Lake Tahoe · United States · Freshwater · Sand slope · Night
Hurricane Bay
Sunken trees from 12 to 30 m, with no surface swim
Area photo: Jeff Hopper jeffhopper · CC0
Hurricane Beach covers half a mile of Lake Tahoe's west shore, and the drop-off is immediate on entry, so there is no long surface swim to get the dive going. Large trees lie on a bottom of soft silt, sand and occasional small rocks between about 12 and 30 m, which is what makes it a deep and night site rather than a beginner's beach.
Also known as Hurricane Beach.
Where it is and how deep
39.1214° N, 120.1608° WPublished position for this site.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
Park along the wooden posts next to the bike path on Highway 89, where there is no fee, and cross on foot to the water about 50 ft (15 m) away. The drop-off is immediate on entry, which is the site's main appeal — no long surface swim before the dive starts. The beach itself is small pebbles and the bottom below is soft silt, sand and occasional small rocks; with visibility around 21 m (70 ft) the slope is plain to see from the moment you drop, so there is no need to navigate out to find the feature.
The large trees on the bottom start at around 12 m (40 ft) and run down to about 30 m (100 ft), so the depth you choose sets the dive: stay high on the slope for a long look at the shallower trunks, or drop to the deeper ones and keep the bottom time short. The site is used for deep and night diving alike, and night dives follow the same line down and back. Plan the ascent to bring you up close to the beach — this is a high boat traffic area, and both entry and exit are best kept tight to shore.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Lake Tahoe: Prime months run July to September; shore access such as D.L. Bliss State Park closes to vehicles once snow sets in, and deep water stays near 4°C even at the height of summer.
Know before you go
- High boat traffic across the bay: enter and exit close to the beach, and make the final part of the ascent in shallow water rather than out over the drop-off.
Sources
- Hurricane Bay dive site — Scubago
- Lake Tahoe Dive Sites — Sierra Diving Center
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