Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
We always hear about the best warm water spots to go diving, but we rarely hear about any cold water spots, and more specifically cold water spots that are unusual or off the beaten path. Not all of us have the time or money to get on a plane and go to some killer tropical paradise, but we love to dive and find local places to poke our heads underwater that turn out to be very unusual and interesting.
The way I’m defining cold water is anything colder than mid to high 60’s, more so in the 50’s. In other words, places that would absolutely not be considered as warm water vacation spots or places that tourists would go for a dive vacation.
Of few of my local favorites are the jetties out at Bodega Bay, CA. Most locals have never dived them and wouldn’t consider them as anything divable, but I went there and was very surprised at what I saw. I’ve been under the docks also at Bodega Bay at Spud Point Marina and was blown away at the amount of life under those docks. People above walking along on the floating cement docks had no idea I was underneath them cruising the bottomside.
I’ve dived right at the base of the cliffs below the Point Reyes Lighthouse in Marin County just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. This was one very treacherous spot and we actually ended up there by accident when I overshot the entrance to Tomales Bay by several miles. I kept my eye on the furthest headland sticking out as I was heading south from Bodega Bay in my boat and we ended up at Point Reyes (oops!)
So we decided to anchor and jump in while we were there. By far the most electric dive I’ve ever done. Straight adrenaline worrying about sharks, very nervous sea lions buzzing us then they all suddenly left, huge rockfish and abalone unlike anything I’ve seen anywhere else, massive lingcod, etc. People just don’t dive there period, but it was absolutely incredible!
Another one was going all the way up to the lost coast in CA to mount an expedition and explore the Delgada Canyon, a deep water trench that comes right up to shore in a very remote part of California. It required a long ride north trailering my boat to Shelter Cove then another long boat ride north. The trip report is too long to post here but it was another crazy cool adventure to a place that had never been expored or dived by anyone.
I’ve got a ton more but I’d like to hear some stories from others.
Diving is about more than just hearing about Coz or Bonaire.
We have the training and equipment to take us to some very unusual underwater places.
Actually, if any of you have stories of a local mud hole dive that might be a little warmer let’s hear about it too WTH!, as long as it’s not a well known tourist spot and nobody else would even consider it.
Let’s hear about it!
The way I’m defining cold water is anything colder than mid to high 60’s, more so in the 50’s. In other words, places that would absolutely not be considered as warm water vacation spots or places that tourists would go for a dive vacation.
Of few of my local favorites are the jetties out at Bodega Bay, CA. Most locals have never dived them and wouldn’t consider them as anything divable, but I went there and was very surprised at what I saw. I’ve been under the docks also at Bodega Bay at Spud Point Marina and was blown away at the amount of life under those docks. People above walking along on the floating cement docks had no idea I was underneath them cruising the bottomside.
I’ve dived right at the base of the cliffs below the Point Reyes Lighthouse in Marin County just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. This was one very treacherous spot and we actually ended up there by accident when I overshot the entrance to Tomales Bay by several miles. I kept my eye on the furthest headland sticking out as I was heading south from Bodega Bay in my boat and we ended up at Point Reyes (oops!)
So we decided to anchor and jump in while we were there. By far the most electric dive I’ve ever done. Straight adrenaline worrying about sharks, very nervous sea lions buzzing us then they all suddenly left, huge rockfish and abalone unlike anything I’ve seen anywhere else, massive lingcod, etc. People just don’t dive there period, but it was absolutely incredible!
Another one was going all the way up to the lost coast in CA to mount an expedition and explore the Delgada Canyon, a deep water trench that comes right up to shore in a very remote part of California. It required a long ride north trailering my boat to Shelter Cove then another long boat ride north. The trip report is too long to post here but it was another crazy cool adventure to a place that had never been expored or dived by anyone.
I’ve got a ton more but I’d like to hear some stories from others.
Diving is about more than just hearing about Coz or Bonaire.
We have the training and equipment to take us to some very unusual underwater places.
Actually, if any of you have stories of a local mud hole dive that might be a little warmer let’s hear about it too WTH!, as long as it’s not a well known tourist spot and nobody else would even consider it.
Let’s hear about it!
