Santa Rosa Reef
San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo County · 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.
Did you dive today?Please share the visibility to make our algorithm more accurate.
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Coastal Bulletin
About Santa Rosa Reef
Why it reads 14 ft
Today's forecast runs
Dawn is the clearest window. A late-morning onshore builds surface chop and gives up a few feet by the afternoon.
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
San Luis Obispo County, CA
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See the offshore water on Pelagiscape →Clarity, temperature breaks and kelp off this beach.
About Santa Rosa Reef
Santa Rosa Reef is a broad shallow reef roughly 1.5 miles west-southwest of the Point San Luis lighthouse, reached by boat from Port San Luis Harbor. NOAA charts 13 feet of water over the shallowest point and a floor near 78 feet, and the reef rises abruptly between the two. Underwater it reads as a tabletop: a wide flat crown at about 20 to 30 feet with a sheer wall on one side that drops 40 to 60 feet, and deep holes and undercuts cut back into the structure. The reef covers more ground than a single dive can.
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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