Meet the site
Middle Ground is one of the finest deep reefs off southern Sydney, and McFadyen calls it a brilliant site – with the caveat that unless you own a boat or belong to the St George Scuba Club, you cannot dive it. It lies straight out from the Port Hacking entrance, only minutes from the Cronulla ramps. There are two reef sections. The main site is about 120 by 80 m, with a flat top at 28–29 m and a wall of up to 3 m on its southern and eastern edges dropping to sand at 31–33 m. A larger reef to the north-east covers about 200 by 150 m and is listed separately as Middle Ground North. The reef is cut by parallel north–south cracks and has overhangs, cracks and holes throughout, with a large, low cave on the eastern wall. For its size the site carries remarkable life. Large schools of yellowtail, sweep, ladder-finned pomfret and seapike surround it; Port Jackson and wobbegong sharks rest under ledges; eastern blue devilfish and red morwong occupy the holes; and McFadyen has counted up to six giant cuttlefish on one dive. Wandering anemones, nudibranchs and sponges cover the reef, loggerhead turtles have been seen, and seals appear on about 60 percent of dives – one of the best seal encounters in Sydney. Visibility is usually 10–15 m and occasionally 25–30 m. On air the no-decompression time is about 16–17 minutes, but because the reef is compact a full circuit takes only 10 minutes, so divers see the whole site on one dive. It suits deep-experienced divers, ideally on nitrox, who want a compact reef with reliably big animal encounters.
What you might see
Australian fur seals (about 60% of dives), giant cuttlefish, Port Jackson shark, wobbegong, eastern blue devilfish, red morwong, yellowtail, silver sweep, ladder-finned pomfret, seapike, wandering anemones, loggerhead turtle, nudibranchs, sponges
Location
Deep flat-topped reef straight out of Port Hacking off Cronulla; 120 × 80 m main reef with a 3 m wall, reef top 28–29 m, sand 31–33 m.
Facilities nearby
Departure only: Port Hacking ramps – Tonkin Park/Gunnamatta Bay (Cronulla), Lilli Pilli, Grays Point – with parking and toilets; air/nitrox at Pro Dive Cronulla (Gerrale Street) and Abyss (Ramsgate).
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.infomichaelmcfadyenscuba.infoRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.