Diving Area
Dive site · United States
Advanced divers and up
Is it worth the trip?
28Poor out of 100 for your dates
6 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 27 out of 100
- Sea
- 2.4 m
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 28 out of 100
- Sea
- 2.9 m
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 28 out of 100
- Sea
- 2.1 m
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 28 out of 100
- Sea
- 2.9 m
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 28 out of 100
- Sea
- 3.1 m
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 23°C
Sun 8 · 28 out of 100
- Sea
- 2.4 m
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 26°C
Mon 9 · 28 out of 100
- Sea
- 2.5 m
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 23°C
Tap a day for sea, wind and water. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 229, poor
- Tue 327, poor
- Wed 428, poor
- Thu 528, poor
- Fri 628, poor
- Sat 728, poor
- Sun 828, poor
- Mon 928, poor
- Tue 1027, poor
The site in six facts
- Down to 20 mits deepest
- From a boathow you get in
- Advancedand up
- Water 15 °C7 mm semi-dry or a drysuit
- Faces NWswell from there reaches it
- Best Jul–Aug6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Suits Advanced divers and up, as a dive guide states it. Scored for Advanced divers.
| Day | Score | Sea | Wind | Gusts | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 29, poor | 1.9 m | 1 kn | 2kn | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 27, poor | 2.4 m | 6 kn | 12kn | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 28, poor | 2.9 m | 3 kn | 5kn | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 28, poor | 2.1 m | 5 kn | 11kn | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 28, poor | 2.9 m | 4 kn | 15kn | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 28, poor | 3.1 m | 2 kn | 18kn | 23°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 28, poor | 2.4 m | 1 kn | 5kn | 26°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 28, poor | 2.5 m | 1 kn | 5kn | 23°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 27, poor | 2.6 m | 7 kn | 16knboats in | 18°C |
Sea is the waves near the site, in metres; wind and gusts in knots. "Boats in": gusts that keep dive boats in. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:25 +0.5 mLow 10:41 −0.1 mHigh 16:13 +0.6 mLow 23:14 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:07 +0.6 mLow 11:57 −0.3 mHigh 17:38 +0.5 m
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:07 −0.8 mHigh 06:44 +0.7 mLow 12:59 −0.5 mHigh 18:52 +0.5 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Slack water, the safest time to dive where there is current, is about half an hour either side of each high and low. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jul–Aug
Good diving days in a typical week, each month, for Advanced divers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May3of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun4of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug6of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast: the sea and the mean wind of each day, with no gusts or rain in the history.
Map
the site, its town, photos
Diving Area on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Diving Area
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More diving near here
4 places
- Bluefish Wall 0.2 km away
- Point Lobos - Bluefish Cove 0.2 km away
- Point Lobos - Whalers Cove 0.4 km away
- Monastery Beach 1.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Diving Area
A kelp forest dive. It goes down to 20 m. You get in from a boat. It suits Advanced divers and up, as a dive guide states it. The coast faces NW: swell from the NW reaches it, and wind from the SE blows out to sea. No dive centre within 10 km, the nearest 11 km away. The sea is about 12°C in May, its coldest month (7 mm semi-dry or a drysuit), and 15°C in August, its warmest (7 mm semi-dry or a drysuit). For Advanced divers the best months are usually July and August, with about 6 good days in 7; in January, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Carmel By The Sea. Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 4 dive sites.
- What it is Kelp forest.
- How deep Down to 20 m.
- Getting in From a boat.
- Who it suits Suits Advanced divers and up, as a dive guide states it.
- Dive centres No dive centre within 10 km, the nearest 11 km away.
Water about 15°C: 7 mm semi-dry or a drysuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Visibility under 5 m. Typical for the time of year, estimated from ten years of NASA satellite water clarity, not a forecast. Clearest in Jan, Feb, Mar, Jul and Dec (about 8 m).
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$931–US$1,720 each
about US$931–US$1,720 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to MRY, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$261–US$536 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$27–US$40 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Total | about US$931–US$1,720 |
Guided dives are not priced yet: we have no sourced price, so it is not in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Carmel By The Sea
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 10 min by car · 58 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Carmel By The Sea its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 7h
About 7h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MRY, direct, then 30 min by road
Flights ORD → MRY on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Dives and courses in Carmel By The Sea · GetYourGuideDive gear hire in Carmel By The Sea · GetYourGuide
Dive centres nearby
Monterey Bay Scuba 11 km
Enterprise Cannery 11 km
Cannery Row Aquatics 11 km
Bamboo Reef Scuba Diving Centers 11 km
On The Beach Surf Shop 11 km
The nearest named dive centres and shops within 25 km, in a straight line; training agencies where the map states them. Listings, not a recommendation. Dive centres: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits
What you might see
Animals divers and surveys have recorded within 2 km of this site in the last 15 years. A record says someone saw it here, not that you will.
Purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Seen in 52769 records, mostly Nov.
Red sea urchin Mesocentrotus franciscanus
Seen in 50072 records, mostly Nov.
Bat star Patiria miniata
Seen in 22521 records, mostly Nov.
Cribrinopsis albopunctata
Seen in 19418 records, mostly Nov.
Pisaster giganteus
Seen in 18519 records, mostly Nov.
Dermasterias imbricata
Seen in 13701 records, mostly Nov.
Sebastes mystinus
Seen in 13350 records, mostly Aug to Sep.
Urticina piscivora
Seen in 10679 records, mostly Nov.
Cucumaria miniata
Seen in 9008 records, mostly Nov.
Warty Sea Cucumber Apostichopus parvimensis
Seen in 4617 records, mostly Nov.
Blue seaperch Embiotoca lateralis
Seen in 4500 records, mostly Aug to Oct.
Sebastes atrovirens
Seen in 4117 records, mostly Aug to Oct.
Records: OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System, IOC-UNESCO), from the datasets named here, CC0 and CC BY records only. Names: WoRMS, through OBIS; common names from Wikidata. Largest datasets here: PISCO swath transects; PISCO fish transects; cfceb150-bbe2-4efb-8682-14cfc7167e7c; MARINe LTM - sea star and katharina counts and sizes; MARINe CBS - Quadrat Surveys Summarized. Credits
This week's visibility and the current no free forecast gives. Ask a dive centre before you book.