Meet the site
Ian Road is the southern-most of the five Mount Martha gully dives, the last creek gully before the cliffs run out at Martha Point and the coast turns into the Martha Cove marina and the long sandy sweep of Safety Beach. The Scuba Doctor lists it, like its four neighbours, as a 3–5 m shore dive with fairly easy track access, and its page adds only its position at the southern end of the 8 km cliff line. That position matters in two ways: it is the gully nearest the Safety Beach marina entrance, so boats and jet skis pass closest along this shore in summer and a flag is essential; and it is the closest of the five to the marina's cafés and toilets, which is a consideration on a cold morning. It pairs with Stanley Crescent only 320 m to the north-east, giving two entries for one piece of reef and an easy one-way option. The reef itself is the cliff-foot platform found along the whole coast – sandstone and basalt ledges and undercuts, boulder falls from the cliffs, brown algae and Sargassum on the rock, seagrass in the sandy gaps, shelving to about 5 m – and it holds the eastern bay's rocky-shore community of magpie perch, old wives, zebrafish, leatherjackets, hulafish and bullseyes, with decorator crabs, small octopus and abalone in the crevices, fiddler rays, stingarees and flathead on the sand and giant cuttlefish inshore in winter. South of the gully the reef fades toward Martha Point and the sand of Safety Beach, so the productive direction is north. Ian Road suits self-sufficient shore divers exploring the Mount Martha cliffs and local snorkellers; it offers no depth or facilities, is exposed to every westerly wind, and is best on a calm high-tide morning with an easterly, when the water over the platform is clear and there is nobody else in it.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Mount Martha, Ian Road is recorded as Shore/Rock Platform in Mornington Peninsula. 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.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
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 Mount Martha, Ian Road 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 Mount Martha, Ian Road 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
Magpie perch, old wife, zebrafish, leatherjackets, southern hulafish, bullseyes, decorator crab, Maori octopus, blacklip abalone, southern fiddler ray, sand flathead, giant cuttlefish (winter)
Location
Southern-most of the five creek-gully shore dives on the Mount Martha cliff coast between Balcombe Point and Martha Point, below the Esplanade at Ian Road; 320 m south-west of Stanley Crescent and nearest to Martha Point and the Safety Beach marina.
Facilities nearby
None at the gully; residential street parking only; toilets and cafés at Mount Martha village and Safety Beach; air fills at Mornington or Rosebud dive shops.
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.