Welcome to the Salt Point State Park Ocean Conditions web site. Current conditions at Salt Point are posted daily, usually by 9am, during abalone season (April through November, except July). The rest of the year postings may be intermittent due to lack of staff. Check the Date and Time of Report box to make sure conditions are current. Water visibility is taken at Gerstle Cove and the surf size reported is the largest surf you can expect to find in the park . Conditions are different at every dive spot and can change rapidly so there are no guarantees that what is reported is what you will find when you get here. While in the park if you have any questions about the conditions or dive spots ask any of the lifeguards or rangers.

Abalone diving is a much more hazardous sport than most people realize. Many divers have drowned over the years, both novices and experienced divers, and the one thing they all had in common was that they did not ever think it would happen to them. The ocean can be mean and unforgiving, so be prudent when picking a dive spot. Watch the ocean for at least 10-15 minutes before getting suited up as sets of waves much larger than average can be arriving with long intervals of calm in between. Expect the conditions to be rougher in the water than how they look from high up on the bluffs. And ALWAYS remember that the first thing you should do if you think you might be getting in trouble is get rid of your weight belt. On the majority of drownings and rescues the divers still had their weight belt on simply because they forgot it was there.

Last day of abalone season until August 1. Foggy and cooler this morning with south winds. There are still 10 foot seas on the open ocean making hazardous surf on exposed shorelines but conditions are expected to calm down over the next few days. Visibility is mixed, good in some areas bad in others.

REMEMBER! Drop your weightbelt at the FIRST sign of any trouble in the water. Not dropping the weightbelt in time is the # 1 factor in abalone diver drownings.