AUSTRALIAN DESTINATIONS
Diving in New South Wales
Explore 685 listed dive sites and find the local knowledge to help plan your visit.
THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF
Build the trip around a coastal base
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.
Choose the setting, then the trip Counts describe published records, not bookable trips or confirmed open 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 →Ask before booking
- Where does the trip meet, and is parking or a transfer needed?
- Which alternative itinerary might be offered?
- What local park or access information should we check?
Save the answers with the contact name and date. Separate confirmed arrangements from items still waiting for a reply.
Record your trip questions →Sydney regions
Compare the harbour, northern beaches and southern Sydney records separately. Confirm the meeting point and actual entry or vessel arrangements.
North and mid-north coast
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.
South coast and islands
Compare Jervis Bay, Narooma and other regional bases by travel time and departure availability. Keep island travel arrangements distinct from mainland road-trip assumptions.
Questions, answered
How do I choose a dive in New South Wales?
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.
When should I visit New South Wales for diving?
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.
Can I use these maps to enter or navigate a dive site?
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.
Find your region
Dive sites to explore
Shore/Rock PlatformJervis Bay
Shark Net Beach (Huskisson)
Calm, clear shallow snorkel right on the edge of Huskisson town.
Details need confirmationReefPort Macquarie & Camden Haven
Shelley Wide (Port Macquarie)
An extensive rock ridge and gutter system off Shelly Beach known for genuine abundance of both fish and plant life.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformBatemans Bay
Shelly Beach (Moruya Heads)
Sheltered estuary-mouth snorkel with good facilities at Moruya Heads.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformNambucca & Urunga
Shelly Beach (Nambucca Heads)
A small, sheltered local beach offering an easy fallback shore dive when more exposed sites nearby are unworkable.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformPort Stephens
Shoal Bay & Nelson Head
A calm, sheltered eastern-harbour beach and adjoining headland at the Port Stephens entrance, used mainly for snorkelling.
Details need confirmationPinnacle/BommieMerimbula
Short Point Bommie
Offshore bommie near Merimbula with pelagic fish and weedy sea dragons.
Details need confirmationWallCentral Coast
Silver Drummer Wall
A shallow north-east running wall off Bateau Bay, part of the wider Bateau Bay reef system.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformUlladulla
Snapper Point (Merry Beach)
Large cave under the rock shelf on a quiet stretch of the Murramarang coast.
Details need confirmationReefForster & Seal Rocks
Snowflake (Forster)
A lightly documented Forster reef site, likely named for a patch of pale sponge or coral growth.
Details need confirmationJetty/PierEden & Green Cape
Snug Cove Wharf
Guided macro and night wharf diving in Eden's working harbour.
Details need confirmationIslandLord Howe Island
South Island (Admiralty Islets)
Coral drop-offs and boulders at the southern end of the Admiralty group, good for macro.
Details need confirmationReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
South Solitary Island – Anemone Flat
A shallow, sheltered anemone-bed dive on South Solitary Island's western side, ideal for long, relaxed macro photography.
Details need confirmationCave/CavernCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
South Solitary Island – Archie's Cave
A lesser-known cave/overhang site at South Solitary Island, dived on request as a quieter alternative to the marquee moorings.
Details need confirmationPinnacle/BommieCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie
A sheltered bommie below South Solitary Island's historic 1880 lighthouse, a reliable easy dive on the island's lee side.
Details need confirmationWreckCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
South Solitary Island – Steam Boiler
A heavily overgrown historic steam boiler, now effectively a small artificial reef near South Solitary Island.
Details need confirmationPinnacle/BommieCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Split Bommie (Coffs Harbour)
A compact bommie near Split Solitary Island offering an easy extension to a main island dive.
Details need confirmationCave/CavernCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Split Solitary Island – The Arch
A small, scenic natural archway near Split Solitary Island's namesake split, an easy bonus feature on a broader island dive.
Details need confirmationReefCentral Coast
Spoon Bay Reef (Wamberal)
A kelp reef with blue devilfish and cuttlefish just off a secluded cove that is also one of the Central Coast's recommended…
Details need confirmationPinnacle/BommieTweed & Byron Bay
Spot X
Byron Bay's quiet offshore pinnacle system — good numbers of grey nurse sharks in winter with none of the diver traffic of Julian…
Details need confirmationReefLord Howe Island
Stephens Hole
Another of the southern sanctuary zone's coral-ringed lagoon holes.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformForster & Seal Rocks
Sugarloaf Bay / Boat Beach (Seal Rocks shore)
Seal Rocks village's sheltered sandy bays, offering easy shore/snorkel access as a low-key alternative to the boat-only offshore…
Details need confirmationReefCentral Coast
Sweep City
A reef named for its dense silver sweep schools - a reliable fish-action dive north of Terrigal.
Details need confirmationWreckBatemans Bay
TSS John Penn
Historic 1879 steamer loss near Burrewarra Head, a search dive for wreck enthusiasts.
Details need confirmationReefCentral Coast
Terrigal Reef / SS Lord Ashley
Scattered remains of the 1877 steamer Lord Ashley on the shallow reef off Terrigal - a history-hunter's search dive.
Details need confirmation