Dive today
Conditions for each dive site from live buoys, water-clarity sensors, NOAA tides and the marine forecast, then what divers saw this week. Ratings are estimates; the rule behind each is at the bottom.
Coastal waters forecast · Monterey Bay
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Algae watch (weekly pier samples)
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Recent diver photos
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Reports come from divers and are unverified. Numbers show right away; notes and photos appear after a quick review.
Dive sites
Why use Cars & Coast for dive
Clarity from real sensors
Monterey Bay Aquarium intake plankton, the Monterey Wharf turbidity sensor and NOAA satellite water clarity, next to swell from NOAA buoys 46236 and 46042. Each reading shows its age.
Reports from divers who were just in
Visibility and surge numbers post right away; notes and photos appear after a quick review. Add yours from the beach in under a minute.
The official forecast on the same page
The National Weather Service coastal waters forecast for Monterey Bay and any marine hazard alerts, without leaving the page.
Free, no account, no app
Open it on your phone at the entry. No sign-up, no paywall.
How the ratings work
Wave heights for today and tomorrow come from a nearshore model at each break (CDIP, Scripps); other forecasts come from a regional model on a ~5 km grid. None of it is a reading in the surf zone. Conditions change fast; look before you go in, check the official forecast, and never turn your back on the ocean.
More on the coast
Sources: CDIP / Scripps Institution of Oceanography nearshore wave model · Open-Meteo marine and weather forecasts · NOAA buoy 46236 and 46042 · NOAA tide predictions (Monterey 9413450, Santa Cruz 9413745) · National Weather Service alerts and marine forecasts · CeNCOOS water sensors (Monterey Bay Aquarium intake, Monterey Wharf) · NOAA CoastWatch MODIS Kd490 water clarity · independent modeled visibility: Nautical Nick. Refreshed every 30 minutes.