Monterey Breakwater (San Carlos Beach)
Cannery Row, Monterey · near Monterey · Central Coast
Scuba & Snorkel
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Depth
- 60
- Water temperature
- 52–60°F · 7mm wetsuit or drysuit
- Best season
- Year-round · Sept–Nov clearest & calmest
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit or reservation. Free/paid parking at San Carlos Beach; Monterey dive shops line Cannery Row for air, rentals, and lessons. The Breakwater is THE training/checkout site of Northern California.
What is here
- Marine life
- Harbor seals & the famous sea lion colony · Metridium anemone fields deep on the wall · Nudibranchs, crabs & rockfish · Kelp forest edges
- Features
- Northern California's #1 training dive · Raucous sea lion colony on the wall · Easy protected entry at San Carlos Beach · Metridium fields for the adventurous
Worth knowing
- Certification required
- Yes
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Scuba & Snorkel detail
- Dive type
- scuba · snorkel
- Entry
- shore
- Viz
- 10–30 ft (better in fall)
- Intl tip
- Park at San Carlos Beach (metered) right at the entry. Cannery Row dive shops rent everything and fill tanks. September–November brings the calmest, clearest water. Combine with the Monterey Bay Aquarium next door. The sea lions are wild — enjoy them but keep a respectful distance.
The guide
The Monterey Breakwater at San Carlos Beach is the busiest and friendliest dive site in Northern California — the gentle, prote…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Monterey Breakwater (San Carlos Beach) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 36.611, -121.899