Channel Islands dive sites

Anacapa Island is accessed exclusively by boat from Ventura or Oxnard harbours, approximately a one-hour crossing. Several dive charter operators run daily trips when weather permits, typically departing early morning and offering two to three dives per trip. Island Packers also provides transport for divers with their own equipment. There is no accommodation on the island, so all diving is done as day trips. Advance booking is strongly recommended, especially during summer weekends and the giant sea bass season from June through September.

Water temperatures at Anacapa range from 12 degrees Celsius in winter to 20 degrees in late summer, with most divers wearing 7-millimetre wetsuits or drysuits year-round. Visibility varies considerably with season and conditions. Summer typically offers the best visibility at 15 to 25 metres when upwelling subsides, while spring can bring nutrient-rich green water with visibility dropping to 5 metres. The north side of the island generally has calmer conditions and better visibility than the exposed south face.

Anacapa Island falls within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and includes several State Marine Reserves where no take of any kind is permitted. The Landing Cove area and Cathedral Cove are within marine reserves, meaning divers cannot collect any marine life including shells or invertebrates. Spearfishing is prohibited in reserve zones but permitted in designated areas outside them. All divers should carry a current California fishing license even for observation-only dives and check current CDFW regulations for specific zone boundaries.