A few years ago there was access to the point at Crystal Bay. That point is now closed to public access from the land, and the only way to dive that point is to use a kayak or a boat. A very nice alternative to the dive at Crystal Bay Point is the small public beach called Speedboat Beach just on the California side of Crystal Bay. As you drive into the Crystal Bay Area from the West, you come to Harbor Street just off of Highway 28. Make a right hand turn and head on down to the beach street parking area. The closest parking available near the intersection of Harbor & Lake is an ideal place to park, as it is adjacent to the path entrance to the beach about 60 yards away. During the summer months these parking spaces fill up early, so this would be an ideal early morning destination.

The facilities on the beach are non-existant, and the beach is primarily a small family beach. On the left side of the beach someone has erected a small iron gate separating the beach. It seems to be a common practice for people to simply walk around the gate in the shallow water and make use of that beach.

The bottom of Speedboat Beach has very interesting topography. This is an extremely shallow dive, and even after going out over a half mile or so, I was still at about 30 feet of depth. The bottom is made of a constant slab of granite with the usual cracks and "potholes". This bottom however is littered with "potholes", thousands of them. The holes in the granite are about one foot in diameter, and about a foot deep. There are also an abundance of swim throughs and "balancing rocks" littered all over the bottom. Even with my limited knowledge of geology, I found this to be a very interesting dive.

Pic on left shows divers entering water. Pic on right shows the "potholes".

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!