Malaga Cove

[JMdiver]

Was just wondering if anyone has dove Malaga at night, can you park there after dark & how's the diving.

Happy Diving
John

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

Was just wondering if anyone has dove Malaga at night, can you park there after dark & how's the diving.

Happy Diving
John

The signs say no parking after 9 PM. If you are there by your car getting ready to leave after 9 that is probably OK.

Malaga tends to be either a really good, or really bad dive. Since it faces North look for south swell for a few days with no north swell and it tends to be good.

 

[double80s]

You can park just outside the school parking lot on the street after 9pm. Make sure you are familar with the area before you start treking across the rocks at night. The beach entry is a longer, but safer entry/exit.

 

[JMdiver]

Hi All,
Still looking for info about night diving at Malaga.

Happy Diving
John

 

[miket]

I have "tried" diving at night, to find that the tide was too low and getting in would have been a disaster. At high tide, or almost high tide it would be much easier.

I have had great dives and Malaga, and really crappy dives at Malaga. If possible check conditions when it is still light out from the Gazebo. And as Mr Carcharodon stated, look for south swell for a few days prior to trying it.

I remember the parking also being till 9:00pm only.

- MikeT

 

[HBDiveGirl]

Hi All,
Still looking for info about night diving at Malaga.

Happy Diving
John

Malaga can be a spectacular night dive, due to the lobster, octopus, fish, rays, shovelnosed guitar fish, and rocky features. Moray eels are rare but fun to find. Octopus action can be vigorous. Viz varies, but lots of life comes out at night.

It's tough to do a night dive here in the summer since the sun sets so late and the parking lot closes at 9. The best you can do is twilight. Fall is my favorite, with better viz and earlier darkness so you get a true night dive.

Entering in front of the swimming pool is a good spot if the tide is not low. Or keep walking past the pool (away from Redondo) and enter where the paved trail ends. Low tide calls for exits and entries over at sandy RAT beach (toward Redondo) Then you swim out to the outer kelp line and back into Malaga Cove. It's shallow, perhaps 22 feet, so you can surface and reorient several times. It's very easy to get turned around as you fin over and around the rocky fingers on the bottom.

If there is measurable surf, thumb it from the gazebo at the top of the cliff.

TRUST ME.
Significant surf will hurt you here on the rocks, and it results in lousy viz and nasty surge. 1 foot is ok, 2 foot faces are telling you to go elsewhere. The wise listen.
I was stubborn (x3) and it sucked each and every time.

It's a fun day dive. It's an excellent rocky reef night dive in the Fall.

Dive safely and have fun!

Claudette

 

[double80s]

Hi All,
Still looking for info about night diving at Malaga.

Happy Diving
John

??? We gave you parking information. Just park on the street, just outside the marked parking lot spots. The street signs are visable and it only is a short walk to the top of the hill.

We dive Malaga at night, especially during lobster season. Opening nite, there's always a large crowd. Listen to what Claudette has said about the surf and rocks. Be smart. I would avoid Malaga at low tide.

If you swim out from the beach (recommended), enter just before the 1st lifeguard station. Kick out parallel to the shore line, you can drop down in-line with where the large drainage culvert sticks out from the hill - just before the pool. When you drop, if all you see is sand, you are probably too far north (away from shore).

 

[JMdiver]

Thanks Claudette that was very informative. Do you know if the side streets have the same 9PM restrictions & what about parking at the school ?

Happy Diving
John

 

[HBDiveGirl]

Thanks Claudette that was very informative. Do you know if the side streets have the same 9PM restrictions & what about parking at the school ?

Happy Diving
John

Good question, and one I've been intending to answer... for a while now:14: .
It's about 15 minutes from me, so this weekend I'll make a point of driving by and checking for parking restrictions on the nearby residential streets.
I'll post what I find. Thanks for the nudge to learn what I need in order to do true night dives here during the summer.

Stay tuned!
Claudette

 

[JMdiver]

Thanks Claudette.

John