Diving Casino Point: A Kelp Cathedral on Catalina

Casino Point Dive Park, on the edge of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, is the most famous kelp forest dive in North America — and one of the few genuinely purpose-built dive sites in the world. Stairs into the water, gear-up benches, rinse stations, air fills on site, and a marine reserve where kelp grows in a golden cathedral from forty metres of bottom to the sunlit surface. This guide covers how to get there, how to dive it well, and what this protected corner of Catalina teaches the rest of the coast.

What Casino Point is — and why it works

The site sits just north of Avalon's harbour, below the circular Casino building (a 1929 ballroom, never a gambling hall, despite the name). In 1965 the area was designated a marine reserve, and in 1995 it reopened as the country's first non-profit underwater dive park. Fishing and collecting have been banned here for six decades, and it shows: the fish are unhurried, the kelp is dense, and everything is a little bigger than it is a mile along the coast.

The park infrastructure is the other half of the story. Terraced concrete benches face the water for gearing up; wide stairs with handrails drop to a submerged platform; an on-site fill station, gear rental, lockers and showers mean you can arrive on the morning ferry with a swimsuit and be underwater by lunch. For context on the island's wider reefs, see our Coastal Atlas guide to Catalina Island.

Getting there and getting in

The crossing

• Ferries run to Avalon from San Pedro, Long Beach and Dana Point; the crossing takes about an hour. Book ahead in summer — divers with gear get luggage allowances, but carts and bags are restricted.
• From Avalon's ferry dock, the dive park is a pleasant fifteen-minute walk along the waterfront. Luggage carts run from the terminal if you have a full kit.
• Day trip or overnight? A day gives you one, maybe two relaxed dives. Two nights turns it into a proper dive weekend with a night dive — worth it, as the reserve is a different place after dark.

Entry

Giant stride or walk down the stairs to waist depth into a small gravel-bottomed cove; the kelp begins immediately. Surface swim is essentially zero — one of the site's great luxuries. Entry is only possible at reasonable tide heights: at very low tides the stairs end before the water does, and at high tide plus swell the stairs can surge. Check the tide chart and the park's own conditions board before suiting up.

The dive itself

Routes

• The kelp forest, 6–20 m. Straight out from the stairs and right along the reef edge. The kelp here grows on rocky ridges stepping down in terraces; pick a depth contour and follow it. On a clear summer day the light through the canopy is the defining image of California diving.
• The drop-off, 20–40 m. The outer edge of the ridge falls away steeply — this is advanced territory with real depth and occasional current. Most divers stay shallow; the drop-off is where the big animals cruise.
• The wrecks. Several small sunken boats sit within the park's boundaries as artificial structure, encrusted with anemones and patrolled by kelp bass. Ask at the park office for bearings and depths.

Navigation

The site is forgiving: shore is uphill, kelp marks the top, and the ridge runs parallel to the entry. Still, kelp navigation is a skill — fix your position by bottom features as you descend, not by the canopy, which swings in surge. Our beginner's guide to kelp forest diving covers the technique properly.

Conditions

Water temperatures range from about 12°C in winter to 21°C in a warm September — several degrees warmer than the mainland, because Catalina sits on the sunny side of the Southern California Bight. A 7 mm wetsuit suits most of the year; some divers manage a 5 mm in late summer. Visibility runs 10–20 metres on good days, dropping with plankton blooms in spring. Midday entry avoids the worst of any morning south wind.

The marine life that made it famous

The garibaldi — California's state marine fish, a neon-orange damselfish — is the site's mascot. Because the park is a reserve, garibaldi here are big, bold and completely unbothered by divers; the males guard their red-algae nesting lawns in summer with theatrical menace.

The genuine headline, though, is the giant sea bass. These gentle giants, once fished nearly to local extinction, recovered under protection and now cruise the kelp at Casino Point in numbers seen almost nowhere else, especially in summer. A black sea bass the size of a dining table emerging from the kelp shadow is the casino's jackpot.

Around them, the full supporting cast: kelp bass on every ledge, opaleye and halfmoon schooling in the shallows, moray eels in the rockwork, horn sharks resting on the sand by day, and sheephead — the big, bucktoothed wrasse that keeps urchins in check. The kelp itself is mostly giant kelp, and in the gaps you'll find feather boa kelp and southern sea palm on the surge-swept points.

At night the park re-shuffles: lobsters walk out of their dens, octopus hunt the sand, and sleeping fish tuck into the kelp. Bring a light and a torch-holding buddy.

What Casino Point teaches us about protection

Casino Point is a living demonstration of what happens when you simply leave a kelp forest alone: big fish come back, kelp thickens, and the ecosystem becomes a destination that pays its way in dive fees. It's a small, urban-friendly version of the logic behind marine protected areas everywhere — and it's why restoration outfits, including our own dive-operator partners, treat well-managed sites as ambassadors for much bigger protected seascapes.

Key takeaways

• Casino Point is North America's premier kelp dive: protected since 1965, with stair entries, on-site fills and gear-up benches.
• Ferries from San Pedro, Long Beach or Dana Point reach Avalon in about an hour; the park is a 15-minute waterfront walk from the dock.
• Dives run 6–20 m in the kelp with a deep drop-off beyond; water is 12–21°C and visibility often 10–20 m.
• Garibaldi and giant sea bass are the signature animals; night diving transforms the site.
• Check tides before entry — the stairs need mid-tide or better.
• Book summer ferries and fills in advance; weekends sell out.

FAQ

Do I need to book or pay to dive Casino Point?

Yes — the dive park charges a modest entry fee and reserves fill/tank capacity, and summer weekends genuinely sell out. Book your park pass and any rental gear at least a few days ahead.

Is Casino Point suitable for beginners?

Very. The stair entry, minimal swim, protected water and shallow kelp make it one of the best beginner ocean dives anywhere, provided the tide is right. Open-water certified divers should still dive with a buddy and mind their depth on the outer ridge.

What's the best time of year to dive it?

July through October offers the warmest water, the kelp at full canopy, peak giant sea bass sightings, and the calmest crossing. Winter is quieter and colder but can be glassy and clear between storms.

Can I snorkel Casino Point instead of scuba?

Yes — the kelp crowns, garibaldi and school fish are all visible from the surface on a calm day, and snorkel entry uses the same stairs. A wetsuit is strongly recommended.

Are there giant sea bass all year?

Giant sea bass are present year-round but most commonly seen in summer, when they gather over the kelp ridges — some researchers believe for spawning aggregations. Look along the deeper edge of the kelp.