Lord Howe Island (Lagoon Road boatsheds)
46 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Lord Howe Island (Lagoon Road boatsheds) →AUSTRALIAN DESTINATIONS
Explore 685 listed dive sites and find the local knowledge to help plan your visit.

Custom YouDive mascot art inspired by New South Wales. An imaginative illustration, not a photograph or map of this destination.
Your bearings, in a minute
Start with the local site mix, explore the map and find people to ask about your trip.
1 record has a closure notice. Check individual site pages before planning.
Directory counts describe published records, not bookable trips. Location confidence is shown separately in the map list. How we check information →
Prepared by YouDive editorial with AI assistance. No firsthand visit, equipment test or instructor review is implied.
Independent specialist review: pending. We publish a reviewer’s name, qualifications, date and exact review scope only after the review has actually happened.
Who can contribute and how reviews work →Find your bearings
Compare where the recorded sites sit, then open a site to read its access and source notes. Locations are for orientation, not marine navigation or entry instructions.
685 matching records · 685 with a map location · 0 without a usable position.
Reef · 33–38 m
Approximate area
Wreck · 50–55 m
Approximate area
Shore/Rock Platform · Not recorded
Approximate area
Reef · 15–24 m
Approximate area
Reef · 6–18 m
Approximate area
Wreck · 1–8 m
Approximate area
Shore/Rock Platform · 4–18 m
Approximate area
Wall · 18–23 m
Recorded location
Shore/Rock Platform · 3–14 m
Approximate area
Wall · 12–18 m
Approximate area
Wreck · 41–47 m
Approximate area
Shore/Rock Platform · 3–10 m
Approximate area
The local notebook
Use the actual places attached to the local records to narrow your research. These are recorded nearby towns and areas, not verified departure points or accommodation recommendations.
46 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Lord Howe Island (Lagoon Road boatsheds) →27 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Manly →26 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Coffs Harbour →19 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Eden →19 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Huskisson →19 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Kurnell →| Local example | Recorded nearby place | Recorded access | Follow the evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairey Firefly VX381 | Callala Bay / Huskisson | Boat | Recorded source ↗ |
| JD Reef North (Royal National Park) | Bundeena | Boat | Recorded source ↗ |
| Beehive Casemate Tunnel (Middle Head) | Mosman | Boat | Recorded source ↗ |
| Black Rock Drift | Batemans Bay | Boat | Recorded source ↗ |
Choose the named outing that interests you first. Compare its recorded place and access with your accommodation plans, then obtain the actual meeting address and schedule from the provider. The site links show the underlying depth, location confidence and source notes. Similar town names or map positions do not establish that two outings can be combined in a day.
A closer look at New South Wales
Our New South Wales directory currently includes 685 published site records. The largest recorded category is reef (227 records). Use the mix below to decide what you would like to read about first.

A visual guide to recorded site types. Counts show coverage, not popularity or current availability.
Source: published YouDive directory records for New South Wales. Bars use the same scale within this graphic; the longest is the largest category, not 100% of the destination.
Start with Fairey Firefly VX381, JD Reef North (Royal National Park), Beehive Casemate Tunnel (Middle Head). These are examples from different recorded categories, not a recommended route or a list of the best sites. Open each record for its sources, map and review notes.
| Site | Recorded type | Access | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairey Firefly VX381 | Aircraft Wreck | Boat | 12–13 m |
| JD Reef North (Royal National Park) | Artificial Reef | Boat | 20–31 m |
| Beehive Casemate Tunnel (Middle Head) | Cave/Cavern | Boat | 1–5 m |
| Black Rock Drift | Drift | Boat | 10–20 m |
A dot shows a recorded maximum. A line joins the recorded minimum and maximum when both are available. These are site descriptions, not target depths or certification limits.
The table above contains the same depth values. Depth alone cannot establish suitability, and records may require correction. Source: the linked site records.
Start with one local base and explore from there. A region can contain several different shore and boat options, so the useful comparison is the whole outing: access, support, equipment collection and the time you have.
