Farnsworth Onshore
Back Side · Catalina Island · California
Visibility Breakdown
Visibility by position
Solid = diver report · outlined = today's forecast
Post Break: The range past where any waves are forming, where the water starts to have a significant increase in visibility. There might be some sediment here, but swell energy is diffused and the water is calmer.
Open Water: This zone is far out enough from the shore that the water is at its clearest. It’s deep enough that sediment is not disturbed by the wave energy at the surface. Haze can sit near the surface, so the water is usually clearer the deeper you go.
Through the day
Today's visibility readings at this spot, shown at the hour each one was taken.
Every bar is a reading for the Post Break zone.
This chart shows measured diver reports only.
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Coastal Bulletin
About Farnsworth Onshore
Why it reads 37 ft
Today's forecast runs
The clarity holds through the day, with a light afternoon onshore the only disturbance to the entry shallows.
High confidence
7-Day Forecast
Today is the live headline above. Tomorrow onward is the algorithm's forecast from predicted swell, wind, and rain, updated each morning and at 6 PM Pacific.
Map and parking
Catalina Island, CA 90704
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See the offshore water on Pelagiscape →Clarity, temperature breaks and kelp off this beach.
About Farnsworth Onshore
Farnsworth Onshore is the inshore band of reef along Catalina's windward southwest coast at Ben Weston Point, designated as a State Marine Conservation Area in 2012. The "Onshore" in the name refers to the MPA's position relative to its more famous neighbor. This SMCA covers the zone closer to land, while Farnsworth Offshore SMCA covers the open-water bank a couple of miles further out. The bottom along the point is rock and boulder ledges with patches of giant kelp running off them, dropping to sand at depth. The structure is less dramatic than the bank pinnacles offshore, but most charters running to Farnsworth Bank will drop on the inshore reef as a secondary site when conditions allow. Back-side weather windows are narrow, because the southwest swell wraps in unobstructed and most days are unworkable for diving.
Species found here
Researched habitat and range candidates. A listed species may be seasonal or depth-limited; this is not a confirmed sighting at this location.
Spot strategies
Surf Zone
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