Is Channel Islands & Catalina good for beginner divers?

Yes, partly: 7 of the 12 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Cat Rock (Anacapa), Casino Point Dive Park (Avalon Underwater Park) and Cathedral Cove (Anacapa). The others need more experience or a higher certification.

What is the water temperature in Channel Islands & Catalina?

The water is usually between 11 °C and 21 °C over the year.

What marine life can you see in Channel Islands & Catalina?

Divers regularly see giant sea bass (Jun–Aug), angel shark, horn sharks, sea lions, seals and crustaceans.

Channel Islands & Catalina

Diving in United States

12 documented dive sites, 7 of them for Open Water divers. Known for angel shark, horn sharks and sea lions.

Best months: Aug–Dec
Water: 11–21 °C
Levels: Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
Nearest airport: LAX
One dive: €116

When to go

Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.

Pick a month

Best
Good
Possible
Closed
Not documented yet

Channel Islands & Catalina in November

Best season

Sea: 18 °C; at the surface
Air: 20 °C; 14 °C at night
Rain: 40 mm; average for the year
Wind: 10 km/h; on average

Exposure suit: 5 mm full suit · if you feel the cold: 7 mm full suit or 8/7 mm semi-dry. How we choose

Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.

Compare with another destination

Diving is year-round; best Aug–Dec (DAN: optimal late summer into early winter at Catalina; an Anacapa operator extends the best season to late winter). Spring is coldest (52–58 °F at Anacapa, Feb–May), and Catalina visibility ranges from 30 ft in spring to 80+ ft in autumn and winter.

Source: dan.org

Dive sites in Channel Islands & Catalina

From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.

Open Water friendly

usual dive down to 18 m7 sites

Reef

down to 18 m

Cat Rock (Anacapa)

A prominent rock on West Anacapa's south side forming a small bay sheltered from currents, with kelp, schools of fish, gorgonians and lobsters.

Open Water

Kelp forest

down to 30 m

Casino Point Dive Park (Avalon Underwater Park)

Open Water
Sea lions

Reef

down to 12 m

Cathedral Cove (Anacapa)

Marine-reserve reef on East Anacapa's north side with good reef structure, lots of fish and gorgonians in 6-12 m.

Open Water

Reef

down to 18 m

Goldfish Bowl (Anacapa)

A class favourite in the Anacapa Island Marine Conservation Area: rocky reef with large rocks, crevices and some kelp.

Open Water

Reef

down to 12 m

Underwater Arch (Anacapa)

Shallow reef on East Anacapa's south side where the main attraction is the sea lions.

Open Water
Sea lions

Wreck

down to 9 m

Winfield Scott Wreck

Easy shallow dive on the 1853 paddle steamer: the paddlewheel and a shaft still show among kelp, with possible black sea bass.

Open Water
Giant sea bass

down to 15 m

Landing Cove (Anacapa)

Marine-reserve reef with a large swim-through arch on its outer edge, kelp, lobster, sea lions and harbor seals.

Open Water
Sea lions

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m4 sites

Drift

down to 27 m

Blue Cavern Point

Drift dive past caverns carved into a deep shelf in a strict marine preserve, home to sea lions, harbor seals and soupfin sharks.

Advanced
Sea lions

Kelp forest

down to 20 m

Sea Lion Rookery (Santa Barbara Island)

Shallow kelp site off Santa Barbara Island where California sea lion pups play in the kelp beds among hundreds of pinnipeds.

Advanced
Sea lions

down to 40 m

Ship Rock

A rock mountain off Catalina where large horn sharks hide in the rocks and angel sharks populate the nearby sand.

Advanced
Angel shark

Wreck

down to 20 m

Spirit of America Wreck

WWII minesweeper sitting upright on sand at about 20 m, in a protected area with lots of fish and large Spanish shawl nudibranchs.

Advanced
Nudibranchs

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m1 site

Pinnacle

down to 40 m

Farnsworth Bank

Offshore pinnacles off Catalina whose main attraction is the large stands of purple hydrocoral, with drop-offs into very deep water.

Experienced
Giant sea bass

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

Species	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Giant sea bassSource: dan.org

Peak season
Seen

Also reported here, season not documented yet:

Angel shark
Horn sharks
Sea lions
Seals
Crustaceans
Nudibranchs
Octopus
Garibaldi
Moray eels
Corals
Dolphins
Guitarfish
Rays

What diving costs here

Here a dive costs €116, a try dive between €121 and €133 and an Open Water course €891, depending on the dive centres we checked.

One dive (certified diver)packages counted per dive: €1161 centre
Try dive: €121–1332 centres
Open Water course: €8911 centre

The cheapest and the most expensive of the dive centres we checked, from the prices on their own websites in October 2026. Prices change: confirm with the centre before booking.

Converted to euros at the ECB reference rate of 30 October 2026; for currencies the ECB does not publish, the official rate of the country's central bank.

Sources (3)

Where is Channel Islands & Catalina?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Santa Catalina Island (California) (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Nearest airport: LAX

Channel Islands & Catalina: frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Channel Islands & Catalina?: The best months to dive Channel Islands & Catalina are Aug–Dec. Diving is year-round; best Aug–Dec (DAN: optimal late summer into early winter at Catalina; an Anacapa operator extends the best season to late winter). Spring is coldest (52–58 °F at Anacapa, Feb–May), and Catalina visibility ranges from 30 ft in spring to 80+ ft in autumn and winter.
Is Channel Islands & Catalina good for beginner divers?: Yes, partly: 7 of the 12 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Cat Rock (Anacapa), Casino Point Dive Park (Avalon Underwater Park) and Cathedral Cove (Anacapa). The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in Channel Islands & Catalina?: The water is usually between 11 °C and 21 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in Channel Islands & Catalina?: Divers regularly see giant sea bass (Jun–Aug), angel shark, horn sharks, sea lions, seals and crustaceans.
How do you dive Channel Islands & Catalina?: The nearest airport is LAX.

About this page

Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash

Photo credits

Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash