Big Rock, Malibu, LA County, California

Big Rock offers great diving close to Santa Monica. Lots of fish make this site a special place. It offers kelp and pinnacles close to shore, although easier entry and better vis would make it a better site. Click on Map to enlarge

map

Maps are not to be used for boaters or navigational purposes.

Interests: Many Garibaldi, senoritas, blacksmith, perch, opaleye, Spanish shawl and croakers are plentiful here. Lobsters, sheep crab, cabezon, and scorpion-fish are also present, and the lucky diver with find a horn shark, swell shark, or kelp-fish. A large pinnacle rises from 30ft to 10ft depth and offers great diving, but visibility is often limited.
Entry & Exits: Rocky boulders (moderate) or sandy beach (easy). Only divers with rocky entry experience should attempt the rocky area.

Suggestions: Enter just to the left of the "big rock", its more protected there.
Best time to Dive: During small south swells and high tide. Aug-Oct offers the best vis.

Visibility: 5-15ft

Warnings: The entry/exist is very rocky and slippery, divers should have rocky entry experience. Do not attempt if surf is high.
Depth Recommendations:18-33ft is where most of the points of interest are for this site. 60 ft is Recommended maximum depth for novice beach divers .
100 ft is Recommended maximum for advanced beach divers. 130 ft is Maximum Depth for recreational divers.

Safety: Use of float, flag, anchor and descent line is required for beach diving. Cell phone and oxygen first aid kit should be available.

Directions: Click on map for GOOGLE MAP directions

map

Parking:

Parking is difficult, there is one legal spot in front of the gate, but lots of parking across the PCH

Photos of the Big Rock Parking lot, and the path going down to the dive sites.