San Diego
Snorkeling Guide

Everything you need to know before snorkeling in San Diego

San Diego Snorkeling

Main Snorkeling Areas

La Jolla
Point Loma
Coronado Islands
(in Mexico)

Mission Bay

When to Go

Snorkeable Months: Year-round
Best Conditions: Fall & Winter

Snorkeling Access

Boat Snorkeling: All snorkeling areas
Shore Snorkeling: La Jolla only

Cost

Boat Snorkeling: avg. $120 - $290
Shore Snorkeling: free - $120

Visibility

Average: 15 to 30 ft
Best: 50 ft - 100 ft

Water Temperature

Imperial: 58° to 70°F
Metric: 14° to 21°C

Bottom Water Temp

Imperial: 48° to 65°F
Metric: 8° to 18°C

Gear Required

Summer: 5mm wetsuit
Winter: 7mm wetsuit (hood recommended)

Marine Life

Leopard, sevengill, horn, tope sharks
Stingray, bat ray, guitarfish
Halfmoon, blacksmith
Garibaldi, sheephead
California spiny lobster
Giant spinned sea star
Sea lion, harbor seal
Green sea turtle
Giant sea bass

Snorkeling Boat Tours

Waterhorse Charters (us!) ⭐️

Full-day trip to Coronado Islands
All snorkeling levels welcome, ages 8+

What to expect

Despite visibility and water temperature being on the lower scale when compared to tropical destinations, snorkeling in San Diego packs the whole punch of cold-water snorkeling.

When snorkeling in San Diego, you'll have the chance to encounter:

  • Sea Lions: a day trip to Coronado Islands' local rookery
  • Sharks: leopard sharks are guaranteed in the summer months
  • Rays: in La Jolla and Mission Bay, common in the summer
  • Sea Turtles: although rare, they inhabit La Jolla year round
YouTube video

Video by Justin MacRae

Snorkeling conditions

Visibility changes hourly, from site to site. These are San Diego snorkeling averages:

  • Average: 15 to 30 ft
  • Best: 50 ft+ locally & 100 ft+ at the Coronado Islands (fall & winter)
  • Worst: 5 ft (usually during algae blooms)*

Water temperatures vary with the seasons and range between:

  • May - October: 62° to 70°F
  • November - April: 58° to 61°F

LOCAL TIP: Water conditions here change hourly. We keep a running Conditions Report spreadsheet to better forecast future visibility for our boat charters.

san-diego-snorkeling-tour

Photo by Frankie Grant

snorkeling-in-san-diego-la-jolla

Photo by Frankie Grant

Coronado Islands, a day trip to Mexico away, tend to have 1 to 3°F higher surface and bottom temperatures. Every bit counts!

San Diego waters are nutrient-rich, which helps kelp forests and cold-water species like sea lions and some shark species to flourish.

Gear requirements

If you plan to snorkel in San Diego, exposure protection is a must.

We recommend wearing a full 5mm wetsuit during the summer and a full 7mm wetsuit and a hood in the winter. If you don't have your own gear, keep on reading for some San Diego snorkel gear rental recommendations.

Snorkeling conditions here change hourly. We keep a running Conditions Report spreadsheet to better forecast future visibility for our boat charters.

GEAR TIP: When snorkeling off the beach, keep your mask around your neck (not your forehead!) and your fins securely in your hands. The waves may look unassuming, but gear is lost in the surf all the time.

San Diego marine life

San Diego’s rugged topography and its Marine Protected Areas create the perfect home for creatures unique to the Pacific Coast.

Although you can’t expect to see every creature on your first snorkel tour, there’s a good chance of finding kelp bass, sheephead, garibaldi, and blacksmiths almost every time you get in the water!

For those either lucky enough or patient enough, you may find giant sea bass, horn sharks, green sea turtles, sevengill sharks, sea lions or our curious harbor seals.

snorkeling-la-jolla

Photo by Michael Wimmer

san-diego-snorkeling

Photo by Frankie Grant

Accessing snorkeling sites

All San Diego snorkeling spots are public access. Some are easy to access, some require a strenuous workout, and some are only accessible by boat. See our next section for details on the main snorkeling spots in San Diego.

