Tuesday evening I met up with the Power Scuba folks for a recon shore dive at Marine Street Beach in La Jolla. Someone got the fine idea that this site might be a good spot for lobster diving when the season opens in the winter, so we went down to check it out.
It was an easy site to get into, with good stairs, a short beach walk, and a very narrow surf zone. I really only had to brace through one or two waves to get into the water and gear up. The shallowness of the site was a little tough, though, and surge was an issue throughout the dive. Those susceptible to seasickness might want to medicate before attempting to dive Marine Street Beach.
Marine Street Beach is shallow–under 20 feet–and consists of a sandy bottom with copious sea grass and the occasional rock pile or kelp stalk.
There were definitely lobster! And, unfortunately, not much else. The site seemed overfished, and what fish were there seemed very skittish–even the garibaldi, who are usually very territorial (and have been known to nip at divers).
The verdict: I will definitely check out this site again for lobster diving when the season rolls around. It’s too shallow and surgey to enjoy as a regular dive site, though, and the lack of shower facilities at the beach makes for a LOT of sand in the car. I also have some concern about its accessibility during winter swells, but I think it would be okay if the seas are relatively calm.
Total runtime 59 minutes, max depth 22′, water temperature 64’F