Lake Tahoe · United States · Freshwater · Night
Sunnyside
One of the few Tahoe sites with schools of Tahoe sucker
Area photo: Jeff Hopper jeffhopper · CC0
Sunnyside is a west-shore beach entry, reached by a short walk through the fir trees, onto a steep drop-off that starts at about 18 m and falls away at roughly 45 degrees over pebbles and light silt. Dive schools use it to train divers for deep and night diving, and it is one of the few parts of the lake where large schools of Tahoe sucker have been found.
Also known as Kent State Park.
Where it is and how deep
39.1398° N, 120.1532° WPublished position for this site.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
Arrive early: parking is limited and it is not unusual to find classes here at weekends. Walk down through the fir trees to a beach of small pebbles and a little sand. It is a 40 ft (12 m) surface swim before the ground starts to fall away, and once you drop, the slope runs off at about 45 degrees from around 18 m (60 ft), over a bottom that varies from pebbles to a light silt. With 18 to 21 m (60 to 70 ft) of visibility, the pitch of the drop-off is obvious from the moment you leave the surface.
Work along the drop-off rather than straight down it, keeping the slope on one shoulder so the return leg is simply the reverse. Many logs lie scattered along the slope, and large schools of Tahoe sucker, 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) long, hold over it — this is one of the few areas of the lake where they have been found. Dive schools run deep and night training on this same ground. Come back up the slope and exit as close to shore as you can: the beach sits inside a boat mooring area.
Marine life and season
- Freshwater fish
| 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
- The beach sits inside a boat mooring area — tow a flag, watch for larger boats moving through, and exit as close to shore as possible.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Sunnyside dive site?+
The only published figure is the drop-off, which begins at about 18 m (60 ft) and falls away at roughly 45 degrees over pebbles and light silt. No maximum is published for the slope below that, and dive schools use the same ground for deep training, so agree a turnaround depth before you go in.
Sources
- Sunnyside dive site — Scubago
- Lake Tahoe Dive Sites — Sierra Diving Center
More dive sites in Lake Tahoe
Freshwater
Submerged trees, some 6,400 years old, at 4 to 6 m
Freshwater
Flat granite pitted with round craters, in 6 m of water
Freshwater
The lake's most popular summer night dive, free and shallow
Freshwater
An artificial reef under the red marker buoy at 9 m
Freshwater
A trail of resort-era barges and boats sunk in California's first underwater park
Freshwater
Sunken trees from 12 to 30 m, with no surface swim
Freshwater
Sand slope off the swim buoys to a rock ledge at 18 m
Wall
A granite cliff face that keeps dropping long past recreational depths
Similar dives elsewhere
A one-way drift over popcorn springs in 30 m (100 ft) of visibility
A 15-to-20-foot (6 m) spring pool, entered by stairs from the park
A 1940 Lunenburg schooner scuttled for divers at 17 m
.jpg){kind=link}
A submerged pile-dwelling model that becomes a nativity scene every Advent to Candlemas