Santa Barbara Island offers a diverse underwater landscape featuring reefs, kelp forests, walls, and caves. Divers can explore depths ranging from 3 to 36 metres, with an average depth of 15 metres. Access to this site is exclusively by boat. Conditions vary, with moderate currents, surge, and visibility typically between 12 and 27 metres. Water temperatures remain cool, fluctuating between 14C and 16C throughout the year. Due to the presence of strong currents and surge, this site is best suited for intermediate divers. Hazards include potential entanglement in kelp and the presence of sharks. Species recorded around this area include California Sea Lions, Garibaldi, and California Spiny Lobsters.

The Rookery at Santa Barbara Island offers a distinctive kelp forest environment within the Channel Islands National Park. Snorkelers can explore this reef site at depths ranging from 3 to 12 metres, with an average depth of 8 metres. Access is strictly by boat due to its remote location. Conditions vary, with visibility typically between 12 and 30 metres. The site is suited for intermediate snorkelers, as the area is subject to moderate currents and surge. Water temperatures fluctuate throughout the year, ranging from 15C in the winter months to 20C in late summer.

The Arch at Santa Barbara Island is a reef and kelp forest site accessible only by boat. Divers can explore depths ranging from 3 to 15 metres, with an average depth of 9 metres. The site is suitable for beginners, though conditions include moderate currents and potential surge. Visibility typically spans 9 to 30 metres, and water temperatures fluctuate between 14C and 20C throughout the year. Divers should be mindful of entanglement hazards in the kelp. Night diving is permitted at this location, which offers a typical dive duration of 50 minutes.

The Rookery at Santa Barbara Island offers a diverse underwater environment featuring a combination of natural reef, kelp forest, and artificial reef structures. Located 600 metres from shore, the site reaches depths between 8 and 18 metres with an average of 10 metres. Visibility is consistently 30 metres, providing clear views through the kelp canopy. Access is by boat only. While currents are generally mild, they can strengthen, and divers should remain aware of boat traffic. Water temperatures range from 14 to 17 degrees Celsius, making a 5mm wetsuit recommended. Divers should exercise caution regarding sea urchins, jellyfish, and potential currents.

Cat Canyon is a reef and kelp forest site located off Santa Barbara Island. Divers typically explore depths between 7 and 14 metres, with an average depth of 10 metres. The site features mild currents and visibility ranging from 10 to 30 metres, making it suitable for beginners. Access is by boat only, and divers should remain aware of surge and swell conditions to avoid entanglement in the kelp. The site is also available for night diving. Due to water temperatures between 15C and 18C, a wetsuit of at least 5mm is recommended. Always monitor for boat traffic when surfacing.

Arch Reef is a kelp forest and reef site located off Santa Barbara Island. Divers typically explore depths between 18 and 22 metres, with an average depth of 18 metres. Access is strictly by boat, and the site is suitable for beginners, though divers should remain aware of mild currents and potential surge or swell conditions. Visibility ranges from 10 to 30 metres, providing clear views of the kelp structure. Water temperatures fluctuate between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius, making a 7mm wetsuit or drysuit advisable. Divers should be aware of the presence of sharks and monitor local swell conditions before departure.

Sutil Island offers a diverse underwater landscape featuring reef, wall, kelp forest, and cave structures. Depths range from 6 to 33 metres, with an average of 18 metres. Divers experience moderate currents and visibility between 12 and 30 metres. The site requires boat access and is suited for intermediate divers due to the presence of overhead environments and shifting surge. Water temperatures typically range from 14C to 17C. Species recorded around this area include California sea lions, northern elephant seals, Garibaldi, and various nudibranchs such as Spanish shawls. Divers must remain vigilant for boat traffic during ascents and maintain strict buoyancy control when navigating the cave sections.

Eureka Oil Rig is an artificial reef located near Santa Barbara Island. The site features a complex vertical structure that functions as a wall dive, with depths ranging from 8 to 21 metres. Access is by boat only, and the site is intended for advanced divers due to strong currents, surge, and the overhead environment of the rig structure. Visibility is variable, ranging from 3 to 30 metres, and thermoclines are common. Water temperatures fluctuate between 14 and 17 degrees Celsius. Species recorded around this area include California sea lions, northern elephant seals, garibaldi, various nudibranchs such as Spanish shawls, and California spiny lobsters.