Difficulty
intermediate
Viz (last reported 153656h ago)
Max Depth
49.9 ft
Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Butterfly House
The access path leads down the cliff to a rocky staging area just above the dive site. The dive site is a tricky rocky entry for intermediate to advanced divers only. This is an OCEAN EXPOSED dive site, so, conditions can change rapidly. Be prepared for anything, and, don't get in on a questionable day. However, once you're in the water, this dive site is well worth the effort. Rocky reefs, deep shore diving (60-90 feet) and a rich giant kelp forest are all within easy reach once you are in the water at this site. Bring two or three tanks, and, take your time getting your gear down to the staging area in multiple trips before suiting up to avoid injuries.
See http://www.saintbrendan.com/cdnsept00/mont9.html for additional information. This site is located just south of Carmel Proper, on Scenic Drive just north of Stewart Way. Proceed South on HWY 1 to Carpenter. Turn right on Carpenter to the For Way Stop at Ocean Avenue. Turn right on Ocean Ave. and follow it all the way down to Scenic. If you miss the left turn onto Scenic, one of two things will happen. Either your car will become hopelessly trapped in the sand, or you will need a regulator to exit your car. (In other words, if you go too far on Ocean, you will be in the ocean). Follow Scenic around until you can see a house that has a roofline that looks like a giant butterfly. That is the dive site. The access path is about 100 feet back towards Carmel.
Access
shore
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Rod Jenkins
Nov 1, 2008, 12:00 AM
scuba
Every time I would attempt to dive this site, the conditions have been too rough, causing me to move to another site. Today there were some waves but it was calm enough for a dive. After making the trek down the rocks, which required some planning to get our gear to the beach, the entry was not bad. Expect at least 15 minutes to be safe in getting all your gear and don't try to do it all in one trip, especially if this is your first time at this site. Surface swam out perpendicular to the entry and went down at the first kelp forest. We could have gone farther but there was a mean current pushing us north once we were out beyond the protective rocks. Underwater, lots to see, especially if you are farther out. Depths drop gradually, from about 15-20ft close in to 50+ft as you head out. Rocky, wildlife covered bottom with a large kelp forest make this dive worth while. Be wary of the changing conditions on your return to the entry point; the weather here can change very quickly and generally not in the diver's favor.