Malaga Cove, Palos Verdes

Malaga Cove, Palos Verdes
Address: 300 Paseo del Mar, east of Via Arroyo, Palos Verdes Estates (just below Malaga Cove School). Thomas Brothers Map: LA County pg 792, H3


Malaga Cove View of Malaga Cove International School	Malaga Cove and Right After Torrance (RAT) beach

The view from the gazebo overlooking Malaga Cove and private sports club.

Type of Beach: North facing rocky or West facing sandy beach entries, mixed sand and reef bottom with some kelp.

Average Depth: 15-35 feet. Note the water is 5-15feet deep for approximately 50 to 100 yards (or more) off the rocky shore of Palos Verde Peninsula in front of the pool with beach ball sized rocks in the water. If you enter off the rocks, high tide is a must and is past the pool. Avoid entry near the stream as urban runoff could be a problem here. This is a popular surfing spot and you will need to pay close attention to the waves. Many divers entering here crouch down low, or crawl out to avoid being caught off balance in the rocks by a wave. Entry off of RAT beach provides a sand entry, but again the water is shallow (shoulder deep at 20 yards) off shore. RAT exits are common here.

Parking: Plenty of lined spaces, free parking. Pay attention to the No parking from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM. Divers have been ticketed.

Facilities: None

Access to the site is down a steep paved path that gives way to a more moderately sloped dirt road and then trail near RAT. Good physical conditioning for the walk is recommended as the walk to the water is long and steep. This site lies in a corner facing North and West. Best dove with a South or South West Swell (usally summer).

The Dive: This site has rewarded divers with leopard sharks, horn sharks, barracuda, large rays and many more.

Dive 1: RAT to past the pool: A series of very shallow (8-20 feet) reefs running parallel (east to west) to the rocky shore (PV Peninsula) extending form RAT to past the pool with eel grass an a little kelp here and there. The reefs parallel to shore have a you have a rock bottom covered with a thin layer of sand with a 1 to 2 foot high lip (reef) dropping off on the other side to 2-5 feet high reef, forming channels running parallel to the PV shore. This is a very shallow dive area (from west of the pool to RAT and well off shore) with depths less than 15 feet and makes for a great snorkel area too. Lots of juvenile fish in this area and octopus too.

Dive 2: To the west past the pool and about 75 yards off shore (or more) the water does get deeper (15-25 feet) and the bottom becomes more jumbled rocks over sand and the kelp is more abundant. Haggerties (below the church) can be reached by a long surface swim with its deeper depths (20 -30 feet) and abundant kelp, and old pier pilings (15-25 feet depth) laying on the bottom. This is arguably the better dive of this site.

Dive 3: Further north towards Redondo and Vets park (which you can see from the Gazebo) the bottom gives way to a sand bottom. Here you will find the usual inhabitants of halibut, sole, leopard shark, rays and angel sharks.

Dive 4: RAT Reef Running parallel to the Right After Torrance (RAT) beach (North to South) about 50-75 yards off shore and 100-150 yards North of PV. This rather small reef in 15-25 feet of water is rarely dove but can be fun. Giant Black Sea Bass have been observed here.

Conditions: 310-379-8471 or http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/HaggertysandMalagaCove.1to3.shtml note measurements are in meters.

Heal the Bay Weekly Report: http://www.healthebay.org/brc/gradehistory.asp?beach=52

For other descriptions of this site visit:

http://www.saintbrendan.com/cdnjune02/MalagaCv.html http://www.shorediving.com/Earth/USA_West/CalM/Malaga_Cove/

Closest dive shop: Sea D Sea 1911 S. Catalina Ave, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 (310) 373-6355

Gather at: Parking lot at Gazebo looking down onto pool and cove

The path leading down to Malaga Cove. Looking north from Malaga Cove toward RAT (Right After Torrance) Beach.

Hunting is restricted at Malaga Cove.

DISCLAIMER: P L E A S E N O T E:

The Sand Eaters is little more than a scheduling organization. It's sole purpose is to schedule a Sunday morning beach dive and notify those who have requested to be on the list. The Sand Eaters and it's members are not responsible for you, your equipment, you're being teamed up with another diver, or your safety. You and you alone are solely responsible for your diving activities!

Your participation is voluntary. You are the only one who decides whether you dive. The Sand Eaters make no claim to the suitability of the location and are not responsible for dive conditions. Conditions change and there will be occasions where a chosen location will not be suitable for diving upon arriving at the site.

Webpage updated by Melvin Pasley of Pasley Realty http://www.pasleyrealty.com/ October 24, 2005