Leffingwell Rock

Leffingwell Rock is a small rock that breaks the surface about three-quarters of a mile south of Leffingwell Landing in Cambria, reached by kayak or small boat launched at the landing. Depths around it run from 30 to 50 feet over rocky bottom, with kelp across most of that ground. The rock is the named feature, but the diving holds up across the whole stretch of reef between it and the landing. Boats headed for the pinnacles further offshore use it as the fallback when the weather turns them back.

Rocky bottom, boulders and the wash rock itself, standing in 30 to 50 feet with bare surfaces where the canopy thins, make the site a rocky reef biome. Bull and giant kelp anchored on that rock and running up through the water column to the surface put a kelp forest biome over the top of it, and the canopy is dense enough to be the site's defining feature from the water.

Scuba, spearfishing and underwater photography all happen here, and the shallow depth and mild current suit divers with limited boat time. The kelp knocks down most of the swell that reaches the site, which is what makes the rock useful as a backup dive. That only goes so far, since this is open Cambria coast facing northwest, and a winter swell closes the site along with everything else on this stretch.

The Cambria State Marine Park covers this site. Commercial take is prohibited inside the SMP. Recreational fishing, including spearfishing, is allowed there under standard California regulations.