Russian Gulch State Park

Looking out to sea, the entry is a short hike from the parking area. Looking back toward the beach area, take note of the inviting waterside cliffs! The entrance is well-marked

Great site for every level of diver. Stayed to the left of the bay, went out to the mouth, lots of fish. Great nudi's, must have been breeding. Vis was okay, about 18-feet, was just a great dive. Headed back up there on January 13th, 2013 for a shop dive. Anyone is welcome to join us. We did a bit of hiking too, trails are great. Going to plan an over nighter soon.

This is a fun site with an extremely easy entry; rare for much of the Mendocino coast. The underwater geography along the left of the cove near the entrance is impressive. Valleys and huge boulders with lots of fish, kelp, nudibranch and all the usual suspects. Some surface swim necessary to get near the mouth. Just dove it on a stunningly clear day in January and vis must have been 30ish feet (during nudi breeding season, too, so saw literally hundreds of the critters). Normal vis probably more like 10'-20'

Better the farther you swim out but can be fun even closer in. Protected entry makes this good for less experienced divers. Free outside shower at parking lot. Vis. Varies as with all North California dive sites.

Fun Dive. Easy entry. Pretty setting. The normal moderate swim to deeper water. Best wildlife out by mouth. Seals are friendly. Bring a bike and take the scenic 3 mile trail to falls between dives. Bathroom is closed at beach but the campground is close. Campground is popular, get a reservation. Showers take quarters.