Scuba Diving San Diego

We love scuba diving in La Jolla Cove; so much so, we do it twice daily. Any day of the week you can join one of our experienced guides in diving the famous La Jolla Cove Reef and Kelp Forest. As your personal scuba tour guide, it’s our goal to show you how beautiful our San Diego waters are. Let us show you why La Jolla Cove was just voted California's most beautiful shore dive.
We’ll navigate through the breath-taking underwater forest while keeping our eyes peeled for all sorts of life: dozens of fish, harmless sharks, and even sea lions. We’ll conclude our dive and leisurely return to the beach enjoying the beautiful views of La Jolla.


Meeting location is at Scripps Park in La Jolla Cove. Bookings accepted 24 hours in advance. We offer one tank dives beginning at 8:00am and also 10:45am. If you're interested in scheduling something the day of, feel free to contact our office.

Even if you have dove San Diego many times before, the moment the sun sets, the underwater scene starts to change; day creatures withdraw, and the nocturnal life begins to appear. It may seem strange to head to the beach and dive underwater in the darkness, but a whole new world is available to explore by the light of your dive light.


The submarine canyon accessible from La Jolla Shores that extends 800 feet down not only brings nutrient-rich waters to La Jolla through a oceanic process called upwelling, but also causes marine creatures and predators to come out of hiding to feed at night. Animals that normally look dark and monochromatic during the day can look vibrant and colorful under a dive light.


Just a 10 minute kick out from shore, our night dive takes place at the same dive site as our La Jolla Shores guided scuba dives earlier that morning. We recommend being at least PADI Advanced Open Water Certified to dive at night, but your guided night dives could also count towards your Night Diver Specialty Certification!

Haven’t been diving lately and want a scuba refresher? Our refresher dive is the perfect way to update your dive skills and knowledge from the PADI Open Water Diver Course before jumping back into the water. Whether you want a few reminders or need to go over the basics, the dive is personalized for you. It’s a good way to prepare for your next scuba outing.

We love scuba diving in La Jolla. As your personal scuba guide, it’s our goal to show you how beautiful our San Diego waters are. From scuba diving the rocky reefs to the gorgeous kelp forests at La Jolla Cove, the La Jolla Ecological Reserve has it all – beautiful, diverse marine life and the chance of seeing something amazing.


Beyond the unique events that bring leopard sharks, gray whales, market squid and grunions coming back year after year, the nutrient rich water at La Jolla Cove is always full of surprises. We’ve seen green turtles, sevengill sharks, giant black sea bass, soupfin sharks and even dolphin!


Join us for our most popular scuba experience! Spend the morning shore diving with us as we guide you on a 2-tank scuba dive to show you the best of both ecosystems in La Jolla – the rocky substrate of the reef and the wildly inhabited kelp forest.


Beginning at 8am, we’ll start at La Jolla Cove. Say hello to the resident Sea Lion population lounging on the rocks as you descend to your first dive. The reef at La Jolla Cove is teeming with life. Keep your eyes peeled for Horn Sharks, Bat Rays and plenty of Garibaldi.


After our first dive, you'll have a short break in the park where we encourage you to bring your own refreshments and relax before your second dive.


If you have never experienced a true kelp forest underwater, the second dive is a must. We’ll navigate through the breath-taking underwater forest while keeping our eyes out for all sorts of life: dozens of fish, harmless sharks, and even sea lions! We’ll conclude our dive and leisurely return to the beach enjoying the beautiful views of La Jolla.

Join us as we explore some of San Diego’s best scuba diving. Whether it be our famous Wreck Alley, the Point Loma kelp beds, or the offshore dive sites in La Jolla, San Diego is known for it’s great cold-water scuba dives. Unlike our guided shore dives in La Jolla, our boat dives allow us to skip the surface swimming and jump in right at our scuba dive site!


San Diego scuba diving is always an adventure, and the Pacific Ocean has no shortage of surprises to offer our divers. From beautiful kelp forests with giant black sea bass, sevengill sharks, soupfin sharks and a whole ecosystem of fish, to the beautifully colorful invertebrates, anemones and lobsters that cover our wrecks – Southern California scuba diving is definitely unique.


Join us for a day of 2-tank scuba diving to see the best of what San Diego has to offer. Each scuba dive is led by our expert local dive-guides, who will guide you along your scuba dives so that you may enjoy them to the fullest.


We dive a combination of Wreck Alley, Point Loma, and/or La Jolla and now offering Los Coronados. If you have any requests, please let us know.

In the springtime each year, sevengill sharks are known to congregate heavily around the kelp beds at the La Jolla Cove in San Diego. These Broadnose Sevengill Sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus) in San Diego are one of our favorite animals to encounter while diving since they are the largest animal in the area. Almost all of our interactions diving with the sevengill sharks at La Jolla Cove are along the bottom. Their methodical, slow swimming style allows for great photos and videos.
We have found that, generally speaking, if there is one sevengill shark in the area another one is close by. Some studies suggest they may be a social creature (which may be an indicator of higher intelligence), so look for a second or third shark in the limits of your visibility. If you’re lucky and the sevengill sharks are interested, they may begin to make tighter circles as they check out what you are. Enjoy the encounter for as long as they swim with you!


If you’re looking to interact with the sevengill sharks around San Diego, La Jolla Cove may be one of the best dive sites to try. Avoid the tricky entry, long surface kick over kelp, and just take a boat right out to the dive site for a 3 tank dive! There are certainly spots where we seem to have more sevengill action, but interestingly enough the ‘hot-spots’ change relatively quickly over time.

