Moss Point

All of Laguna is an MLPA area and everything has been protected since 2012. So all of Laguna is a 'Not take' area. This is another site well liked by "Experienced" divers. You must be experienced to dive here. With the tricky (If not dangerous) surf zone and the "Rock entry" Moss Point claimed the second death of 2000 in Laguna. As you "Look over" Moss Point, one of the people who live right along the Point may come out and chit-chat with you. She is a very nice woman and she will tell you they've had a "Few" deaths here at Moss Point. Listen to what she says, she is just concerned, that's all. Parking is rather limited and there aren't any meters here either. There is also a Lifeguard stand here at the bottom (seasonal). The steps are in good shape, with the "Last step" being a bit tricky with your gear on. Once while we were preparing to go into the water, we saw these 2 divers "Coming up" the stairs, the one guy REALLY looked exhausted, but then I saw him wearing "One of those" Steel LOW pressure 120's made by Beuchaut, you know the one's, you can barely pick 'em up, EMPTY!! That was something to see, on a BEACH Dive!! Nuts... Here is a shot of the steps at Moss Point, rather steep, not for those who are not in "Stair shape". Click on this shot to see a larger picture.

Fast Facts: Parking: Very limited. Structure: Rock and Sand and Sea weeds. Precautions: Surf & surge. Waves can hit you unexpectedly. Experience levels: Experienced ONLY. This site can be dangerous for the inexperienced. After Diving spots: Not much around here, head either farther South on PCH to Monarch Bay or back towards Laguna.

These shots here show how "Nice & small" Moss Point is. Mentioned below is the Rock on the sand near the waters edge, that's the indicator of whether or not we dive here.
Click on this shot to see a larger picture.

Moss Point is considered to be an Advanced dive, because of the very dangerous Rock Entry. It is very deceiving because it "Looks like" there is very little "Wave action". But it only takes a 1 to 2 foot wave here to wreck your whole experience here. This is why there are so many diving related accidents here, too many divers don't know how to "Read" the conditions here.

Here's how we decide if we are diving here:

First, in the above pictures, there is a rather large rock on/in sand near the center of the cove (Click on the picture on the left above, you can see how the water goes around this rock). IF this rock is way above the "Surf line" we don't go diving, tide is too low. But if the water is coming up around this rock AND the waves are NO larger than 1-2 foot AND the waves are "Shore breaking" THEN we go in. All your surf entry experience can be "Put to the test" here, look for the "Breaks" in the surf, that's when you start heading out.

I've done many, many dives here and I find I get "Surprised" by the conditions here from time to time, you must "Be on your toes".

Night diving here is a completely different experience here, not because there is that much more sea life or anything like that. Trying to find the Cove AFTER you come up is a challenge. Several times, we've been here at night and we swam "Back & forth" along the shore asking "Where is the COVE??". I've seen some divers use a "Spotter" on the beach with a flashlite and I've seen others use a strobe mounted on the lifeguard stand. Both of these ideas are good, but the best way to do this is to "Know" Moss Point. Don't panic if you seem lost, it took us over 45 minutes on one evening to locate the cove from beyond it. Take a very good "Look around" from outside the Cove to get the idea and remember it when you come back up. Don't count on a house having it's "Light on" when you come up, try to learn to "See" the street above, that's the best way.

Sea Life here varies, on one day dive, I found a 35-37 inch Halibut sitting on the bottom, that's big and he wasn't in a hurry to move away, giving us a few minutes to "Check him out". VIZ here also varies, but if you dive here, make it at high tide, your surf entries & exits will be easier and VIZ better.

There is also some reefs out in deeper water well outside the Cove, but I've only been "Lucky enough" to see these once, but I know they are there. So it "Pays" to hunt around, going over areas of sand, exploring this area.

Make sure you have enough air left in case you have to do the "Moss Point crawl" on your way back to the beach. If you "Time it right" a wave can actually "Pick you up" and "Drop you" right on the beach, standing!! I've done it about 15-20% of my dives here, it's a real "Rush" when that happens and it takes a lot of practice to do it.

But remember this: If there are waves breaking "Out" in the cove (Not on the beach) AVOID this area. Even if you do make it out, the VIZ won't be worth all the effort and you STILL have to make it back into the beach. The large rocks in the surf zone will show you who's "The boss".

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Since 04-24-01