Where: Coastal, Decker and Nicholas Canyon

Depart from: Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard

When: Saturday, May 10, 2025

Time: Board at 7:00 am, depart at 7:30 am with us getting back about 4:00 pm.

Cost: $240.00 includes three dives, hot lunch, water & air fills including FREE nitrox. Limited to 6 divers

ALL TRIPS are weather-dependent

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Ken at

info@channelislandsdiveadventures.com or call (805) 469-7288

  You will find Decker and Nicholas Canyon between Leo Carillo and Point Dume. Both areas are rarely visited by any boat due to the distance from the harbor and shore.  

Because Decker Caynon is the furthest, this is where we will start our dive day. Decker’s is an excellent reef and is large enough to make several dives on it. This reef is more of a longer reef that runs east to west with a small wall going around part of it. The most significant part of the wall is towards the east end and runs around 55′ deep. Here you will find fish poking their heads into the crevices, and this is also a good place to look for lobsters when in season. Some of the ledges and crevices are quite big. The top of the reef is full of life with many sea fans, larger dorids, nudibranchs, and some other cool photo subjects.

The reef is about 1/2 to 3/4 miles offshore, 45′-60′ deep and has some dramatic rock structure that is about 8′-12′ tall. Decker’s is out from El Matador and La Piedra state beaches along Hwy 1. One of the main reasons Decker’s is so nice is that the access is not easy and is a long swim out. 

After Deckers, we will move to outer Nicholas Canyon, which is another excellent dive. This area is about 3/4 to 1 mile offshore, sits in 45′-60′ of water, and is a large reef with a shallower and deeper part of the reef. The shallower part has thick kelp and some large rocks, and the outer deeper area drops down to a sandy bottom, leading to a rock rubble field with many cracks and crevices. Here, you can find a number of lobsters hiding out along with some large fish, including sheepshead, calico, barred sand bass, and halibut. If you are into photography, you will not be disappointed. Here you can find some great wide-angle shots or plenty of cool macro subjects. Large dorids, fish pictures, and invertebrates are something you will see often here, so don’t forget your camera!