LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA:
A Four-for-One Dive Destination

By Linda Lee Walden
Photo by Lynn Laymon
 

Laguna Beach, south of Los Angeles in Orange County, is not the only coastal shore diving destination in Southern California. From San Diego County north through Santa Barbara County, scuba divers are attracted to an almost endless string of coves and beaches offering direct access to the Pacific Ocean.
For some, the kelp beds and fish life are the draw, a few hope to return with dinner and many come from miles inland to train in the temperate, if sometimes challenging, ocean conditions.
What Laguna Beach has, however, is a number of sites that are close to each other, accessible to divers, provide diverse and plentiful marine life and are suitable for open-water training at basic and higher levels as well as for recreational diving. Four such sites - Diver's Cove, Fisherman's Cove, Shaw's Cove and Crescent Bay - are within walking distance of each other along a short stretch of rugged coastline.

All four dive sites are accessible from Cliff Drive, which forms a loop off the Pacific Coast Highway. As its name implies, Cliff Drive runs along the top of a bluff overlooking the Pacific. It is bordered on both sides by fashionable homes, with beach-access stairways squeezed unobtrusively between properties.
At the southeast end (see sidebar) of Cliff Drive is Heisler Park, with spectacular views of the coast and public access to swimming beaches. Moving northwest along Cliff, the access stairway to Diver's Cove is adjacent to Heisler Park. The stairs to Fisherman's, Shaw's and Crescent Bay at the northwest end are marked with official signs detailing rules for use by divers and other water enthusiasts. Even though the coves are separated only by rocky outcroppings, each offers unique diving experiences.

Diver's Cove
Long a favorite with scuba divers, this cove was not named for that reason. The story goes that back in the 1920s cliff divers entertained beachgoers by leaping off the bluff at the northwest end of the cove.
Separated from Heisler Park's Picnic Beach by a low line of rocks, part of this site's popularity with scuba divers is due to its proximity to the park's restroom facilities and other amenities. It is accessed from Cliff Drive via a ramp along the face of the bluff followed by three sets of concrete landings and steps to the west end of the beach.
The gentle slope of the beach allows easy water entry and exit anywhere between the rocky outcroppings at either end. However, the entire beach is below the maximum high tide mark, so setting up a base camp on the beach is not advisable.
Three distinct rock reefs emerge from the sandy bottom just over 100 feet (30 m) from shore. Toward the eastern (left) end of the cove divers find an abundance of invertebrates and small fishes among the rocks off the point. Maximum depth in the cove is about 35 feet (11 m).
Parking along Cliff Drive in the vicinity of Heisler Park is metered, so divers may choose to park farther west and walk back to the stairs.

Fisherman's Cove
The smallest of the four Cliff Drive dive sites, Fisherman's (also known locally as Boat Canyon) is the next cove west of Diver's. If not for the sign the access would be easy to bypass as the stairway is directly adjacent to the end of the Diver's Cove parking area.
With only 37 steps and a ramp leading to the beach, Fisherman's is one of the easiest sites to reach.
The compact cove is relatively rocky, both above and below water. A miniwall runs part way across the cove at about 30 feet (9 m) deep. At low tide it crests within 20 feet (6 m) of the surface.
Because the cove is smaller than the others, it is not normally the first choice for instructors with classes. For a change, or on summer weekends when the larger coves become crowded, Fisherman's Cove offers more reef and lots of marine life.

Shaw's Cove
To find the access to Shaw's Cove, drive west along Cliff Drive or turn left off Pacific Coast Highway onto Fairview. The stairs are directly across from the intersection of Fairview and Cliff; parking is free on either street.
Shaw's Cove is preferred by scuba instructors with classes because it is more protected from prevailing northwesterly wind and swells than the other sites. For this reason it can become quite crowded on weekends, especially in summer. A small portion of the beach typically remains dry except during extreme high tides that occur only a few times a year.
Beach entries are normally easy and the sand bottom good to stage classes for skills demonstrations. Although you can dive either reef line, most divers choose the west side. Here the reef - piles of huge boulders - extends out more than 600 feet (182 m), sloping gradually to 50 feet (15 m) deep.
Along the western reef line are plenty of niches and small tunnels where critters hide. A few of these are big enough to swim into, but in surgy conditions this can be dangerous. One such swim-through is known as the "Crevice," situated at less than 20 feet (6 m) deep (depending on tide). Swimming through an archway near the entrance to the channel, divers find plenty of invertebrates and fishes. Experienced divers can go all the way through to Crescent Bay if conditions are calm.
Another feature of Shaw's Cove is "Shelly of Shaws," a 3-foot- (1-m-) tall concrete statue of a goddess, standing in the sand at a depth of 30 feet (9 m). It's reportedly quite difficult to find, except by knowledgeable local divers.
There is a public phone at the top of the stairs. Shaw's has no other facilities, but divers can use those at nearby Crescent Bay.

