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.
WreckSydney Northern Beaches
A 1910 Manly ferry in two pieces with an intact bow and open, fish-filled interior at 45 m.
WreckSydney South & Botany Bay
Massive swim-through diesel engine, propeller, rudder and anchors of a 107 m passenger liner in just 9–10 m, reachable from shore.
Shore/Rock PlatformLord Howe Island
Knee-deep fish feeding with kingfish and drummer, then coral reef with turtles 30 m from the sand.
Artificial ReefNewcastle & Lake Macquarie
Steel artificial reef towers rising 12 m off the seabed, patrolled by schools of kingfish, only 3.5 km from the Swansea bar.
ReefLord Howe Island
One of the best reef dives at Lord Howe – coral-covered boulders and gorgonias in 40 m visibility with kingfish, trevally and…
Shore/Rock PlatformLord Howe Island
Secluded lagoon bay with coral, turtles and a 1965 tuna-boat wreck, reached only on foot or by boat.
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney South & Botany Bay
Reliable weedy seadragons on the sand edge and a protected boat-ramp exit, under Sydney's most famous headland.
ReefJervis Bay
Canyons and swim-throughs among huge boulders with many sea dragons – the reliable choice in southerly weather.
Pinnacle/BommieLord Howe Island
A bommie cut by slits, canyons, craters and porthole openings – photogenic structure with Galapagos sharks in 30 m visibility.
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Claimed to hold the densest population of anemones and clownfish on the Australian mainland coast, on the sheltered side of…
Cave/CavernCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
An easy, current-free swim-through cave surrounded by extraordinarily dense anemone beds and a 1980s trawler wreck, allowing…
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney South & Botany Bay
Sydney's classic training and night dive: an arcing wall of low caverns, the Meditation Cave, sea dragons and famously friendly…
ReefSydney Northern Beaches
Sydney's finest sea-fan and sponge gardens with swim-throughs and canyons under North Head's hat-shaped rock, diveable when…
ReefSydney Northern Beaches
House-sized boulders with overhangs and swim-throughs rising from 27 m, patrolled by two-metre bull rays and sea dragons, 200 m…
WreckEden & Green Cape
Boiler, engine and anchor of a WWII minesweeper-turned-trawler in shallow gullies south of Eden.
ReefSydney South & Botany Bay
Thousands of one-spot pullers over boulders, caves and swim-throughs, with about 50 minutes of no-deco time.
ReefSydney South & Botany Bay
Cronulla's signature boat dive: a flat kelp reef with drop-offs, an 18 m cave, friendly gropers and sea dragons, minutes from…
WallSydney South & Botany Bay
The most varied edge of Osborn Shoal: a sponge-covered drop-off, slanted parallel reefs and a good drift in a light current.
WallSydney South & Botany Bay
Easy 2–3 m wall with swarms of pomfret and old wives, sea tulips and a small fibreglass boat wreck.
WallSydney South & Botany Bay
The biggest overhangs on Osborn Shoal, with large gorgonians and swarms of pomfret, on an easy 15 m wall.
Jetty/PierSydney Harbour
Seahorses on the wharf piles, eels in the mooring blocks and a sunken crane in a silty Vaucluse inlet under a suspension bridge –…
ReefWollongong & Kiama
Kelp, sponge-covered outlier rocks and a pink-rock slope with rays and seasonal tropical visitors.
ReefWollongong & Kiama
Dense sponge, gorgonian and lace-coral growth on a small wall with huge schools of pomfret, nannygai and sweep.
Pinnacle/BommieCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
A remote, U-shaped pinnacle with a semi-trailer-sized tunnel through its base, huge jewfish and kingfish schools, and grey nurse…