Shaws Cove
Dive site · United States
Is it worth the trip?
66Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 62 out of 100
- Sea
- 1.1 m
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 22°C
Wed 4 · 63 out of 100
- Sea
- 1.1 m
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 22°C
Thu 5 · 66 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.9 m
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 24°C
Fri 6 · 67 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.8 m
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 3kn
- Air
- 25°C
Sat 7 · 67 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.8 m
- Wind
- 0 kn
- Gusts
- 2kn
- Air
- 26°C
Sun 8 · 68 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.6 m
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 26°C
Mon 9 · 68 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.6 m
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 27°C
Tap a day for sea, wind and water. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 258, fair
- Tue 362, good
- Wed 463, good
- Thu 566, good
- Fri 667, good
- Sat 767, good
- Sun 868, good
- Mon 968, good
- Tue 1067, good
The site in three facts
- Open Waterand up
- Water 18 °C7 mm wetsuit and hood
- Faces SWswell from there reaches it
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know currents, the visibility on the day or your certification.
Suits Open Water divers and up, as a dive guide states it. Scored for Advanced divers.
| Day | Score | Sea | Wind | Gusts | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 58, fair | 1.2 m | 3 kn | 9kn | 22°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 62, good | 1.1 m | 5 kn | 11kn | 22°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 63, good | 1.1 m | 4 kn | 13kn | 22°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 66, good | 0.9 m | 2 kn | 7kn | 24°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 67, good | 0.8 m | 1 kn | 3kn | 25°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 67, good | 0.8 m | 0 kn | 2kn | 26°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 68, good | 0.6 m | 1 kn | 11kn | 26°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 68, good | 0.6 m | 2 kn | 10kn | 27°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 67, good | 0.8 m | 1 kn | 5kn | 25°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 04:31 +0.4 mLow 09:41 −0.1 mHigh 15:20 +0.6 mLow 22:23 −0.8 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 05:11 +0.5 mLow 11:00 −0.3 mHigh 16:43 +0.5 mLow 23:14 −0.8 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:46 +0.7 mLow 11:57 −0.5 mHigh 17:51 +0.5 mLow 23:56 −0.7 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.
Map
the site, its town, photos
Shaws Cove on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Shaws Cove
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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Shaws Cove
It suits Open Water divers and up, as a dive guide states it. The coast faces SW: swell from the SW reaches it, and wind from the NE blows out to sea. 1 dive centre or shop within 10 km, the nearest 0.3 km away. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (7 mm semi-dry or a drysuit), and 21°C in July, its warmest (5 mm wetsuit). The town to stay in is Laguna Beach. Within 5 km we also list 11 surf spots and 1 wind sports spot.
- What it is No source states what kind of site it is.
- How deep No source states how deep it goes.
- Who it suits Suits Open Water divers and up, as a dive guide states it.
- Dive centres 1 dive centre or shop within 10 km, the nearest 0.3 km away.
Water about 18°C: 7 mm wetsuit and hood. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Visibility about 8 m. Typical for the time of year, estimated from ten years of NASA satellite water clarity, not a forecast. Clearest in Jan, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov 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$925–US$1,720 each
about US$925–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 SNA, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$248–US$516 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$33–US$60 |
| 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$925–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: Laguna Beach
about 5 min by car · 49 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Laguna Beach 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 6h 50m
About 6h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SNA, direct, then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → SNA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Dives and courses in Laguna Beach · GetYourGuideDive gear hire in Laguna Beach · GetYourGuide
Dive centres nearby
Beach Cities Scuba 0.3 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.
Horn Shark Heterodontus francisciShark
Seen in 3 records.
Garibaldi damselfish Hypsypops rubicundus
Seen in 2465 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Bodianus pulcher
Seen in 1990 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Rock wrasse Halichoeres semicinctus
Seen in 1278 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Sea bass Paralabrax clathratus
Seen in 1153 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Oxyjulis californica
Seen in 602 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Blacksmith Chromis punctipinnis
Seen in 378 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
Seen in 291 records, mostly Sep to Nov.
Red sea urchin Mesocentrotus franciscanus
Seen in 269 records, mostly Sep to Nov.
Sea bass Paralabrax nebulifer
Seen in 226 records, mostly Aug to Oct.
Embiotoca jacksoni
Seen in 220 records, mostly Aug to Nov.
Opaleye Girella nigricans
Seen in 163 records, mostly Jul 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: cfceb150-bbe2-4efb-8682-14cfc7167e7c; PISCO swath transects; MARINe LTM - sea star and katharina counts and sizes; MARINe CBS - Quadrat Surveys Summarized; MARINe CBS - percent cover from point contact surveys. Credits
This week's visibility and the current no free forecast gives. Ask a dive centre before you book.