Crescent Bay
The farthest west of the Cliff Drive beaches, Crescent Bay is a quarter of a mile (0.5 km) long, almost twice the size of Shaw's Cove. There are two access points. The more easterly is called South Crescent Bay, where a vehicle ramp with sidewalk leads to the beach.
The North Crescent Bay access is actually off Circle Way, a one-way extension of Cliff Drive. Follow Circle Way counterclockwise and the stairs are at the point where it comes back to the bluff. Parking is free, but is permitted only on the right side of the street.
Because of its size, Crescent Bay has a wider beach, some of which remains dry at high tide, and lots of room for diving. It is more exposed to the weather, however, and the reefs are primarily at both ends of the beach with sand through the middle.
Just west of Crescent Bay, about 360 feet (109 m) offshore, is Seal Rock. Sea lions have claimed this resting spot and the Pacific Marine Mammal Center sometimes releases rehabilitated sea lions here. If you swim west around the end of the reef there is a good chance of encountering sea lions underwater. The animals are protected, so it is important to remain at a distance and not appear to be harassing them.
If you're comfortable enough to navigate by compass about 600 feet (182 m) off the west reef, you'll come to Dead Man's Reef in about 45 feet (14 m) of water. The visibility is better this far from shore and the marine life larger and more diverse. Making the round trip underwater is recommended as there may be boat traffic in the area; good air consumption is also required.
At the bottom of the south beach access is a restroom building with outdoor showers.

Marine Life
In addition to the opportunity for students to experience ocean diving in controlled conditions, Laguna Beach dive sites offer lots to see, making them popular with experienced divers as well.
Typical fishes include the ubiquitous Garibaldi, sheepshead, calico and striped sea bass, se¤oritas, damsels, lingcod, cabezon, scorpionfish, perch, barred sand bass and occasionally a barracuda or horn shark. Smaller fish include black-eyed gobies, blacksmith chromis, island kelpfish and kelp greenlings.
Gorgonians, rock scallops, mussels, purple and red sea urchins and encrusting sponges share the rocks with brightly colored nudibranchs and sea stars. Lobsters, crabs and eels inhabit the crevices and at night octopus are not uncommon. Sea cucumbers and bat rays shuffle through the sand. Dolphin and sea lion encounters are also possible. Kelp stands are not prolific in this section of coastline, but come and go as water conditions change.
The Glenn E. Vedder (Heisler Park) Ecological Reserve encompasses the tide pool and diving areas between Heisler Park and Fisherman's Cove. This is a "No-Take" zone, in which removal of marine plants or animals is prohibited. The other Laguna Beach dive sites are also part of a marine protected area, so only certain species may be taken and a state saltwater fishing license is required.

Details
Maximum depth of the reef areas at the four Laguna Beach dive sites is about 50 feet (15 m), depending on the tide, but most of the commonly visited areas are between 10 and 35 feet (3 and 11 m). Visibility varies from 10 to 25 feet (3 to 8 m). Water temperatures range from the high 50s Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius) in winter months to the high 60s F (20 C) during summer.
Topside amenities are on either end of Cliff Drive at Heisler Park and Crescent Bay. In addition to restrooms and showers at both locations, Heisler Park, which has recently undergone renovations, features picnic tables, charcoal grills and grassy areas for between-dive relaxing. An overlook above Crescent Bay offers great views of the coast.
Parking adjacent to Heisler and Diver's Cove is metered (25 cents per 15 minutes), but is free along the rest of Cliff and side streets. Informed divers arrive early to secure parking spaces closest to their chosen dive site. Cliff Drive and adjacent streets are residential, so visitors are reminded not to block driveways or sidewalks, make a lot of noise or undress in public.
Instructors and classes also arrive early because between June 15 and September 15 training is restricted to between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. At other times of the year classes are permitted any time and certified divers not in training are unrestricted. This rule diminishes crowding during the high-use summer months. In addition to scuba divers, the beaches are popular with swimmers, beachcombers and surfers.

During summer months the beaches are monitored by Laguna Beach lifeguards. Tickets are issued to divers without a buddy and proper scuba gear, which includes buoyancy compensator and snorkel. A float and flag are also required.

Emergency services in Laguna Beach are activated by calling 911. South Laguna Hospital is close by, and divers suffering from a pressure-related accident can be flown by helicopter directly to the recompression chamber in Avalon on Catalina Island.

To get to Laguna Beach, exit the 405 freeway onto Laguna Canyon Road (133) and follow it to the end. Turn right on Pacific Coast Highway to Wave, Beverly or Fairview streets and turn left to Cliff Drive.
For more information on diving Laguna Beach, visit www.lagunabeachinfo.org