Lobster Diving Charters
Eight hours on the water hunting California spiny lobster with Captain Garrick. Dive the kelp by day, or go after dark when the bugs come out to roam.
Santa Barbara's Spiny Lobster Charter
California spiny lobster season runs October 2, 2026 to March 17, 2027. For those few months the reefs and kelp forests of the Santa Barbara Channel and the Channel Islands hold some of the best lobster diving on the West Coast, and Captain Garrick has spent 16+ seasons learning exactly where the big ones hide.
Spiny lobster are taken by hand, with no spears and no hooks. It's a freediver's game. Read the ledge, spot the antennae, and commit to the grab before the bug backs into its hole. We put you on productive structure along the coast and across all the islands, and the captain's local knowledge does the rest.
Choose a day trip to work the kelp and reef ledges in daylight, or a night trip for when lobster leave their crevices and walk the open bottom. Both run eight hours, both are private, and both are capped at four divers so everyone gets real water time.
Trip Details
Day or Night
Day Trips
Depart in the morning and work the kelp edges, ledges and boulder fields in full visibility. Lobster tuck into crevices by day, so this is a hunt for sharp eyes and patient divers. Spot the antennae, read the hole, and commit to the grab. Great for divers who want daylight, calmer conditions and time to cover ground across the islands.
Night Trips
Depart in the late afternoon, set up on the spot as the sun goes down, and dive the dark. After nightfall lobster leave their holes and walk the open bottom, which is when the biggest bugs are out and the hauls get serious. Dive lights required. The most productive way to fill a bag, for divers comfortable in the water at night.
What to Know Before You Go
What to Bring
- ✓ Valid California sport fishing license
- ✓ Spiny lobster report card (required by CDFW)
- ✓ Lobster gauge (3¼" minimum carapace)
- ✓ Wetsuit, mask, fins, snorkel and weight belt
- ✓ Gloves and a catch bag
- ✓ Dive light plus a backup for night trips
- ✓ Warm layers and a towel for the ride home
Good to Know
- ✓ Meet at Marina 3 gate, Santa Barbara Harbor
- ✓ Lobster season only, see the dates above
- ✓ Night trips depart late afternoon and return after midnight
- ✓ Lobster are taken by hand and measured immediately; shorts go straight back
- ✓ Daily limit is 7 lobster per person
- ✓ Best suited to experienced freedivers
- ✓ Tips appreciated (10 to 20% is standard)
Regulations change, so check the current CDFW spiny lobster rules before your trip.
Ready for Lobster Season?
Day or night, we'll put you on the ledges where the bugs are. Season dates fill fast, so grab yours before the opener.