HARRISONS’S REEF 

 Location:  Across the street and south of Neptune’s Net on PCH.

Take the 101 to Kanan Road and head westward down Kanan towards PCH.  Kanan dead ends on PCH, at this point make a right (northbound) until you see Neptune’s Net resturaunt on your right hand side.  You may also note the Ventura County line signs which can be seen when coming from the north or south along PCH.  Parking may be found at the 40,000 mail box on PCH, or at Ventura County Line Beach are both acceptable locations to dive this spot.  The best diving will be in front of the condos.

 Attractions:  sight seeing and hunting

 Experience:  Experience in surge, poor visibility, high surf, rocky entry, and must be physically fit for the 150-400 yard kick and long walk proceeding and subsequent to the dive.  It is recommended that more experienced divers who have completed at least 60 dives in the conditions above within the last year attempt this dive.  A diver should always dive with a buddy, this rule of thumb should be particularly emphasized for this beach. 

 Visibility: 5-15 feet (average 10 feet) to 20-30 feet possible on the outer reef. Visibility at Harrison’s Reef is easily affected by storms and big surf common to this area.  The best diving at Harrison’s Reef occurs between mid August through mid to late November as water temperatures begin to cool, the photo period shortens, and Santa Ana winds blow.  You will want to dive at the high point of the high tide when less particulate holding water comes in from the deep ocean and lays the sand in the water column back down to the ocean bottom.  Another factor is the swell.  If the swell is low or it has been low for a few days the visibility will be better.  This is important to keep in mind since visibility will also vary throughout the year due to Harrison’s Reef’s orientation to the ocean.  During the winter months large swells break off the large reef structures found in both the shallow water as well as off the large rock on the outer reef found towards the middle of the condo complex.

 Bottom Composition:  The inner reef is in shallow water, typically 30 to 50 yards off the coast.  The reef structure in the shallows has channels that run perpendicular to the beach.  Because these reef structures are surrounded by sand, the inner reef is very prone to local surf conditions, however the inner reef has a preponderance of life.  Most of the outer reef at Harrison’s Reef (100-450 yards off the coast) is dominated by large (sometimes as large as 20 feet tall) rock outcroppings on flat reef structures amidst a sandy bottom. 

 Map:  This map is not an attempt to make an exact replication of the dive spot.  Instead this map is intended to give some perspective on over all features of the dive spot.  The best way to get to know a dive spot is to explore it yourself.  Before you make your dive please check out the Diving Information on this dive destination below.

 Dangers:  There are several things to be aware of while diving at Harrison’s Reef.  Harrison’s Reef is considered to be an advanced dive due to the varying conditions found at this beach.  The entrance to this dive location is marred with small rocks through out the surf.  The best locations are to the left of the north point south of the condos, or right in front of the southern most portion of the concrete sea wall.  No matter when you dive this location the entrance will always be a bit tricky, and the kick out to the best reef complexes will always be a work out on its own.  Surge on this dive spot is particularly strong due to the porous reef complexes with narrow gaps between the very large boulders.  It is very common for the surge to be able to rip a person clinging to the rock off of the rock.  This beach has the capability of humbling the most advanced diver.  The ocean is beautiful yet awesome in its power, Harrison’s Reef is a tribute at times to this power.

  Wildlife Abundance:  Once we have logged at least 25 dives at a particular location, a tab is taken from each dive and the relative abundance of each species is noted.  From this raw data I have come up with a numbering system which will give you some insight on the relative abundance and your chances of seeing each species at any particular time.

5- Garuanteed to see this species at this dive sight

4- Very likely to see this species at this dive sight. 

3- Abundance may vary or may be specific to a particular location within a dive spot; you have a 50/50 chance of seeing this species on your dive at specific locations

2- Species may be seasonal or hard to find at this dive spot.  Sightings have occurred but are few and far between

1- May have seen this species or have heard from feed back this species can be found here, typically if seen this fish may be found seasonally

  Fish:  4- Calico Bass (Paralabrax clathratus), 3- Barred Sand Bass (Paralabrax nebulifer),  3- Tree Fish (Sebastes serriceps), 2- Grass Rockfish (Sebastes rastrelliger),  3- Cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus), 2- California Scorpion Fish (Scorpaena guttata),  3- Giant Kelpfish (Heterostichus rostratus), 4- Black Eye Goby (Coryphopterus nicholsi),  3- California Halibut (Paralichthys californicus), 4- California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher), 4- Senorita (Oxyjulis californica), 4- Garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus), 4- White Seaperch (Phanerodon furcatus), 3- Opaleye (Girella nigricans), 3- Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata), 2- Spiny Dogfish (Squalus acanthias),  4- Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci), 2- Shovelnose Guitarfish (Rhinobatos productus), 4- Thornback (Platyrhinoidis triseriata),  2- Spotted Kelpfish (Gibbonsia elegans)  

  Arthropods:  3- Sheep Crab (Loxorhynchus grandis), 2- Decorator Crab, 3- California Spiny Lobster (Panulirus interruptus)  

  Facilities:            Harrison’s Reef is a advanced dive location with restroom facilities, phone boxes, and food found at Neptune’s Net.  The parking lot at the 40,000 mail box also has portable restrooms for your convenience.  Please not the parking lot at the 40,000 mail box is open from sunrise until sunset.  If you are still parked when the gate is locked you may find yourself spending the night in the parking lot.

 Diving Information: The inner reef, in water as shallow as 8 feet, just 30 to 50 yards off the coast, is home to vast channel expanses which are home to many species of fish, crabs, and kelp ranging from THICK four foot tall eel grass or a preponderance of kelp.  The best inner reef diving is found at the southern most edge of the condos in front of the tall concrete wall.  Harrison’s Reef is a great location to do shallow dives due to the slow sloping bottom.  Most dives will begin in 8-15 of water.  The large sandy bottom at Harrison’s Reef is a great resource for divers looking for halibut and other bottom dwelling species.  The large sandy bottoms also host very large sand dollar beds and sporadic reef structures.  The best sand dollar beds are found between the condo sea wall and the 40,000 mail box parking lot.  Other smaller sand dollar beds are found to the north of the large rock pinnacle; this rock pinnacle is on the south edge of the beach. 

Large rock pinnacles make this dive spot a unique place to dive in southern California.  Because this beach is so difficult to dive due to the extreme conditions often found at this beach, any diver qualified to take on this dive will be rewarded with large coralline algae reaching high off the rocks, enormous expanses of strawberry polyps which blanket many of the large rocks, and many gorgonian structures.  Some of the larger rocks outcroppings over lap to form swim through holes which can shoot a diver quickly through the gap.  Many deep caverns can also be found between large rock monoliths and the lower and flat reef structure.  Much of the reef can be barren, devoid of kelp but covered with flat coralline algae.  Sea urchins often cover the uppermost portions of the rocks.  Some rock monoliths reach within feet of the surface at low tide and may be covered with kelp adapted to the fast surge sweeping over the rocks. 

While some locations are sparse, other reef structures are host to large sheep crabs, some hold scallops perched on the top or in crevices in the rocks, and it is not unheard of to find black and white abalone perched on the rocks.   

 Emergency Information:

Emergency Number: 911

(919) 684-8111 DAN

(805) 497-2727 Doctor

(800) 876-4766 Poison Control

Beach Phone – Pay Phones may be found all along PCH.   

Evacuation – should be determined by the condition of the patient and the recommendation of the emergency operator on the phone.

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