Doheny State Beach
Dana Point · Orange County · California
Visibility Breakdown
Visibility by position
Solid = diver report · outlined = our reading
Break Zone: The range of water where the waves break and sediment is stirred up.
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.
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Coastal Bulletin
About Doheny State Beach
Why it reads 21 ft
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
Dana Point, CA 92629
Paid state-park lot inside Doheny State Beach off Park Lantern Road, $15 day use. The state park has a 121-site campground at the south beach. Free street parking is limited on PCH near the entrance.
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See the offshore water on Pelagiscape →Clarity, temperature breaks and kelp off this beach.
About Doheny State Beach
Doheny State Beach is the state-operated beach at the mouth of San Juan Creek in Dana Point, Orange County. The Doheny family donated the original 41.4-acre park in 1931 as a memorial to Edward "Ned" Doheny Jr. Pacific Coast Highway runs along the inland edge, and San Juan Creek empties into the ocean at the north end of the beach. Dana Point Harbor sits immediately to the north, separated from Doheny by the harbor breakwater. Construction on the harbor began in 1966 and the harbor was dedicated in 1971. Before the breakwater went in, the surf break here was known as Killer Dana and produced one of the largest waves on the Southern California coast. The breakwater erased that wave, and the beach today is a destination for learning surfers. A 121-site campground occupies the south end of the state park, with a separate day-use beach on the north. The Dana Point State Marine Conservation Area covers the coast on the far side of the harbor and does not reach Doheny.
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
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