For a shore outing, ask about the meeting place, equipment collection, facilities and the actual entry arrangements. For a boat booking, include boarding, return times and what you bring aboard. Neither access label tells you that a site is suitable for you. Share your recent experience and ask about the route the provider proposes for that particular day.
You might be drawn to a wreck record, a rocky reef or a marine-life photograph. Use that interest to start a conversation about the environment and support involved. A wildlife highlight is a reason to look more closely, not a sighting promise. Likewise, seeing a cave or wreck feature in a description does not establish that entering it is part of an appropriate outing.
Work out where you collect and return hire equipment, where the group meets and how much of the day the activity occupies. Plan meals, accommodation and any non-diving company around those details. If the preferred outing changes, ask which alternatives would still suit the group. A short list with clear arrangements is easier to use than a long list of famous sites.
Where do we meet and collect the equipment?
Check the full access arrangement.
What does the ticket include for each person?
Separate diving from sightseeing products.
What observation guidance applies?
Keep sightings as a possibility.
From “that looks lovely” to a plan
Find your starting point, meet the local options and keep your ideas together. You do not need to have the whole trip worked out yet.
Find out how a first course works, compare your options and get comfortable asking questions.
Connect your next outing with useful reading and a conversation about the right training and support.
Explore the professional pathway and prepare better questions for a training centre.
These are learning paths to explore, not prerequisites for every local site. Confirm the actual course, instructor and your readiness with the provider.
A few operator profiles from this state or territory to start exploring. Shown alphabetically, not as a quality ranking. Ask about the specific trip or course you want.
Listed in this state or territory
Ramsgate
A Sydney operation associated with training across recreational and technical levels, boat diving and equipment services.
Listed agencies: padi. Check current affiliations and course availability.
Meet this operator →Listed in this state or territory
Alexandria
The Sydney branch of Adreno, an 850-square-metre spearfishing, freediving and scuba store in Alexandria that also runs SSI scuba courses.
Listed agencies: ssi. Check current affiliations and course availability.
Meet this operator →Listed in this state or territory
Swansea
Open the profile for contact details and recorded services, then ask about current arrangements.
Meet this operator →Listed in this state or territory
Batemans Bay
Open the profile for contact details and recorded services, then ask about current arrangements.
Meet this operator →Start with the place and your questions. Add dates and prices once you have spoken with the people running the trip.
Creates a new trip with this destination, useful reading and starter questions. Saved on this browser; export a backup from My trips.
THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF
New South Wales offers a long sequence of coastal regions rather than one central dive gateway. Our directory separates Sydney areas, the north and mid-north coast, and the south coast so that you can compare a realistic local base. A Sydney stay and a Jervis Bay or Coffs Harbour trip need different transport and departure arrangements; do not treat a state-level search as a list of nearby sites.
There are 685 published site records across New South Wales. The recorded categories include reef (227), shore/rock platform (162), wreck (89), wall (70). These categories reflect the database; they are not a ranking, a conditions report or an assessment of your suitability.
Start with one of the regional pages below. State-wide totals are useful for browsing, but the actual choice should be made at the level of an operator, a site and a proposed itinerary.
Research operators in New South Wales →Save the answers with the contact name and date. Separate confirmed arrangements from items still waiting for a reply.
Record your trip questions →Compare the harbour, northern beaches and southern Sydney records separately. Confirm the meeting point and actual entry or vessel arrangements.
Start with a town and its operators, then ask which offshore or local trips are offered during your dates. Wildlife photographs do not guarantee an encounter.
Compare Jervis Bay, Narooma and other regional bases by travel time and departure availability. Keep island travel arrangements distinct from mainland road-trip assumptions.
Begin with the individual site and its source notes, then discuss the proposed trip with a local provider. The 685 published records are research options, not a list of trips available today. Match the plan to your training, recent experience and the operator’s current requirements.
Choose dates with a provider who runs the activity you want, then discuss seasonal patterns, recent conditions and alternative itineraries. A generic best-month claim cannot establish the conditions at your exact site or guarantee a wildlife encounter.
No. Recorded and approximate map positions support orientation only. Confirm the exact access, permissions, meeting point and route with the responsible local provider or manager.
