HMCS Yukon
The HMCS Yukon, a Canadian destroyer, is two miles off the San Diego coast and is a main attraction for local scuba divers. Intentionally sunk in July 2000 to a depth of 100 feet, this artificial reef is accessible for most divers. After taking a boat from the shores of San Diego to the dive site, divers will find the waters around the Yukon to be chilly. A surge may suck divers into holes of the wreck, so caution should be used.
La Jolla Shores
La Jolla Shores, a one-mile long beach on the Pacific Ocean, is a popular among swimmers, surfers and divers. Because the waves at this beach are usually gentle, it is a good spot for scuba diving classes. The beach is in La Jolla, California, 12 miles from downtown San Diego. Divers will find favorable visibility in the water, but the area may be crowded with surfers, swimmers and sunbathers.
La Jolla Shores
8200 Camino del Oro
La Jolla, California 92037
La Jolla Cove
One of the most well known and popular dive sites in the San Diego area is La Jolla Cove. Located in the Pacific Ocean coastal town of La Jolla, the dive site is a good place for underwater photography and videography. Deep divers and night divers will find caves, kelp beds and reef areas to explore. Kelp beds are just 400 yards north of the cove. Since this area is inside the La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve, divers also encounter a variety of marine life, including harbor seals which will occasionally swim close to or with divers.
La Jolla Cove
1100 Coast Blvd
La Jolla, California 92037-3600
Marine Room
Also in La Jolla is the Marine Room. Similar to La Jolla Shores, this location benefits from good visibility, less tidal surge and smaller waves. There is more solitude in the Marine Room because this area has no parking or public facilities, making it less popular. Divers willing to go down here will experience shallow reef diving and may see leopard sharks.
Marine Room
2000 Spindrift Drive
La Jolla, California 92037
San Elijo State Beach
San Elijo State Beach, about 25 miles from downtown San Diego, has an area known as Pipes which is popular for surfing and scuba diving. Divers at this location can see rocky reefs, large kelp beds and anemones, which are flower like, invertebrate sea creatures. This area tends to have heavy surge and breaking waves so use caution. Because the water is calmer at the beginning and end of summer it better to dive during those times.
San Elijo State Beach
2050 South Highway 101
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California 92007
