Divers Cove & Heisler Park (Laguna Beach)
Laguna Beach · near Laguna Beach · Los Angeles / SoCal
Scuba & Snorkel
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Depth
- 40
- Water temperature
- 58–70°F · 5–7mm wetsuit
- Best season
- Summer/fall calmest & clearest
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit. Divers Cove sits in the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve (no-take) below Heisler Park — street parking (tight, paid). A sandy pocket beach between rocky reefs makes for one of Orange County's best and easiest shore snorkel/dive spots. Stairs down from the park.
What is here
- Marine life
- Garibaldi (protected) everywhere · Rocky reef & kelp · Bat rays & guitarfish · Octopus, lobster, moray eels
- Features
- Heart of Laguna's marine reserve · Sandy entry between rich reefs · Garibaldi & abundant reef life · OC's premier shore snorkeling
Worth knowing
- Certification required
- No
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Scuba & Snorkel detail
- Dive type
- snorkel · scuba
- Entry
- shore
- Viz
- 15–40 ft
- Intl tip
- Park along Cliff Dr / at Heisler Park (tight, paid) and take the stairs down to Divers Cove. It's a no-take marine reserve — look, don't take. Calm summer/fall mornings are clearest. Explore the adjacent coves (Shaw's, Crescent Bay) too. Combine with Laguna's art-town charm. Garibaldi are everywhere and protected.
The guide
Divers Cove below Heisler Park is the crown of Laguna Beach's underwater world — a sandy pocket beach flanked by rocky reefs, s…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Divers Cove & Heisler Park (Laguna Beach) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 33.546, -117.795