Diving in Oceanside?

[bshowerman]

I have recently relocated to Oceanside and I'm looking for some dive sites in the area. Is there good diving in North County or do I have to go to San Diego? Any help is appericated.

Thanks,
Brent

 

[riguerin]

There are some reefs around the Cardiff area, but in general these are not popular dive spots .... popular surf spots, yes. Check out this site for more info:

Honestly, I think your best bet would be to travel a little south (La Jolla) or north (Laguna).

 

[dpbishop]

I've dove Swami's, Cardiff Reef, Del Mar, and a few other spots I can't recall, usually while looking for lobster. Almost any reef where there is decent surf will make an interesting dive spot when the surf is down and visibility is good, and if there is kelp it will be even better. The problem with beach diving in San Diego is that, with the exception of La Jolla Shores, it's not deep enough to get below the murk. On the rare occasion when viz is OK, it's hard to beat La Jolla Cove; it's a marine preserve and has lots of stuff to see.

 

[SoCalSwami]

I live in Carlsbad and dive North County. Tamarack, Terra Mar, and the Carlsbad pipe are just a few nice spots a little south of you. One of the better spots in Oside I heard about is the outlet pipe, I believe it's around Cherry St. I am sure Steve at Ocean Schools in Oside can help point you in the right direction.

While the spots offer nice diving, as mentioned, the viz can range from awful to 20'.

 

[13Decoman]

Hi, Im just back from diving and working in SE Asia, waiting for the flights to reopen again to get back out there. But in the meantime, I would really like to find some spots near me (Oceanside). I am an instructor level, but looking to fun dive and learn the area. I live in downtown Oceanside, and don't want to give up a half a day just to get in a morning dive...

 

[azstinger11]

Hi, Im just back from diving and working in SE Asia, waiting for the flights to reopen again to get back out there. But in the meantime, I would really like to find some spots near me (Oceanside). I am an instructor level, but looking to fun dive and learn the area. I live in downtown Oceanside, and don't want to give up a half a day just to get in a morning dive...

I've dove the lobster reefs in North County and I personally didn't find them that enjoyable and wouldn't return (outside of bug season for the sole purpose of hunting). The shores is probably your best bet. From the southern end of camp pen its only 30 minutes in the morning, little bit longer on the way back since traffic will have likely picked up. Otherwise it's about an hour to Laguna. I still mostly due most of shore diving in Laguna even though it's trek and a half from where we are in San Diego now.

 

[Gunrock]

Better late than never. I tried diving a bunch of North County spots in pursuit of lobster years ago. In addition to Tamarack I dove Cherry Ave in Carlsbad, and Buccaneer Beach in Oceanside which I believe is the spot where I found the big outflow pipe. (I recall walking through a gap in the houses on the beach and using an A-frame on the shore for reference.) I also dove a couple of other spots not worth mentioning because the bottom was nothing but flat sand.
I caught my first ever lobster while freediving at Moonlight Beach. I never went back because I didn't find any structure out there that day except for a single tiny cave that held the one lobster.
The Oceanside pipe is interesting and even had some cool nudis but I only did it a couple of times. I found the surf to be just way too unpredictable. I'd get out through 2-3' surf no problem and come back in an hour later to 4-6 footers. One time I took a buddy to the pipe in the day and we spent 45 minutes in the surf zone fighting a surf break and longshore current that left us feeling like we'd been put through the spin cycle by the time we finally managed to crawl out. So what I'm saying is like azstinger11 I ultimately decided it's not worth it. I'd only recommend it if the surf really lies down flat for a while. Freediving might also be a better option. One time I found my tank valve somehow got tangled in a rope attached to the pipe, so carry your cutting tool as always.