If you've never snorkeled before, we highly recommend joining a snorkel charter or a guided snorkel tour so you can easily find entry points and species of interest.

We are the only commercial boat running snorkel charters in San Diego and to the Coronado Islands.

LOCAL TIP: The early bird gets the worm! Get into the water and start snorkeling early in the morning when the reef is coming to life and activity is high.

Only San Diego snorkeling boat tour
Access to wildlife without the workout

Main San Diego snorkeling sites

The San Diego snorkeling map below includes our selection of best San Diego snorkeling spots dive sites from La Jolla, Point Loma, Mission Bay, and Coronado Islands.

Green icons represent easy-to-access spots, red icons represent spots that require a strenuous workout, and blue icons represent spots accessible only by boat.

La Jolla Shores

  • Level: All levels
  • Formation: Sandy Flats
  • Highlight: Leopard Sharks, Rays
  • Access: Boat & Shore

Marine Room

  • Level: Advanced
  • Formation: Rocky Reef
  • Highlight: Abundant Fish
  • Access: Boat & Shore

Turtle Town

  • Level: Advanced
  • Formation: Rocky Reef
  • Highlight: Sea Turtles
  • Access: Boat & Shore (strenuous)

Devil's Slide Reef

  • Level: Advanced
  • Formation: Rocky Reef
  • Highlight: Horn Sharks
  • Access: Boat & Shore (strenuous)

La Jolla Sea Caves

  • Level: All levels
  • Formation: Sea Caves
  • Highlight: Lighting Contrast
  • Access: Boat & Shore (strenuous)

La Jolla cove

  • Level: All levels
  • Formation: Rocky Reef
  • Highlight: Easiest Access
  • Access: Boat & Shore

Boomer's Kelp Beds

  • Level: Advanced
  • Formation: Kelp Forest
  • Highlight: Sea Lion Colony
  • Access: Boat & Shore (strenuous)

Bird Rock

  • Level:Advanced
  • Formation: Kelp Forest
  • Highlight: Giant Sea Bass
  • Access: Boat & Shore (strenuous)

Mission Point Park

  • Level: Advanced
  • Formation: Rocky Reef
  • Highlight: Always Calm
  • Access: Boat & Shore

Sunset Cliffs

  • Level: Advanced
  • Formation: Kelp Forest
  • Highlight: Dramatic Seascape
  • Access: Boat & Shore (strenuous)

Lobster Shack

  • Level: All levels
  • Formation: Rocky Reef
  • Highlight: Sea Lion Colony
  • Access: Boat (Coronado Islands)

Middle Grounds

  • Level: All levels
  • Formation: Rocky Reef
  • Highlight: Harbor Seals
  • Access: Boat (Coronado Islands)

Keyhole

  • Level: All levels
  • Formation: Rocky Reef
  • Highlight: Underwater Archway
  • Access: Boat (Coronado Islands)

