Meet the site
Mordialloc Pier is the standard south-eastern suburbs pier dive, a long timber jetty running out from the beach beside the mouth of Mordialloc Creek. It is a working recreational pier with anglers on it most days and a yacht club and boat channel beside it, and the dive reflects that: it is not pristine, and part of its charm is the junk. The bottom under the deck is sand and shell grit from 2 m at the landing to about 6 m at the head, dotted with a famous graveyard of shopping trolleys and a scattering of golf balls, all of which have been colonised by sponges, sea squirts and algae and now shelter blennies, gobies and small octopus. The pylons carry mussels, tubeworms and sea squirts with Tasmanian blennies, southern cardinalfish, small leatherjackets and toadfish, and a careful look at the weed and debris turns up short-head seahorses, dumpling squid, southern calamari, puffers, sea stars, sand crabs and southern blue-ringed octopus, which are common here and should not be handled. Jellyfish drift through in late summer. Toward the beach the ground is richer, with a small reef and more crabs and rays on the sand. It is a good night dive because the pier is lit and the landing gives an easy entry, and it is used by the Frankston and Cheltenham shops for training. The site's weakness is water quality: the creek beside it carries stormwater and visibility is poor for days after rain, and it is exposed to any wind with south or west in it. On a calm northerly evening at high tide it is a relaxed, easy hour with plenty of small life. The Aspendale artificial reef and Tyre Reef lie offshore to the south-west for boat divers.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Mordialloc Pier is recorded as Jetty/Pier in Melbourne & Port Phillip Bay. 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 Mordialloc Pier 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 Mordialloc Pier 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
Short-head seahorses, southern blue-ringed octopus, dumpling squid, southern calamari, Tasmanian blennies, southern cardinalfish, puffers and toadfish, leatherjackets, sea stars, sand crabs, jellyfish in late summer, rays near the beach
Location
Long timber pier off Beach Road at the mouth of Mordialloc Creek, south-east Melbourne bayside, with a small reef inshore and the Aspendale artificial reef 2.7 km to the south-west.
Facilities nearby
Paid car park on the foreshore (8 am-8 pm); toilets (daytime); rinse tap near yacht moorings; night lighting; cafes on Main Street; nearest air fills Scuba Culture (Cheltenham) or Aquability (Frankston)
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.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.
