1-Tank Guided Monterey Bay Shore Dive

Monterey Bay is an exciting underwater sanctuary brimming with diverse marine life. During your dive, you’ll encounter lush giant kelp forests that sway with the currents, providing habitat for a variety of creatures. Expect to see playful sea otters, often seen floating on their backs and cracking open shellfish, and harbor seals that lounge on rocky outcrops or swim nearby.

The reefs and rocky areas host colorful nudibranchs (sea slugs), decorator crabs, and octopuses camouflaged among the rocks. Schools of fish such as kelp bass, rockfish, and blacksmith dart through the kelp canopy. Larger creatures like bat rays, bat stars, and sometimes even leopard sharks can be spotted gliding along the sandy bottoms near kelp beds.

If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of sea lions or, during migration seasons, marine mammals like gray whales passing offshore. The underwater scenery is also rich with giant white plumed anemones, colorful sponges, and other fascinating invertebrates that make the ecosystem so special.

Monterey Bay’s marine life shifts with the seasons, offering unique dive experiences throughout the year:

• Spring (March to May): This is prime time for seeing baby sea otters and increased activity among many species. You’ll find vibrant anemones and sponges in full bloom, with juvenile fish schooling among the kelp.
• Summer (June to August): The water warms slightly (usually mid-50s to low 60s °F), and visibility improves. It’s a great time to see large schools of rockfish, bat rays, and active sea lions. This season also marks the start of the white shark season offshore, though they tend to stay far from shore.
• Fall (September to November): Fall brings calm seas and clear water, making it ideal for spotting leopard sharks cruising the sandy flats near the kelp beds. Many migratory birds and marine mammals begin passing through.
• Winter (December to February): Winter waters are cold (mid-40s to mid-50s °F) and nutrient-rich, attracting plankton that fuels the entire food web. This is the season for spotting large gray whales migrating south and diverse bottom-dwelling creatures like octopus and nudibranchs in peak numbers.

Yes, dive tours are for certified divers only. If you need to get certified, consider signing up for one of the classes.

Year-round! No kidding, Monterey Bay offers consistently decent conditions pretty much all year long. The summer/fall months can provide warmer days, while the winter months can offer better visibility.

Currently, all of our dive tours are shore dives.

We set up our booking platform to only book one dive, but 2 dives is definitely possible. After the first dive, you'll have the option to go for another dive, and we'll take care of the additional payment back at the shop!

*We cannot guarantee visibility or conditions.*

Visibility ranges from 5ft to 10ft during the springtime, but with occasional great visibility. With better averages the rest of the year ranging from 10-25ft.

Temperature ranges 55F to 59F.

One of our favorite dive locations for tours and to take divers for their first time diving in Monterey is San Carlos Beach, just a few blocks down from the shop!

We can also dive many other dive sites in Monterey, and our Dive Guides will usually dive the early morning to see where the best conditions and visibility are!

We do! The sea is always changing! Every season offers different benefits from types of animals to visibility!

Flying directly after scuba diving is incredibly dangerous and could result in a life-threatening illness called the Bends/Decompression Sickness. The Divers Alert Network (DAN) guidelines for flying after diving include:

• A single no-decompression dive, a minimum preflight surface or any driving to above 1000 ft (305 m) interval of 12 hours suggested.
• Multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, a minimum preflight surface or any driving to above 1000ft (305m) interval of 18 hours is suggested.
• Dives requiring decompression stops are recommended to have longer than 18 hours.

Please discuss with your dive guide ahead of time what is suggested!

Any activity that brings you above 1000 ft (305 m) can trigger the Bends/Decompression Sickness. Please check your hike elevation to ensure that at no time you will be going up in elevation. If the hike does go to elevation, you must treat it like a preflight interval as listed above in the flying FAQ.

Common sunscreens contain chemicals that can harm kelp forests and coral reefs, as the particles are small enough to be absorbed by corals, causing toxicity and coral bleaching. Reef-friendly sunscreens are formulated without these harmful chemicals. Reef-SAFE sunscreens go a step further by using non-nano particles, which are too large for corals to ingest, helping to preserve marine ecosystems. 

Please avoid sunscreens with oxybenzone, octinoxate, and parabens. Consider wearing sun-protective clothing, like long-sleeve rash guards, as an alternative to sunscreen. If you choose a mineral-based sunscreen, ensure it is labeled ‘non-nano.’

You can dive with a beard or mustache but it can prevent a tight seal between the mask and your face, which may cause water to leak in. It is often recommended to shave at least your mustache before diving. If you’d prefer not to shave your mustache, please bring petroleum jelly or chapstick with you. If you coat your mustache in that chapstick or jelly, it may be able to seal and prevent water from getting in.

Glasses cannot be worn while diving, but contacts are perfectly fine and recommended for the best experience. Prescription masks are not available for rent, but you are welcome to bring your own.

Additionally, there is an automatic correction effect that occurs underwater due to light refraction, making things appear clearer, but contacts or a personal prescription mask will provide the best visibility.