Submarius
Dive conditions in San Diego
Kelp forests for white seabass and halibut, plus offshore runs to the Coronado Islands and the Tanner Bank. Cool Pacific water all year; vis improves with offshore winds.
Before you dive, open the app for the swell, wind, tide, water temperature, current and a visibility estimate for San Diego, CA.
Notable species
San Diego is known for:
Typical water visibility
Summer visibility around San Diego is commonly reported in the 10 to 40 ft range, a community guidance estimate, not a measurement. Rain, river discharge, swell mixing, and seasonality can shift real conditions dramatically day to day.
The app shows a model estimate of today's visibility here, with a confidence figure.
How the visibility estimate works →Last 7 days of model reads
One model estimate recorded each morning (UTC) for San Diego. These are model estimates, not measurements; the low and high columns are the p10 to p90 range around the middle estimate.
| Day | Low ft | Estimate ft | High ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15 | 12 | 20 | 30 |
| Oct 14 | 12 | 20 | 30 |
| Oct 13 | 12 | 20 | 30 |
| Oct 12 | 12 | 20 | 30 |
| Oct 11 | 12 | 20 | 31 |
| Oct 10 | 12 | 20 | 31 |
| Oct 9 | 12 | 20 | 30 |
Table baked Oct 15, 2026; days the recorder missed are simply absent.
Clearest months at San Diego
Model climatology from the baked clarity ceiling: the typical day and the best case (90th percentile) visibility for each month, with a seasonal algae bloom proneness flag. These are labelled model estimates, not measurements.
| Month | Typical ft | Best case ft | Bloom risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 30 | low |
| Feb | 20 | 30 | low |
| Mar | 13 | 30 | low |
| Apr | 13 | 23 | low |
| May | 20 | 23 | low |
| Jun | 17 | 23 | low |
| Jul | 20 | 28 | low |
| Aug | 18 | 27 | low |
| Sep | 20 | 30 | low |
| Oct | 20 | 31 | low |
| Nov | 21 | 33 | low |
| Dec | 21 | 33 | low |
Ceiling artifact global-reef-v10-obis-world; table baked Oct 15, 2026.
What Submarius shows for San Diego
This page reads San Diego at 32.72°N, 117.16°W, in Southern California. Open the same point in the app for:
- A 0 to 10 rating. For diving at San Diego today, from Rough to Prime, and you can tap any factor to see why.
- Best 3 hour window. The three hours in the next 24 that score best.
- Tide. Rising, falling or slack, the next high or low, and a 24 hour curve.
- Wind. Speed and direction, with gusts.
- Waves and swell. Wave height and swell, with the second and third swell by the hour.
- Water temperature. With the air temperature underneath.
- Current. Drift in knots and the next slack, from a regional model, so it's offshore drift, not your entry.
- Visibility estimate. A model estimate with a confidence figure, not a measurement.
- Weather warnings. National Weather Service warnings for this spot and its marine zone.
- 8 day forecast (Pro). Days 2 to 8, hour by hour.
Reefs and wrecks near San Diego
The reefs and wrecks layer in the app marks charted wrecks, reefs and obstructions around San Diego, where sources have them. Tap one for the seabed depth beside it (an estimate where no chart reports one), the least depth over the structure where a chart sounding exists, and today's conditions at that spot. The structures are merged from NOAA nautical charts and other public sources, so coverage is densest in US waters. It's a Pro map layer.
See the spearfishing map →Safety in the water
Every safety tool in Submarius is free. With Safety Watch you set a "back by" time and pick who watches. If you don't check in by then, the server alerts them by push or email, even if your phone is dead. It needs a free account and never contacts the coast guard.
When Spearfishing is your mode, a shark awareness card also lists the shark species recorded in the area and any community sightings from the last 48 hours.
Also at San Diego
More diving locations
See all →Check San Diego before you head out
Today's conditions, safety tools and trip recording are free. Pro adds the 8 day forecast, the Pro map layers, cam playback and offline areas for $12.99 a month or $99 a year, or $149 once (US prices).