RUBICON POINT at Calawee Cove Beach

The entrance to Rubicon Point is through the Bliss Park entrance found on the West side of the Lake on Highway 89 near ELD milemarker 19.47. Just drive through the entrance and continue on down to the ranger kiosk. There is currently a $5.00 day use fee, or you may prefer camping. Once past the kiosk continue to one of the two small parking lots at the end of the camp road which are above Calawee Beach adjacent to Rubicon Point. The ranger station usually has free pamphlets which describe the diving in this area.

Be advised that this park is only open from Memorial Day until the last day of September. Even if the weather is excellent and extends into the month of October the park entrance will be locked and blocked. From what I could gather from my conversation with the Park Ranger on October 7, if they get even a light dusting of snow in September the Park will be closed. Their website seems vague on this point and says "weather permitting", etc. It is entirely up to the discretion of the District Ranger, and it appears the park will NOT be kept open as long as weather permits, especially after October 1.

Rubicon Point is a point of sheer granite which drops vertically to a depth of over 300'. It is like climbing a granite wall underwater. The only marine life I have seen here are a few fish, and an abundance of "crawdads". The small parking lots fill up early during the summer. From the lot it is a fairly easy walk down the two trails to a very nice beach. Once on the beach just swim out to the granite outcropping on the right and follow the wall. This dive is like climbing Halfdome, except you are weightless and diving down instead of climbing up with a pack on your back.

EMERALD BAY Underwater State Park

Emerald Bay is interesting from a historical perspective of the area, and has a few underwater wrecks. It is a fairly nice campground and the day use fee is $5.00. If you happen to be in Lake Tahoe it is worth doing and is an interesting dive, but a kayak or boat is required. If you happen to have a "power boat", the entrance is a snap from any of the many boat launch sights at Lake Tahoe. For the "beach diver" enter the Emerald Bay from Highway 89 at milemarker 15.34. Once in the campground drive all the way down the camp road to bathroom number 6 between campsites 85 and 86. There is parking for about six cars across the road from the bathroom. From here it is a 10 minute walk down to the beach without equipment. The easiest way to transport your dive gear is with a wheeled kayak or tote loaded with your dive gear. Once at the beach simply launch and go to the left staying fairly close to the shoreline. The sunken barge is in approximately 35 feet of water and is marked with a white buoy. Because of the long walk, this sight is seldom visited by Scuba divers. According to the resident ranger, 5 divers in a month would be a busy month for divers.

The decision to dive (or not) is your responsibility. Keep diving activities within your training and comfort level. If you feel more training or experience is needed before attempting a dive, don't dive. Know personal limits, skill levels, and abilities of yourself and your dive buddy. Dive Safely and Dive Often!