Type of Beach: Sandy  South to South east facing beach.

Facilities:  Restroom and Showers at bottom of south entrance ramp.  Husky Burger is located just to the south on PCH near the local dive shop.  Other restaurants are available in downtown Laguna Beach.

Average Depth: 20-40'     Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Local Laws: Snorkels, BC and dive partner required by Laguna Beach Ordnance.

Parking: Street Parking is in short supply here.  There is both metered parking near PCH and free parking on the street near the entrance.  Access to beach is via a steep ramp down to the sand at the south entrance and stairs at the north entrance.

Entry:  Entry is normally made between the north stairs and the cliff face.  Closer to the reef structure on the west (north) end of the beach as depicted above is usually the most sheltered spot.  The waves are normally smaller here. The beach slopes up steeply causing the waves to wall up and flop over, making the surf zone very narrow, but the waves have more power. Due to the blocking action of the two points, this beach  is often be dived when conditions are pool elsewhere.  Be certain to walk down to the beach to check conditions, as conditions can vary considerably between one end of the beach and the other.

There are several terrific dive sites here.  Seal Rock, Crescent Cove, the Pinnacles, Deadman's Reef, South Crescent Cove.

Seal Rock: Located at the North West end of the beach in front of the sheer cliff face. Surface swim out to the end of the reef coming out from the beach.  Be careful to clear the end of the reef as the shallow waters over the reef are covered in mussels and can be quite hazardous and with the surge not the place to be even on calm days.  Once past the end of the reef, head over toward the twin peaks of seal rock.  There is a good bit of reef structure between Seal Rock and the end of the reef coming out from shore.  Keep in mind this is a Seal Lion Rookery and remember to not disturb the sea lions.  Dropping down before you get to the rock into 40 feet of water and swim around the two rocks.   Very often the seal lions will come out to play. Eels, and octopus are usually found in abundance here. The surge between the two rocks of Seal Rock can be tricky and care needs to be taken.  When swimming back keep in mind when you come to a rock, go right to avoid being trapped behind the reef coming out from the beach.

Both sides of Crescent Cove offer some great diving and snorkeling.  There is ample rocky reef structure and pinnacles underwater.

To see more photos of this section of coast line go to: http://www.californiacoastline.org/cgi-bin/image.cgi?image=4916&mode=sequential&flags=0&year=2002

Links to other websites with descriptions of this dive site: http://www.lagunaseasports.com/divesite/default.asp

Beach aerial photographs with permission of Kenneth Adelman Copyright (C) 2002-2004, California Costal Records Project, http://www.Californiacoastline.org

DISCLAIMER: Dive site descriptions, while believed to be accurate are not guaranteed and should not be relied upon for making your dive decisions.  Dive site conditions can and do change and each diver is responsible for making their own site survey to determine present conditions and the suitability of the site for diving.

Webpage designed by Melvin Pasley of Pasley Realty http://www.pasleyrealty.com February 20, 2005.