Diving in San Diego

Dive Sites

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 6,000-acre 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. This is a technical dive and should be attempted by experienced divers only; even diving instructors 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. Farther offshore, the Point Loma Kelp Beds harbor a nice variety of both plants and animals. 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).

Dive Tours and Outfitters

Diving Locker (6167 Balboa Ave., Clairemont Mesa, 92111. 858/292-0547. www.divinglocker.com) has been a fixture in San Diego since 1958, making it the city's longest-running dive shop. Ocean Enterprises Scuba Diving (7710 Balboa Ave., Suite 101, Clairemont Mesa, 92111. 858/565-6054. www.oceanenterprises.com) provides everything you need to plan a diving adventure, from equipment to instruction. Scuba San Diego (1775 E. Mission Bay Dr., Mission Bay, 92109. 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 and La Jolla Canyon, and unguided charter boat trips to La Jolla's Wreck Alley or to the Coronado Islands (in Mexico, just south of San Diego).