Pebble Beach is a real nice dive site. It has a south east exposure, which means that on many days when Back Beach is blown out, Pebble Beach is a reasonable alternative. True to its name, you will not find a lot of sand on this beach - although unfortunately enough, you will find more than enough sand to swim over on your way out to the reef area, and more than enough kicked up in the surf zone to make a thorough rinsing of your gear essential after any outing here.

That sand, and the surface swim, are minor downsides to this otherwise lovely dive site. You should expect to swim out several hundred yards to find the rocky reefy area that is the prime diving at this site. I usually snorkel part way, watching crabs, skates and flounder, and occassional lost lobsters on the seemingly endless sandy bottom. Then I roll onto my back and look to my right, swimming until I can see both of the smoke stacks emerge from behind the point. Roll over now and look for the beginning of the reef, and drop down when you see the bottom turn dark. If you drop too soon, you'll end up on the first of the two parallel reefs - and the second one, separated by a short stretch of sand, is far superior. There, rocks and little canyons spread out parallel to shore in either direction, and you will find sculpins, sea ravens, stripers, red crabs, and lobsters. At high tide you'll see about 30 - 35 feet here, not much more than 20 - 25 at low.

Parking is free, but the town has recently made most of it "Resident Only." Try to pull as far to the right as you can. It is a two way road, and it can get busy. There is almost always a spot available somewhere up or down the stretch. If you are with non-divers who want to beach it, the sand, if any, can be found farther down the road.

This is a fairly easy dive, and a fairly easy, sandy entry and exit. But, due to the steepness of the beach area, there can be a strong surge and rough surf zone. You should definitely put on everything except your fins (EVERYTHING except your fins) and walk carefully intothe surf and past the breakers, before stopping to don your fins in chest deep water. Exiting the water, watch the surf zone, doff your fins only before you get to the white water, keep your reg in your mouth, and scuttle out sideways like a crab - one eye on the waves, and one eye on the beach; don't let t a big wave sneak up on you and knock you down, and keep any eye out for the ankle breaker boulders that are a part of the terrain. Novices scuba divers should not feel threatened, just forewarned! Pebble Beach is often an open water training site - and people of all experience levels routinely enjoy this dive!

Take Route 128 through Blackburn and Grant Circle and proceed to the light. Take a left onto Route 127. Just past the Cape Ann Shopping Center take a left onto Barn Lane and at the bottom of the hill, take a left onto 127A. Approximately 2.8 miles later - having passed Amelia's (pick up lunch and beverages) and Good Harbor Beach - you'll come to the Turk's Head Inn. Take a Right onto South Street, and a left onto Penzance Rd, just before you hit the water. Pebble Beach is all along on your right.