Venture offshore with our knowledgeable guides who will give you a deeper understanding of any pelagic creatures you may encounter. This tour offers unique possibilities for increased animal activity and up close encounters with various marine animals- to include but not limited to mola molas, whales, dolphins, bait balls and kelp paddies.


All you have to do is sit back in the comfort of our intimate charter boat and enjoy seeing some incredible marine wildlife! Of course, you have the option of jumping in the water! On our safari we’re equipped with kayaks and a specialized manta-tow called the Subwing which allow us to enjoy any opportunity we come by.


If you’re ready to do something different, come out with the SD Expeditions team and see how truly special ocean expeditions can be.


SD Expeditions uses all means necessary to provide you with a successful encounter. We are constantly monitoring weather conditions and keeping in touch with boat captains and experts to remain informed about current ocean diving conditions.


So join SD Expeditions for a unique and different encounter.

Experience the thrill of a cage-less encounter with Pelagic Sharks. We provide a professional, controlled environment with these sleek open ocean sharks. For Blue Shark diving, San Diego is one of only 5 places on the planet that offers this experience. If you’re ready to truly do something different come out with the SDE team and join us for our Blue and Mako Shark Expedition.

Whether it's your first interaction with a shark or you're a professional diver, you will leave with the new appreciation of these beautiful animals. We hope to encourage and spread shark advocacy by changing the general public opinion of sharks. We can do our part in facilitating their comeback by drawing awareness to these awesome animals. Ask us about citizen scientist programs when your on the boat with us.


SD Expeditions uses all means necessary to provide you with a successful encounter. We are constantly monitoring weather conditions and keeping in touch with boat captains and marine experts to remain informed about current shark diving conditions.

While chartering off shore, we don't hesitate to take advantage of opportunities presented to us. The ocean is full of a diversity of marine life – and we won’t limit any experience. If you’re interested, we’ll gladly stop for Common and Bottlenose Dolphins, Sea Lions and Harbor Seals, or the famous Mola Mola (ocean sunfish). We want you to experience the ocean in all it’s glory, and we’ll hold nothing back.


So join SD Expeditions for a unique and different encounter, and experience the thrill of open ocean shark diving.

Just completed your Open Water Class? Now it’s time to move on to Advanced Open Water diving.The Advanced Open Water Diver course helps you increase your confidence and build your scuba skills so you can become more comfortable in the water. You’ll hone your skills by completing five adventure dives that introduce you to a variety of specialties.


Learning objectives:


-Underwater navigation
-Deeper water diving (typically 60-100 feet)
-A sampler of three more Adventure Dives of your choice
-Practical aspects and physiological effects of deep diving
-How to navigate using kick-cycles, visual landmarks and time
-How to better use your underwater compass, dive computer and electronic
-Recreational Dive Planner

Get certified for life with the PADI Open Water Diver Course, where you’ll learn to use basic scuba gear and breathe underwater for the first time. If you’ve tried diving through a Discover Scuba Diving experience or resort course, the skills you learned may be credited towards a portion of the full PADI Open Water Diver course certification.

Departure 9 am and return at 5 pm. Our 25' Custom Center Console dive boat "Mola" is equipped with scuba Tank holders and all necessary safety equipment including 2 hours of emergency oxygen and first aid kit. Toilet and Dry Area in the berth at the bow of the boat.


Want a full day of private diving at the locations of your choosing? This is the option for you. Mola can accommodate up to six divers for an eight hour day of diving. Grab your buddies and plan a full day boat excursion.


Not dive certified? We can offer our Blue and Mako shark expedition as a private tour, as well as our all encompassing ocean experience "Ocean Safari". Spend the day scanning the horizon in search of blowholes of getting up close and person with Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola). Our ocean safari knows no bounds, and can provide you with an incredible experience interacting with a diversity of marine life.


Have a busy and hectic work schedule? Try a sunset cruise and a night dive. Unwind after your work day by joining us on a golden hour cruise by the San Diego city skyline. Follow that by a night dive tailored to your certification level and comfort. Come dive the ocean depths when they come alive - from Mantis Shrimp to Two Spotted Octopus, our night dives are engaging and truly something different.


Don't hesitate to contact us about any idea you might have and we'll see what we can do!

Get certified for life with the PADI Open Water Diver Course, where you’ll learn to use basic scuba gear and breathe underwater for the first time. If you’ve tried diving through a Discover Scuba Diving experience or resort course, the skills you learned may be credited towards a portion of the full PADI Open Water Diver course certification.


Learning Objectives:


-Knowledge Development to understand basic principles of scuba diving
-Confined Water Dives to learn basic scuba skills
-Open Water Dives to review your skills and explore

"Countershade" is our 40' Convertible Sport Yacht with an elegant saloon, sophisticated fabrics, a beautiful wood finish and upgraded hardware. All appliances are available including stove, oven, refrigerator, icemaker and microwave. The sofa converts to a double bed and two bunk style beds are in a room next to the stateroom.The forward stateroom has a queen berth, two cedar-lined lockers and an overhead hatch. Access to the head, which has a separate shower stall, is from this stateroom or the passageway. Plenty of room inside and outside on the back deck or up top on the flybridge to get a great view of all the wildlife in the Pacific Ocean.

Private charters offer flexibility and creativity in tailoring an eight hour ocean experience exactly to your needs. Options include, but are not limited to, private Blue and Mako expeditions, intimate wedding ceremonies, bachelor and bachelorette parties, ocean safaris targeted at Mola Molas, pelagic Whales and Dolphins, and San Diego City skyline tours. If you have a wish, we can grant it.



Contact us for booking information and inquiries.