San Carlos Beach

You can get a waterproof hardcopy of your own at a Bay Area dive shop near you

San Carlos Beach is located in Cannery Row in Monterey, California. It's probably the most popular dive site on the Central Coast of California if not the whole state. Most folks getting scuba certified in California take their first dives here and even after years of experience, diving the Breakwater is still one of the most reliably excellent places to dive owing to its protected waters and excellent wildlife.

Access

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San Carlos Beach is accessible at 100 Lighthouse Ave, Monterey, CA 93940. Parking is $1.50 an hour or $10 per day. Metered street parking is sometimes available nearby as well. Parking is available on the boat launch and near the local fields, which are often used to stage scuba gear. There is no free parking nearby. Ideal spots for unloading gear tend to be taken up in early morning (by about 7:15), but parking spots on the boat ramp (a 50-200ft walk to the beach, depending on parking spot) tend to remain more available through the day. There is boat- and RV-friendly parking available.

Amenities

Restrooms

Two restrooms with flush toilets are available. One is at the north end of the grassy field (San Carlos Beach Park Public Restrooms) and the other is on the eastern tip of the parking on the pier. There're also drinking water fountains outside the restrooms.

Showers

Two showers are available. One is at the top of the stairs leading from the grassy area to the beach and is free to use; the other is behind the restrooms on the eastern tip of the pier and takes quarters.

Diving

Diving gear is often scattered along the grassy area above the beach; it's considered a somewhat safe place to leave gear tanks, etc. on the weekend while diving due to the constant presence of other divers. Options for lunch benches as gear-staging-areas is often limited on weekends as San Carlos Beach's Breakwater Cove is a popular place for Open Water Checkout Dives.

San Carlos Beach as visualized using 3D bathymetry data from CSUMB

This site provides access to the following water regions and points of interest:

• Breakwater Cove
  • Barge Wreck
  • Metridium Fields
  • The Wall
  • Middle Reef (Breakwater)

Additional Maps

Download a site map of San Carlos Beach onto your phone using the Avenza App on Android Play or Apple iTunes.

Nearest Emergency Medical Facilities

Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula 23625 pacific Grove-Carmel Hwy, Monterey

EMS activation by boat: Notify Coast Guard boat crew on channel 16 or call 911. Patient transfer at Fuel Dock or at sea.