With any dive site, you should check the conditions online prior to diving and then visually check them once you are at the location.  While we will try to keep this list updated, please note that hours, parking, closures, etc may be different than listed.  Diving is inherently risky, please use good judgment on every dive. 

Here are some helpful tips when you're picking your dive site!

Helpful Apps:

DiveViz: This app is helpful when you are planning a dive at a specific location. On this app you can see conditions, forecasts, visibility, and dive reports from divers who have recently dived in those locations.

Useful Website:

Surf-Forecast.com: This site helps when you want to look at surf conditions for the upcoming week. You are able to see wind speeds, wave energy, wave direction & height, tide levels, a swell map, and weather predictions. 

How to Read a Surf Forecast:

Essentially, if it looks like a good day for surfers, it's a bad day for divers! Here are the things to look out for:

• Wave Energy: Wave energy (in KiloJoules) on the swell forecast indicates the predicted power of the waves and is a function of both wave size and period (the larger the waves, the longer the period, and greater the power). 
• Wave Direction & Height: This shows the direction the waves are coming in relative to the shore as well as red arrows that indicate waves moving in an unfavorable direction for the surf break.  
• Swell Map: These maps show the height of the swell as well as the location of the swell in relation to the shore.

What to do when...

You dive in the kelp forest:

Bring a light! The kelp tends to block out the sunlight.

Dive slowly and carefully. Use your hands to spread the kelp in front of of you to minimize tangles. If you do get stuck, stay calm, do not thrash and have your buddy use their hands to help disentangle you. Bring a dive knife with you to use just in case, but try your best to not cut the kelp if you can help it! Try to be aware of where you are to make sure you don’t get caught.

Make sure to bring a light because the kelp tends to block out the sunlight. Bring a compass and stick to a strong navigation plan.

When on the surface, do the "kelp crawl" by pushing the kelp underneath you and belly flopping on top of it as though you were a seal climbing onto a rock. Do not swim through the kelp on your back as it will wrap around your tank valve.

You dive on a reef:

Be aware of where you are placing your hands.

Most reef structures, despite their looks, are very fragile and house thousands of different species.

Make sure to be cautious and not break off any part of the reef. 

You see a horn/angel/swell shark:

Treat the shark with respect. Most likely it will swim away from you given that they are more afraid of you than you are of them.

Don’t try and grab them. They have white spines on their dorsal fins that they will use if they feel threatened (it is a defense mechanism). They are harmless creatures but they will fight back if they feel they are in danger

They tend to rest in between rocks and under seagrass for protection so be aware of where you’re putting your hands.