Santa Barbara County

Point Conception divides the Santa Barbara County coast. North of the point, Jalama Beach is a fully exposed stretch of open ocean, and Surf Beach and Ocean Beach Park sit inside the Vandenberg State Marine Reserve, where all fishing and spearfishing are illegal. East of the point, the south-facing coast runs past Gaviota, Refugio and El Capitan to Santa Barbara, Carpinteria and Rincon Point.

Refugio State Beach is one of the more reliable shore-dive entries along the Gaviota stretch, because the cove shelters it from northwest swell, and snorkeling, scuba and spearfishing are all common there. Naples Reef is a boat dive about 0.75 miles off the Gaviota Coast, where vertical rock faces rise about 30 feet off the sand and a giant kelp forest grows on top of the reef. The reef off Carpinteria bottoms out around 25 feet, shallow enough for breath-hold divers, and most divers reach it by small boat or kayak. At Campus Point, take has been prohibited since 2012, and the protection has left unusually dense fish life for a shore-accessible spot.

At Mesa Lane Beach, visibility runs anywhere from 5 to 25 feet depending on swell and runoff. At Goleta Beach, where runoff from the slough feeds in behind the sand, it usually runs under 10 feet even on calm days.