AUSTRALIAN DESTINATIONS

Diving in Queensland

Explore 594 listed dive sites and find the local knowledge to help plan your visit.

THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF

Choose your reef gateway before your accommodation

Queensland research starts with the departure region. Cairns and Port Douglas, the southern reef islands, Townsville and the south-east coast appear in different parts of this directory. Treat them as separate trip choices: being in Queensland does not put every reef or wreck within reach of the same boat. Work from a proposed operator itinerary back to your accommodation and transfers.

Choose the setting, then the trip

There are 594 published site records across Queensland. The recorded categories include reef (290), pinnacle/bommie (73), wall (70), wreck (52). 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 Queensland →

Ask before booking

Which port and vessel will run our trip?
Is the named reef a likely itinerary or a confirmed destination?
What changes if our island transfer or boat departure moves?

Save the answers with the contact name and date. Separate confirmed arrangements from items still waiting for a reply.

Record your trip questions →

Northern reef gateways

Compare Cairns and Port Douglas by the actual departure, return time and proposed trip. Ask which sites are possibilities rather than fixed promises.

Islands and southern reef

For island-based trips, confirm how arrival transfers connect with the diving schedule and what equipment must be reserved.

South-east Queensland

Use the Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and island region pages to distinguish boat departures, shore access and wreck-related records.

Questions, answered

How do I choose a dive in Queensland?

Begin with the individual site and its source notes, then discuss the proposed trip with a local provider. The 594 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 Queensland 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: Tourism and Events Queensland — accessing the Great Barrier Reef ↗. Directory counts come from published YouDive records. Individual site claims remain subject to their source and review notes.

Diving in Queensland

Choose your reef gateway before your accommodation

Choose the setting, then the trip ?Counts describe published records, not bookable trips or confirmed open sites.

Ask before booking

Northern reef gateways

Islands and southern reef

South-east Queensland

Questions, answered

Prepare for this destination

Find your region

Dive sites to explore

Pyramids (Gneerings)

Rayban (Opal Reef)

Reefy Seconds (Lady Elliot Island)

Rosswall

Round the Bend (Milln Reef)

Rudder Reef

Rufus King Wreck

Sandshoe Reef (Swain Reefs)

Sandy Seconds (Lady Elliot Island)

Saxon North Horn

Scawfell Island – Refuge Bay

Shannon II Wreck

Shark Alley (Wheeler Reef)

Ship Rock

Simmos (Lady Elliot Island)

Sinker Reef (Swain Reefs)

Ski Slope (Flynn Reef)

Snake Reef (Swain Reefs)

Sno Bommie (Opal Reef)

Southern Comfort

Southside (Opal Reef)

Split Bommie (Opal Reef)

St Bees Island Fringing Reef

Steel Barge S4 (Big Woody Island)

Choose the setting, then the trip