The head of the Carmel submarine canyon, close enough to shore that a swim from the beach puts you over the edge of it, kelp…The head of the Carmel submarine canyon, close enough to shore that a swim from the beach puts you over the edge of it, kelp and granite on the north end, then sand shelving steeply into blue water with the canyon wall below. Named for the Carmelite monastery above the road. Its reputation is old and earned, it has been known as one of the most hazardous shore entries in California for as long as people have dived here, and the local dive shops still brief it as such. Anchorage: Not an anchorage, an open beach with surf. Boats stay in Monterey harbour. Hazards: This beach has killed people. The sand shelves away within a few steps, the shorebreak dumps hard, and the outgoing surge pulls into deep water. It is dived by people who know it, in the right conditions, or not at all. More