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CAL COAST DIVERS SHAW'S COVE
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SHAW’S
COVE
Location:
Shaw’s Cove is located just off of the Pacific Coast Highway in South Orange County.
To get to Shaw’s cove take the 133 freeway until it T’s off on PCH
or exit from Jamboree when coming from the north until you reach PCH and make
a left. Once on PCH you will want
to drive until you reach Fairview Street and then head west.
Once on Fairview Street drive until you reach the intersection
with Cliff Drive. Please keep in
mind parking is very limited and it is best to arrive early before the crowds
arrive. All parking at Shaw’s
Cove is in a residential area so please be respectful when unloading and
loading your gear.
Visibility: 5-30
feet (average 15 feet)
Shaw’s
Cove is one of the few places on the California Coast that is positioned the
way it is. Shaw’s is a pure
North facing beach and due to the extension of the reef out into the ocean,
Shaw’s Cove is usually flat when nearby beaches are recording large to heavy
surf. Shaw’s Cove usually has
the best visibility in the area after a storm but due to the shelter of the
reef and north facing beach poor visibility conditions may continue long after
other beaches have cleaned up.
Bottom Composition:
All of Shaw’s is surrounded by soft sand which is ideal for the
halibut, sand dollars, and rays that make their home there.
Within and on the reef rocky bottoms dominate but are often hard to see
due to the large amounts of muscles that liter the 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:
Although surf almost always resembles lake like conditions powerful
surge may be found when exploring the inner portions of the reef complex as
well as when in the crevasse and the short cave in the shallows.
To complicate navigation within the reef complex literally tons of
muscle shells line the bottom of much of the crevasse and other portions of
the complex are littered with tons of purple urchins (Strongylocentrotus
purpuratus). To better enjoy
this area make sure you are properly weighted and dive within your training
limits. While most aspects of
Shaw’s are within even the most novice diver, the potential for danger is
great when exploring the high walls of the inner reef so it is best to stay on
the beautiful outskirts of the complex rather than attempt any penetration of
the complex itself.
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-Morey Eel,
4-
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),
3- California Halibut (Paralichthys californicus), 3-
California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher),
2- Senorita (Oxyjulis californica), 4- Garibaldi (Hypsypops
rubicundus), 4- White Seaperch (Phanerodon furcatus), 3- Opaleye (Girella
nigricans), 3- Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata), 2- Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci),
2- Shovelnose Guitarfish (Rhinobatos productus), 4- Thornback (Platyrhinoidis
triseriata), 2-
Spotted Kelpfish (Gibbonsia elegans)
Arthropods: 2-
Sheep Crab (Loxorhynchus grandis),
2- Decorator Crab, 3-
California Spiny Lobster (Panulirus interruptus)
Facilities: There are no restroom facilities at Shaw’s Cove.
A pay phone is located at the top of the stairs that lead down to the
beach. Restroom accommodations
may be found at any of the local resturaunts on PCH.
In case you forget to fill your tank there is a dive shop at the top of
PCH before you turn down Fairview Street.
Be sure to bring a C-card and have a current visual inspection sticker
on your cylinder.
Diving Information:
Shaw’s Cove is a relatively small dive area however due to the nature of the
reef it will take you several dives before you have seen it all at Shaw’s!
Several large features making navigating the outskirts of the reef easy
and fun. For first time divers at
this spot I recommend following the contours of the reef around the point.
When following the reef you will come to “turn around rock.”
Turn around rock is easily distinguishable from the rest of the reef
due to its large size and short distance (10 yards) from the main reef
structure. Once you reach this
point you can continue towards the rock and follow the reef around the point.
For more advanced divers it is possible to enter the reef complex at
this point. More advanced divers
may also find the large crevasse a great place to take pictures.
In the crevasse large yellow sponges and smaller purple sponges are
common. Again the crevasse should only be navigated by those with
proper training and experience. Other
points of interest include the cave in 10 feet of water near the shore.
To find the cave just follow the reef complex in to shore.
This cave will take you a short distance and then will open up in
shallow water. At this point just
follow the reef contours back to the entrance and continue back to shore. The cave does have small access points from the surface
however strong surge is prevalent during low tide and navigation in this cave
should only be attempted by experienced divers.
Experienced divers may follow the reef complex inward to find the
“Underwater Arch” and a larger cave which resembles the shape of a horse
shoe when once inside!
Please help us out by posting your favorite dive locations in the Divers Input Forum section and keep your eyes open for new dive sights being posted every week! Thanks for checking us out!
Copyrighted by Ryan Jaeger & Matthew J. Wahlrab 2002 - 20042