Meet the site
Clifton Springs was a Victorian-era spa resort, its mineral springs drawing steamer loads of visitors from Melbourne and Geelong from the 1870s until the hotel burnt down in the 1920s. Three piers served it, and their ruins are now the dive site: the Short Pier in the west near today's boat harbour, the Salt Water Bath Pier in the middle where the enclosed sea baths once stood, and the long Steamship Pier in the east, which is heritage-listed and documented as a separate site. Neither pier survives above water; what remains are rows of stumps, fallen piles, iron fittings, rubble and the flotsam of a resort, spread across a shallow sand, seagrass and shell bottom in 1-4 m. The Scuba Doctor describes it as a delightful shore dive, suitable for snorkellers and a nice night dive, and it is: the old timber and rubble give structure on an otherwise soft bottom, and the syngnathid life is excellent, with seahorses and pipefish on the weedy stumps, nudibranchs on the hydroids and sponges, stingarees and fiddler rays on the sand and octopus and dumpling squid at night. Bottle collecting is a traditional pastime here; old glass from the resort era still surfaces, but digging stirs the fine sediment and wrecks the visibility for everyone, so look rather than excavate. Plans have been floated for an underwater sculpture trail, The Sunken Gallery, on this foreshore. The site is sheltered from southerlies, has free parking at the harbour, and is very shallow, so it is a high-tide dive. With Curlewis to the west and the Steamship Pier to the east it forms a run of three easy, quiet Corio Bay shore dives within a few kilometres.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Clifton Springs Piers is recorded as Jetty/Pier in Geelong & Bellarine. The listed access is shore. Confirm the actual meeting point, route and permission to visit; a map pin does not establish any of these.
Topics flagged by the stored research
These are questions prompted by the existing notes, not a verified or complete hazard assessment.
- Other water users
- Ask about vessel activity, exclusion areas and the agreed surface arrangements.
- Lines and obstructions
- Discuss any known entanglement concerns and the suitability of the planned area.
Historical access notes exist for this record, but have not been independently verified for current use. Request current directions from the operator or site manager rather than following an old entry description.
Questions, answered
Is Clifton Springs Piers suitable for my certification?
The record lists Open Water. That does not establish suitability for every route or day. Share your training, recent experience and equipment needs with the operator and ask about the specific proposed dive.
Can I book Clifton Springs Piers through YouDive?
YouDive is an independent research directory. Contact an operator directly to confirm whether it currently runs the trip, the inclusions and the booking terms.
What you might see
Seahorses, pipefish, nudibranchs, stingarees, southern fiddler rays, octopus, dumpling squid, blennies, gobies, leatherjackets, hydroids and sponges on old piles
Location
Ruins of the Short Pier (west, near the boat harbour) and the Salt Water Bath Pier (middle) off the Clifton Springs foreshore on the southern shore of Corio Bay's outer harbour; the Steamship Pier 600 m east is documented separately.
Facilities nearby
Free parking at Clifton Springs boat harbour; public toilets at the harbour and foreshore; cafe and shops at Clifton Springs; nearest air fills Bay City Scuba, Geelong
Before you make plans
Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.
Sources & further reading
scubadoctor.com.auscubadoctor.com.auscubadoctor.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.