Public charters to Coronado Islands
Private charters to La Jolla and Point Loma

Main San Diego Snorkeling (and Diving) Areas

San Diego Snorkeling Shops

Waterhorse Charters

Zach Scuba Shack

  • Shore snorkel tours

La Jolla Kayak

  • Shore snorkel tours
  • Kayak snorkel tours
  • Snorkel gear rental

scuba diver girls

  • Shore snorkel tours

Everyday California

  • Shore snorkel tours
  • Kayak snorkel tours
  • Snorkel gear rental

La Jolla Watersports

  • Shore snorkel tours
  • Snorkel gear rental

Dive In Scuba

  • Shore snorkel tours

San Diego Scuba Guide

  • Shore snorkel tours

Scuba Diving San Diego

  • Shore snorkel tours

Snorkel San Diego

  • Shore snorkel tours

Snorkel San Diego Scuba

  • Shore snorkel tours

La Jolla Caves Snorkel and Paddleboard Rentals

  • Shore snorkel tours

Weekly trips on two boats
Friendly crew and creature comforts

Elizabeth R
Elizabeth R
Hands down the best scuba charter I've ever experienced (and have dove in Florida, Panama, Brazil, Hawaii, Cozumel). Zach and the crew are incredibly skilled, safe, and kind. The captain even made homemade bluefin ceviche in addition to ensuring hot soup and hot shower water between cold November dives. I can't recommend their dive charter to Coronado Mexico enough, and can't wait to dive with Waterhorse again already!
Serena Zheng
Serena Zheng
Took a dive trip out to Coronado Islands. Impressive dive company with a phenomenal team. They have top tier service getting into your gear and into the water. They try to get you as much time with the sea lions as possible! By popular demand, we got to do the sea lion dive twice!! Even got to do some whale watching on the way back. 1000% recommend!!
Jake Baker
Jake Baker
I’ve done a couple dives with Waterhorse and they have been great. Dive master Brennan is the man and very knowledgeable.
CAPT R.T. Rushton, USN, ret.
CAPT R.T. Rushton, USN, ret.
Two good dives yesterday on Orion. First was in the kelp off of PT Loma. Vis was 20-25 ft. Second was on the Rube-E. Had to work through a green layer, but vis opened to 15 ft at the hull. The crew was great as usual. This dive was to test a new backplate and bladder + wt check.
William Alton
William Alton
I’ve booked three boat dives with Waterhorse and my California dive experience has been excellent . I did chose the option to hire a dive guide. The guides were very helpful assisting with weight checks. A big thanks to Ben and Hunter for guiding me through kelp forest and wrecks. I still have another dive left with this company as im writing this review. I’m usually a warm water diver with a 3 mm suit on. I would hope that all cold water dive operators operate like Waterhorse. If diving in San Diego do chose this company. Oh they actually have warm soup and snacks after the first dive. So far all the heads (toilets) are functional. Warm water showers as well. 👌
Markus Sturkey
Markus Sturkey
Waterhorse Charters truly exceeded my expectations and provided the best dive charter experience I’ve ever had. From the owners to the crew, everyone is top-tier. I had the pleasure of meeting Zach, one of the owners, at the Scuba Show, and I corresponded with his wife Karina over email to make changes. The entire booking process was seamless and professional. My girlfriend, who often accompanies me on dive trips, mentioned that Captain Charles was the nicest captain she’s ever met. The divemasters I had, Brandon and Jon, are probably the best dive guides I’ve ever had. I can confidently say they gave me my favorite dives of all time so far. I initially heard about Waterhorse Charters from an instructor in Hawaii and the Azul Unlimited YouTube channel, so my expectations were high—and they met or exceeded every one of them. If you’re looking to dive cold water in the San Diego area, Waterhorse Charters is the way to go.
Kristian Marquez
Kristian Marquez
I recently had an incredible experience with Waterhorse Charters on a trip to the Coronado Islands! The crew made the entire day exceptional from start to finish. Gaby was attentive and ensured that everyone felt welcome and prepared, offering all the support we needed throughout the trip. Ben was incredibly knowledgeable about the islands and their marine life, making every stop interesting and educational. Brandon’s professionalism and friendly attitude added to the overall comfort and enjoyment of the journey. And a big shout out to Charles, who kept everything running smoothly and made sure we had a safe and memorable adventure. Thank you, Waterhorse Charters, for a wonderful day on the water. I highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to explore the beauty of the Coronado Islands with a top-notch crew!
Brendan
Brendan
Why go somewhere else? The location of the boat means you get in and out of the harbor quickly. Thorough safety and dive briefing. The hot shower ensures you're warm and comfortable for second and third dive. Don't underestimate the wonder of the hot soups. They convert surface intervals from a mere necessity to something to look forward to and warm you up for the next dive
jonathan cummins
jonathan cummins
Zach and the Waterhorse crew are outstanding and safety conscious dive professionals! When I want to go boat diving I go to Waterhorse first. They take us to the best sites and offer in depth dive site briefings and always have the best interest of the divers! If you only have one day to dive go to Waterhorse!
John George
John George
This is the best dive company in San Diego hands down. I have been diving with Waterhorse charters for almost three years now and every trip it never ceases to amaze me how helpful, kind, and attentive the crew is. Zack helped out last week to get lobster season rolling and I came home with four of them! Don’t look anywhere else if you are wanting to dive in San Diego.