Meet the site
Dee Why Wide is the premier deep reef on the northern side of Sydney, a broad rock platform sitting on the sand plain off Curl Curl that gives Advanced divers wall, gully and sponge-garden diving in clear offshore water. The reef rises from 32 m to a top at about 23 m. Its edge is a series of low walls and large tumbled boulders, with big gullies running from the reef top south to the sand at around 30 m, and the plateau itself is cut by cracks running north–south and east–west, some wide enough to swim along with walls either side, others just slots. Under the boulders on the edge are small overhangs where eastern blue devilfish hover and ladder-finned pomfrets pack in. The fixed life is what most divers remember: small gorgonian fans, thickets of sea tulips, sponges in yellows and oranges, soft corals and hard bryozoan crusts on every vertical face, brighter than anything inshore because the water is clean. Kingfish schools cruise the edge, leatherjackets, yellowtail and sea pike drift across the top, giant cuttlefish court in the cracks in late winter, and wobbegongs and Port Jackson sharks lie in the gullies. A large ship's anchor with its stock broken off lies on its side in one of the east–west cracks, evidently abandoned after an unsuccessful attempt to lift it. Pro Dive rates the site 'black' and Sydney Dive Charters runs it as an Advanced dive to about 30 m, keeping the deeper 30–36 m outer edge for a separate 'Deep' version. Bottom time is limited by depth rather than interest, and nitrox makes a real difference. Visibility can be 30 m; more often it is 10–15 m with a surface current that needs managing. Dee Why Wide suits Advanced divers comfortable with anchored descents in open water and is the standard Deep specialty site for Manly operators. It is a reef dive of real quality rather than a wreck, and pairs with Bluefish Point or North Head for a shallower second dive.
What you might see
Eastern blue devilfish, ladder-finned pomfret, kingfish, giant cuttlefish, wobbegongs, Port Jackson sharks, leatherjackets, yellowtail, sea pike, grey nurse sharks (occasional), gorgonians, sea tulips, sponges, soft corals
Location
Large offshore reef 2.4 km east of Curl Curl Beach and 6.5 km north of Sydney Harbour, rising from 32 m sand to a 23 m plateau cut by long north–south and east–west cracks and gullies.
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
michaelmcfadyenscuba.infosydneydivecharters.com.ausydneydivecharters.com.auprodive.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.