Palos Verdes Dive Site; Flat Rock

[MaxBottomtime]

One of the tougher hikes in Palos Verdes with scuba gear is Flat Rock. The trailhead at 650 Paseo del Mar leads to a moderately steep path that branches to the right for a short, direct access to the water or a longer hike to the left that leads to Bluff Cove. The short path gets narrow in places, some spots as narrow as ten inches with a nasty drop on either side of the backbone trail. If you elect this trail you can make a giant stride off the flat rocks at the end when the water is calm.
There is nice diving around Bit Rock, the small rock breaking the surface just offshore. The better diving is near the outer edge of the kelp. Batrays, leopard sharks and harbor seals frequent the area. Depths in the kelp range from 35-45 feet.

 

[Kensei]

I've snorkeled/freedived here. It would be tricky with gear going down that backbone. I believe if you walk further down the Bluff Cove Trail, there are easier trails off to the right that drop down to the beach... but, you'd have to walk along the beach back to Flat Rock.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I was making a night dive there once when, just as I got to the narrowest part of the backbone, my weight belt slid down to my ankles. That was a little scary.