Dillon's Beach

[bolantej]

Anyone dive Dillon's Beach near Bodega Bay? I'll be going there in September and will try to get wet if I can.

Thanks.

 

[Hinalo]

From what I know of Dillon Beach, having taken the kids there over the years, I don't think there's anything but sand and wind there. Never heard of anyone diving it. but from Dillon Beach you're probably less than an hour's drive north on Hwy 1 to the Salt Point area where diving is just fantastic.

 

[dsafanda]

It's a popular surf spot. You can probably expect heavy surf on a gently sloping beach that remains quite shallow for a long ways out. Entries and exits could be an ordeal. Among surfers, it also has a reputation as being very "sharky".

It's a very pretty spot but perhaps not a great dive destination. IMHO

 

[bolantej]

cool. thanks for the info. I won't bother dragging my gear out there.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Some people dive the mouth of Tomales Bay which is just south right down the same road that goes by Dillon Beach. You continue down the road and go into the Lawson's Landing Campground. From there it is possible to launch a boat or Kayak and paddle out to the mouth. Beware that the currents rip in and out of the bay during tide changes. For that reason it is a popular Halibut hunting spot. What people do is ride the current in as a drift dive and get picked up by a person manning a boat and following the dive float. There is nothing but sand with depths around 12-20 feet. The vis can be very low. People who dive it generally have a screw loose and don't particularly care that it is probably the sharkiest spot in all California, the epicenter of great white activity. There can also be a nasty break right at the mouth where the sand bar climbs up from the ocean. Many fishermen have been killed by giant sneaker waves right at the outside buoy.
I dove it once with a group that was going for Halibut. We each got about 4 runs on an incoming tide. I didn't care for it much and decided it wasn't for me.