Regional planning context: Destination NSW — beaches and water activities ↗. Directory counts come from published YouDive records. Individual site claims remain subject to their source and review notes.
Search within New South Wales, or narrow the list to a recorded dive type. Open a site for its map, sources and access notes.
685 matching site records. Listings do not confirm current access or availability.
WallSydney South & Botany Bay
A wall with a rock tunnel and a deeper reef carpeted in thousands of small fan sponges, with old truck tyres from the clifftop…
WreckSydney South & Botany Bay
Scattered iron and brass from a 1911 timber steamer wrecked in a southerly gale in 1939, on the same point as the Tekapo.
WreckCentral Coast
A rarely dived deep technical wreck 5 km east of Norah Head, lost in a 1917 gale.
ReefSydney South & Botany Bay
A boulder reef riddled with swim-throughs, caves and tunnels, plus probable MV Malabar funnel and boiler wreckage in an 8 m inlet.
Shore/Rock PlatformTweed & Byron Bay
Surprisingly rich muck/critter shore dive right in the river mouth; tropical juveniles recruit here in summer and autumn on the…
ReefCentral Coast
A simple sand-gutter reef dive near Terrigal with colourful small gorgonians and regular weedy seadragons - a favourite second…
WallSydney South & Botany Bay
Twin walls at 10–15 m and 20–24 m with swim-throughs, seadragons in the kelp and huge pomfret schools, on an undived cliff line.
WallNewcastle & Lake Macquarie
A steep wall with the spectacular Slot Cave and one of the region's best populations of eastern blue devilfish.
Shore/Rock PlatformBatemans Bay
Gutters and overhangs full of wobbegongs; a good night dive in westerly weather.
Artificial ReefWollongong & Kiama
Tall steel reef towers rising 12 m from 32 m sand, built to attract kingfish and other pelagics.
Pinnacle/BommiePort Macquarie & Camden Haven
An offshore plateau pinnacle with multiple rock swim-throughs and a nearby sponge garden, dived only in calm conditions.
ReefSydney South & Botany Bay
A rocky reef island split by a 100 m sand gutter, divable in strong southerly and south-easterly winds when most of Sydney is…
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney South & Botany Bay
A pink-white rock wall to 18 m with a large cave at 14 m on the tip of the Kurnell headland, dived by almost nobody.
Muck/SandSydney South & Botany Bay
A quirky night muck dive with bioluminescence, big eels, crabs, a sunken station wagon and a 1960s bottle pile.
ReefSydney South & Botany Bay
Sheltered estuary slope of ledges and big boulders with small invertebrates and possible seahorses – a fallback when the ocean is…
ReefCentral Coast
A deep offshore reef with sea whip gardens and clearer blue water, well away from the crowds.
Details need confirmation
Shore/Rock PlatformShoalhaven Coast
Quiet, sheltered snorkelling coves along scenic walks, including the route to the SS Merimbula wreck.
Details need confirmation
WallCentral Coast
A shallow reef wall off Bateau Bay, discovered and named on Terrigal Dive's 40th anniversary dive.
Details need confirmation
Shore/Rock PlatformWollongong & Kiama
Kelp-to-sponge-garden reef with friendly blue groper beside one of the Illawarra's prettiest beaches.
Details need confirmation
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney Northern Beaches
A shallow, sheltered-corner boulder reef beside the Avalon rock pool – the upper Northern Beaches' easiest local shore dive and…
Details need confirmation
ReefForster & Seal Rocks
A reef known for dense baitfish activity and the pelagic predators it attracts.
Details need confirmation
ReefBallina & Evans Head
A little-dived stretch of reef between Ballina and Lennox Head with a seasonal chance of grey nurse sharks and virtually no diver…
Details need confirmation
ReefBallina & Evans Head
A quieter northern extension of the Ballina reef system toward Lennox Point, seeing very little diver traffic.
Details need confirmation
ReefBallina & Evans Head
A more distant, deeper offshore shoal north-east of Ballina, seeing very little diver traffic.
Details need confirmation