San Carlos Beach

Also known as: Breakwater · Breakwater Cove · Coast Guard Pier

San Carlos Beach sits in Breakwater Cove, protected from ocean swell by the long Coast Guard breakwater, which is why almost every Northern California dive school runs its open water checkouts here. The classic dive keeps the boulder wall of the breakwater on one side, a simple navigation route that works even at night or in poor visibility. The rocks are covered in strawberry anemones, fish-eating anemones, sea stars and many species of nudibranch, and schools of blacksmith and perch hang below the kelp. Toward the outer end the breakwater is a haul-out for California sea lions, which often swoop down to inspect divers. The sand at the foot of the wall holds sea pens, tube anemones and octopus, and showers, restrooms and dive shops are a short walk away.