wreck

Log This Dive

Oil Rigs Elly-Ellen

Diving the Elly and Ellen oil rigs off Huntington Beach is an exercise in perspective. Forget your typical colourful reef; this is an artificial world, industrial and immense, yet somehow beautiful. We’re talking about massive steel structures, legs disappearing into the gloom, completely encrusted with invertebrate life. Think clouds of market squid hovering between the beams, thick schools of senorita fish, and the occasional giant sea bass cruising through the girders. The sheer scale is what gets you. Dropping down, you feel small, insignificant, surrounded by these colossal steel pillars. It’s cold, dark, and often has a bit of a current, so come prepared with proper thermal protection and good buoyancy control. We always aim for a slack tide window; it makes navigating the structure a whole lot more enjoyable. Our favourite thing to do is just pick a leg and follow it down, watching the purple hydrocoral and anemones give way to deeper-dwelling critters. It’s a challenging dive, certainly not for beginners, but for experienced divers looking for something truly unique, it’s a phenomenal experience. There’s a stark, almost haunting beauty to it.