With over a half-mile of beach, Leo Carrillo State Beach offers a few different good dive sites with easy parking and great amenities. Unusual for a beach dive, the kelp bed here is huge and easy to reach from shore. The shallow depth and proximity to shore makes this site great for diving and snorkeling alike.

The kelp forest at Corral Beach is easily accessible with plenty of parking and great amenities since the best entry point is at a state beach. The shortest swim to the kelp is from the Northwest end of the beach. Always check surf and ocean conditions before heading out to dive this site.

An easily accessible dive site from Channel Island Beach. A great spot for beginners with an easy swim out to the site. Lots of critters hiding within the rocks of the break wall.

From spectacular walls and deep drop-offs to dive-bombing sea lions, wrecks, and relaxing kelp, Anacapa Island, the smallest of the Channel Islands, has it all. Although Anacapa Island is only reachable by boat, there are several dive charter operations that leave from the mainland daily, making it very accessible

Water World Dive Tank @ Universal Studios Hollywood, is the deepest of the dive sites at Universal Studios. If you are an SSI Dive Leader with Universal Technical Services or with Scuba Schools of America & Swim, you may schedule dives at Water World.

About 700 yards off Santa Barbara Island, Sutil Island is more of a rock than an actual island, rising 300 feet above the water’s surface. Its sides are pocketed with caves above and below water.

Santa Cruz Island is the largest and most topographically diverse of the eight Channel Islands. The island is split into East and West; the east end of Santa Cruz Island is owned by the National Park Service and the west by the Nature Conservancy. Both are available for diving, accessible only by boat.

Right in the heart of Santa Barbara, Stearns Wharf is an easy beach entry with a shallow, sloping sandy bottom; a great dive site for beginners.

Ledbetter Beach is the most popular dive site in Santa Barbara. It’s an easy entry shore dive with low surf, low to no current, easy accessibility, and shallow sloping bottom. It has great picnic sites including barbeques.

Parson’s Landing is a beautiful secluded cove on Catalina Island that’s just as scenic above water as it is underwater with great diving and snorkeling right from the shore! You can even camp here right on the beach. The cove is usually nice and calm as it is protected from most weather.