Nicholas Canyon
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
Outer Nicholas Canyon is a large reef off the Los Angeles County line, about 30 miles from Ventura Harbor. It lies three-quarters of a mile to a mile offshore in 45 to 60 feet (14 to 18 m) of water, which is too far to swim from the beach, though it can be reached by kayak.
The shallower part of the reef has thick kelp and some large rocks. The deeper outer part drops to a sandy bottom that leads to a rock rubble field full of cracks and crevices.
Lobsters hide in the rubble, and large sheepshead, calico bass, barred sand bass and halibut are found here. It is good for photography, with wide-angle subjects and macro subjects such as large dorid nudibranchs and other invertebrates.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Pacific Purple Sea UrchinStrongylocentrotus purpuratusReported here · unconfirmed
NudibranchNudibranchReported here · unconfirmed
Sunburst AnemoneAnthopleura solaReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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