By Phillip Roullard – (San Diego, CA, USA)
One of the best places to snorkel in San Diego, California is Mission Point. There are no crowds and the parking is good, even in summer as long as you get there by 8am, and there is lots to see. Plus it is a shallow entry and the water is typically calm because it is a protected cove.
My wife and I snorkel there at Mission Point often during the summer. We also go night snorkeling and see even more sea creatures.
Typically at Mission Point we will see navanax, sea stars, kelp fish, senoritas, moray eels, octopus and abalone, just to name a few. We see way more stuff here than at La Jolla Cove or La Jolla Shores.
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Nicole & Galen – Nov 26, 2018 – Thank You!
Hi Phil, thanks for the information and picture about snorkeling in San Diego. It looks like it is Mission Point Park, run by the city. Here is a link to a map.
We assume you stay inside the protected cove as it looks like there could be boat traffic outside? Is there boat traffic inside as well? Is there a certain area of the cove you like best?
Phillip – Nov 29, 2018 – Answers About Boat Traffic, etc.
There is some boat traffic in the cove, but as long as you “hug” the riprap, you will be fine as boats don’t get that close to the rocks, for a good reason. If you wander over into the eel grass which is farther away from the riprap and into the cove, do be cautious and on the alert for boats entering the cove.
Also be careful entering the cove from the sandy beach as there can be sting rays there which are another neat thing to see as you snorkel along the rocks.
You can also round the point in to the boat channel which is safe as long you continue to stay next to the rocks. Typically there is kelp there which can shelter fish, but that depends upon the water temperature. The high water temperature this past summer was hard on the kelp and much of it died.
As you snorkel along the rocks in the boat channel, watch for fisherman’s lines and go underneath them as a courtesy. Just raise your head up out of the water as you approach a fisherman’s line so you can see where to go around the line.
I live four hours from San Diego and would love to drive down to snorkel there. My concern is the water temperature. When is the water the warmest? September? October?
In San Diego the water is warmest typically in September. It has been known to reach 75-77°F, but typically 72-73° most years. Right now it’s 68° and it’s still June, so we are happy with that. The best water clarity is August through October.
Even in the 70’s we wear a 4/3mm wetsuit, as we like to stay in the water for up to 3 hours. When it’s in the 60’s we will also use a 5/3 hooded vest, and sometimes wear our 7mm wetsuit. We always wear gloves and boots as well.
Hey there, I live in San Diego, are there any snorkeling groups that go out together? Where can I find one? I don’t want to go out alone.
There’s a rad group on Facebook, San Diego Snorkel Report.
Hi. Thanks for this nice site and info! 🤿