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COAST DIVERS DIVING LOCATIONS: POINT DUME
DIVING INFORMATION
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Location:
Point Dume
7103 Westward Beach Rd.
Malibu, CA 90265
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 the Point Dume Beach sign on your right. This will be approximately 1 mile from your left turn on PCH. Make a left on Westward and drive towards the pay booth. The fee for parking at Point Dume is $6.00.
Attractions:
Deep dive, kayak dive, drift diving, hunting, photography
Visibility: 5-50
feet (average 15-20 feet) Visibility at Point Dume is affected by several
factors. One of the largest
factors is the tide. You want to
dive at the high point of the high tide when blue water comes in from the deep
ocean and lays the sand down on the 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. The rock pinnacles to the
left of the beach often have the best visibility.
This is important to keep in mind since visibility will also vary
throughout the year due to Point Dume’s orientation to the ocean.
During the winter months large swells break off the shallow reefs
around the beach. When the surf
is up, the sandy bottom composition of the beach is easily picked up off the
bottom and gets distributed throughout the water column.
Typically the best time to dive Point Dume in general is during summer
when swells hit less often. In
October Santa Ana winds begin to blow and level minor swells which also
enhance the diving at Point Dume.
Bottom Composition:
Most of point Dume is dominated by a soft sandy bottom.
North of the point are sandy patches of sea grass.
The area past the point, in the vicinity of the two pinnacles, the
bottom is mostly rocky in composition and sporadic groupings of kelp can be
found. The large sand flats all
along the beach are host to several large colonies of sand dollars.
If you are looking for a rocky bottom with lots of gorgonias and polyps the pinnacles south of the parking lot are by far your best bet. The long shore current off of Point Dume can be very swift, and to make the dive a bit more difficult this current has also been known to switch direction while divers are underwater. Before attempting to dive the pinnacles make sure you are in shape for the rough surface and often swift bottom conditions. Then make sure you talk with the local life guards and let them know your dive plans and profile. The surface kick to the pinnacles can be easy once you get around the point since the off shore current will often carry you to the pinnacles. When diving the pinnacles you will be amazed at the variety of life and unique creatures who reside at Point Dume year round as well as the seasonal visitors. Amongst the seasonal visitors are creatures as small as squid who lay their eggs in the deep submarine canyon, to the common dolphins, and of course the 40 foot grey whales who can be found in the area in late March and early to mid April.
Deep diving in the submarine canyon should
only be done by those with Advanced training and knowledge of deep diving.
To find the submarine canyon simply kick straight out from the showers
adjacent from the parking lot. You will need to kick out about 100
yards. Here you will most likely be in 40 feet of water. Continue
to head out straight from the restrooms. The depth will quickly drop
once you hit 60 feet. In the canyon you will find a vast expanse of sand
littered with burrowing anemones, sand dollars, and vast beds of detritus held
down by marine algae.
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 Point Dume.
Point Dume is considered to be an advanced dive due to the currents and
the current that rips around the submarine canyon.
You should be aware of the off shore current which can change rapidly.
If you do not pay attention to the current, you may have a tough swim
in store for you when you surface. The
deep canyon will allow you to go deeper than you planed.
Because of this you should constantly be aware of your position in the
water column and monitor your depth gauge.
In winter time strong rip tides also pose a problem to divers at Point
Dume. Keep in mind if you get
caught in a rip current you should swim perpendicular to the current and not
against it.
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-
Guaranteed 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 seasonally
Fish: 3-
Calico Bass (Paralabrax clathratus),
4-
Barred
Sand Bass (Paralabrax nebulifer),
2-
Tree Fish (Sebastes serriceps),
2-
Grass Rockfish (Sebastes rastrelliger),
3- Cabezon (Scorpaenichthys marmoratus), 2-
California Scorpion Fish (Scorpaena guttata),
3-
Giant Kelpfish (Heterostichus rostratus),
3-
Black Eye Goby (Coryphopterus nicholsi),
4- California Halibut (Paralichthys californicus), 3-
California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher),
2- Senorita (Oxyjulis californica), 3- Garibaldi (Hypsypops
rubicundus), 3- White Seaperch (Phanerodon furcatus), 3- Opaleye (Girella
nigricans), 3- Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata), 3- Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci),
3- Shovelnose Guitarfish (Rhinobatos productus), 4- Thornback (Platyrhinoidis
triseriata), 2-
Spotted Kelpfish (Gibbonsia elegans)
Arthropods: 3-
Sheep Crab (Loxorhynchus grandis),
3- Decorator Crab, 3-
California Spiny Lobster (Panulirus interruptus)
Facilities: Point Dume is a good dive site with showering and public
restroom facilities. They are
located at the end of the parking lot by the pay phones.
There are lifeguard towers spaced out along the beach for your safety.
In the summer time the life guards go off duty at sunset.
Diving Information:
Point Dume is a great location to do deep dives due to the submarine canyon.
It starts about 50 meters offshore at about 40 feet and drops off from
there. This is also a good spot to hunt because of its proximity to the deep canyon.
The big game fish like the security of the deep water and take
advantage of the feeding potential of the shallow water.
The deep submarine canyon is also an attraction for the large migratory
animals such as dolphins and grey whales. The
large sandy bottom at Point Dume is a great resource for divers looking for
halibut and bottom dwelling sharks. The large sandy bottoms also host very large sand dollar
beds and sporadic reef structures. At
the pinnacle you can find the larger filter feeding sea fans and the
occasional scallop.
Emergency Information:
Emergency
Number: 911
(919)
684-8111 DAN
(805)
497-2727 Doctor
(800)
876-4766 Poison Control
Beach
Phone – Pay Phone behind the bathrooms next to the cars (310) 457-9408
Evacuation
– should be determined by the condition of the patient and the
recommendation of the emergency personel on the phone.
Recompression
Chambers – Los Robles
*A contribution by Paul Hopkins
Copyrighted by Ryan Jaeger & Matthew J. Wahlrab 2002 - 20042