include the greater San Diego area (Pt. Loma North to La Jolla) continuing up through Orange County to Laguna Beach. Each ShoreDiving location has unique conditions -- and beauty!

As always, check with your local resources for exact local conditions for the ultimate safe and rewarding dive experience.

California

Monterey County

Divers will travel far and wide to find the best diving. But those who live in the United States have plenty of great diving on their doorstep as well, with plentiful access to the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. From warm-water reefs to temperate seas, here are some of the top places to scuba dive in the United States.

United States

Jade Cove is an Adventure in all respects!  Plan on making this a full day trek, if not spending the night in the area.  After making an incredibly beautiful drive up (or down) the coast, be prepared for a mild version of Gorilla diving.  The reward?  A souvenir piece of jade to take home to display with your other diving trophies.  There are regulations to be aware of.  A good starting place for web research is <a target="_new" href="http://www.mbnms.nos.noaa.gov/Intro/press_releases/980708.html">here</a>. Getting in at times is accomplished by going under the thick bull kelp that's near shore and has a thick canopy. It's shallow and is affected by heavy surge. In August there is a thick krill layer near the bottom (5ft thick) that decreased the viz to 2-5ft. Beautiful reef, fishes, and if you look carefully you will find pieces of jade.

A rememberence from Daniel S. McDermed:  In 1966 my Dad's hobby was scuba diving, and my grandparents' hobby was making jewlery. In the murky water of Jade Cove, Dad's exploration of a small underwater cave produced a large piece of jade that weighed 17 pounds. I remember a young man offered my Dad 35 dollars a pound for it while my Dad stood there in those chilly waters.  Dad said "Thanks but this man has some real plans for this chunk." Much more than the money offered was gained from the retained stone.

Found 70 miles South of Monterey and 70 miles North of San Luis Obispo, between Gorda and Pacific Valley, on Highway 1. The trail head leading to Jade Cove (Main, Central Jade Cove) is .4 miles south of Plaskett Creek Campground entrance on Cabrillo Highway 1. Free parking on the west side of hwy 1. Walk the straight dirt path to the narrowing switch back trail. There is a spring halfway down with water on the path, the very last leg has an anchored rope line for balance! Cross over some large boulders at the bottom to the cove.