If you didn't know, we are based out of San Diego. We know this spot well. This is one of our go to spots for friends who are in town for a visit and never disappoints. Even if you don't have fins on you, you can just walk straight out into the cove and sometimes in shoulder deep water you can swim around with some sea lions. If you've never had a sea lion swim right at you and dart away to the left or right just 3feet from your face, it will get your adrenaline spiking like not many other things.
Swimming with sea dogs is pretty exhilarating. They are insanely sporadic and unpredictable. TBH, sea lions make me more nervous than anything else we have free dived with....and we have swam with sharks, whales, and dolphins. Like any of these animals, you're in their territory so don't be a dick. Respect gets respect. If you try and chase them or block them from where they're trying to go, you're putting yourself in a dangerous situation. Per usual, just pick your spot and be patient. Sea lions are super curious and will come and check you out if they want to. Every sea dog has a noticeably different personality and you don't want to make the grumpy ones any more grumpy. That said, we've swam with these guys like 20 times and have never had any incidents so follow the "rules" and you should be totally fine.
The two best spots to find sea lions out in the water is the reef shelf along the left edge of the cove. Sea Lions will dive in and out of the water over here, so you can usually just hang and wait for them to come to you. If you are a decent swimmer, you can head towards the cave. Often times, there will be a few lounging in the cave. They do get a bit more territorial in the cave, so do not bother them. Watch from a distance and move slowly.
La Jolla Cove gets pretty crowded, and parking can be a nightmare, so it's best to get up earlier. Still want the sun to be up for best visibility in the water, but the earlier the better. Visibility is usually best in the summer time when most of the swell comes from the south. The cove can still be good in the spring and fall, however you're going to want to check the forecast and go out when the swell is 2-3ft or less. You can also google, "La Jolla Cove Visibility" and find recent reports that will give you exact visibility ranges for that day. Anything over 20ft and you should be good to go.
La Jolla Cove isn't just a tourist trap. Ditch the crowd and hop in the water and in no time you can find some super curious/playful sea dogs to hang with. Sea Lions are really unpredictable so relax, don't make any sudden movements, and you'll be just fine. Go in the summer time when the water is calmer and the visibility is much better. Best spot to hang out and wait for sea lions to swim by is hugging the left side of the coast pretty close to the point. This is where they are most often coming in and out of the water.