Diving in San Diego

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Diving

Enthusiasts the world over come to San Diego to snorkel and scuba-dive off La Jolla and Point Loma. At La Jolla Cove you'll find the San Diego-La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Preserve. Because all sea life is protected here, it's the best place to see large lobster, sea bass, and sculpin, as well as numerous golden garibaldi, the state marine fish. It's common to see hundreds of beautiful (and harmless) leopard sharks schooling at the north end of the cove, near La Jolla Shores, especially in summer. Farther north, off the south end of Black's Beach, the rim of Scripps Canyon lies in about 60 feet of water. The canyon plummets to more than 900 feet in some sections.

The HMCS Yukon, a decommissioned Canadian warship, was intentionally sunk off Mission Beach to create a diving destination. A mishap caused it to settle on its side, creating a surreal, M. C. Escher-esque diving environment. Beware and exercise caution: even experienced divers have become disoriented inside the wreck. Another popular diving spot is Sunset Cliffs in Point Loma, where the sea life and flora are relatively close to shore. Strong rip currents make it an area best enjoyed by experienced divers, who mostly prefer to make their dives from boats. It's illegal to take any wildlife from the ecological preserves in La Jolla or near Cabrillo Point. Spearfishing requires a license (available at most dive stores), and it's illegal to take out-of-season lobster and game fish. The San Diego Union-Tribune includes diving conditions on its weather page. For recorded diving information, contact the San Diego City Lifeguard Service (619/221-8824).

Ocean Enterprises Scuba Diving (7710 Balboa Ave., Clairemont Mesa. 858/565-6054. www.oceanenterprises.com) provides everything you need to plan a diving adventure, from equipment to instruction. Diving Locker (6167 Balboa Ave., Balboa Park. 858/292-0547. www.divinglocker.com) has been a fixture in San Diego since 1958, making it the city's longest-running dive shop. Scuba San Diego (1775 E. Mission Bay Dr., Mission Bay. 619/260-1880. www.scubasandiego.com) is well-regarded for its top-notch instruction and certification programs as well as for guided dive tours of La Jolla Cove, La Jolla Canyon, and several sunken ships off city waters. Not for the faint of heart, San Diego Shark Diving Expeditions (6747 Friar's Rd., Suite 112, Mission Valley. 619/299-8560 or 888/737-4275. www.sdsharkdiving.com) will chum the water with blood and lower you in a cage to the frenzy below the surface. They do not offer instruction and cater to experienced divers only.