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CAL COAST DIVERS NICHOLAS CANYON BEACH
DIVING INFORMATION
EQUIPMENT HOME
ABOUT US
NICHOLAS CANYON / “ZERO’S”
Location:
Los Angeles County, 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) and drive past El Matador, La Piedra, El Pescador beaches. Once you have past El Pescador drive a little ways (about a mile) until you see a sign that says “Nicholas Canyon Beach” on your right hand side. At this point keep your eyes peeled to your left hand side because the gate is very conspicuous and very easy to pass if you are not paying attention. If you continue to drive and approach Leo Carillo Beach you have gone too far. At this point turn around and drive one mile south down PCH and keep your eyes peeled for the gate.
There is a two dollar fee for parking at Nicholas Canyon County Beach. You may either pay this at the entrance beyond the gate our in the parking. The machine takes cash as well as credit cards. Although it is a bit of a walk to Nicholas Canyon there are both bathrooms and showers at this beach as well as ample sand for the people in your entourage which may not be joining you on your dive.
Attractions:
Hunting, naturalist, photography, kayak diving, and DPV
Experience
Level: Experienced diver no doubt about it! After Santa Ana winds
have been blowing, or the ocean has been particularly inactive, advanced divers
are likely to find optimum conditions for diving. However the visibility at
this beach is not the determining factor for when we classified this beach as
an advanced dive. Surfers know Nicholas Canyon as Zero’s, a name used to
describe the shape of the hollow tube of this wave when winter swells peel off
the reef complex. Surf can be big here, very big. In addition to the
complexity of making big surf entries the pre surf zone and surf zone are
littered with thousands of rocks, eel grass, and feather boa kelp, which can
easily wrap around your ankles as the surf washes in and out from between the
rocks. We highly recommend seeking additional training in conditions like
these before making a dive with your dive buddy.
Visibility:
3-25 feet (average 15 feet) Visibility at Nicholas Canyon is affected by
several factors. However, similar to most beaches Nicholas Canyon is most
heavily affected by surf due to the largely sandy bottom that surrounds the
outer reef. The best diving at Nicholas Canyon 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 Nicholas
Canyon’s orientation to the ocean. During the winter months large swells break
off the inner reefs and make Nicholas Canyon one of the better surf spots for
surfers in Los Angeles County. Spring is also a great time to dive as the
waters are typically colder but the longer photoperiod promotes the growth of
the prominent kelp such as the giant kelp.
Bottom
Composition: Most of Nicholas Canyon is dominated by a soft sandy
bottom. South of the life guard tower the beach all the way through the surf
zone are littered with varying size rocks. Once you get past the rocks there
are several points where sand bars form during the winter months. As such you
may find yourself in waist deep water one moment and the next instant standing
in calf deep water the next. As you get past the breaking waves you will swim
over a vast expanse of sandy bottom. Large sand dollar beds tend to dominate
the bottom along with debris from the outer reef. Crabs and other scavengers
may also be found in this stretch of sandy bottom. After you have kicked out
anywhere from 50 to 125 yards to hit the prime locations to dive in the kelp
you will notice that no matter how poor the visibility was in the area you were
in before, that the visibility now has considerably opened up. The reef
structures to the left and right of the lifeguard tower are largely flat and
tend to stretch the entire span of the kelp forest. There is very little sand
once you are in the kelp paddy. Lobster trappers realize this and tend to drop
many traps during lobster season to capitalize on the many rocks and crevices
found on and within the largest boulders in the kelp.
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. The large red X’s are used as indicators where
experienced divers may make their entrance for this dive. The routes we have
indicated for this dive location are 15 minute kicks and require a diver to be
able to stay down at least 45 minutes to a maximum depth of 46 feet. The kelp
paddy on the left is the more advanced entrance of the two and following this
path will take you maximize the attractions you will see. The right kelp paddy
offers less rocks however the surf is much larger in this location. When
diving during the winter or summer months be aware of surfers when making your
entrance. Again this location is for advanced divers only.
Dangers:
In winter time the surge and rocky entrance poses a problem to divers diving
all locations on this beach. Surge is prevalent during the large winter storms
and is not recommended for novice divers. Hunting at this beach can pose
additional problems as the additional weight combined with a long surface and
return kick can fatigue the fittest of divers.
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),
5-
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), 4-
California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher),
2- Senorita (Oxyjulis californica), 4- Garibaldi (Hypsypops
rubicundus), 3- White Seaperch (Phanerodon furcatus), 3- Opaleye (Girella
nigricans), 3- Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata), 2- Spiny
Dogfish (Squalus acanthias), 3- Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci),
2- Shovelnose Guitarfish (Rhinobatos productus), 4- Thornback (Platyrhinoidis
triseriata), 2-
Spotted Kelpfish (Gibbonsia elegans)
Arthropods: 4-
Sheep Crab (Loxorhynchus grandis),
2- Decorator Crab, 4-
California Spiny Lobster (Panulirus interruptus)
Facilities:
Nicholas Canyon is a great dive site with available showering and public
restroom facilities. These facilities are located on the left hand side of the
parking lot while showering and restroom facilities may be found above the
beach. There is also a lifeguard tower that you will pass as you make your way
down the beach. Be sure to check in with the lifeguard letting him know your
anticipated route and planned bottom time. In the summer time the life guards
go off duty at sunset when the gates close.
Diving
Information: Nicholas Canyon is a great location for naturalists and
photographers skilled at making entrances in less than
favorable conditions. The main diving locations at Nicholas Canyon are
the kelp paddies in front of the lifeguard tower and to the right of the
lifeguard tower.
The ecosystem at Nicholas Canyon benefits from the difficult entrance, the large surf, and long kick which limit access to only the most experienced divers. Every year lobster trappers, for better or worse, take advantage of this fact and set out lobster traps all over this beach. For the most part the traps, like the one seen above, do make a considerable dent in the lobster population. If you are going to dive here for bugs, make sure you do it before the lobster trappers and winter storm take their toll on this beach. Other organisms that may be found include scallops to a limited extent, bass, sheaphead, and many small sharks and rays.
The best diving at Nicholas Canyon is south of the lifeguard tower. As far as life goes I have not seen that much size, diversity, and abundance of life in a long time. You can find everything there. Even things not commonly found in Southern California such as black abalone. On two occasions I have seen small black abs the size of half dollar coins. Lots of bass make this kelp paddy their home on this reef structure. Sand bass can be found throughout the fringes of the reef and calico bass may be found around any of the large rocky outcroppings. The prime life locations are to the left of the tower towards the middle and outer extensions of the reef. The rock formations are enormous on the left hand reef. Some swim through crevices and some enormous holes in the rock may be found in 40+ feet of water. The sheaphead do a good job of keeping the urchins in check most of the year round. As a result Nicholas Canyon does not experience the “deforestation” that other locals in Southern California due to the combination of predation as well as the standard life cycle of giant kelp.
In the deeper water locations at Nicholas Canyon you can find large orange sponges, nudibranchs (several species), as well as a variety of sea fans, anemones, and strawberry polyps. The large rocks at this beach also boast some of the largest coralline algae growths I have ever seen. Scallops as mentioned above can be found here with limited success. If you are looking for some great photo opportunities this beach has it, although this beach is much easier to dive by boat when you have a camera in hand.
If you have any questions, comments, or anything to add to our description of Nicholas Canyon please contact us. We need your input to make this dive page the number one free resource page on the net! So post a message in the Input section or drop us a line! We would love to hear from you!
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.
Recompression Chambers – Los Robles / Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber