Meet the site
Red Flag is one of a string of little-visited reefs along the cliff line between Maroubra and Malabar that only opened to divers after September 1990, when the Malabar sewage treatment plant's deepwater outfall took the effluent four kilometres offshore and the coast recovered. The site sits under the sheer cliff behind the centre of the Long Bay Rifle Range, marked by the small bay and the red warning flag that flies when the range is in use. Below the cliff a very small rock platform drops into 7 m of water and the reef edge is made of large rocks, some of them forming tunnels and caves that extend back under the platform. Out from the shallows the bottom steps down through a 16 m reef to sand at 23 m. It is not a big site but the structure is interesting and the fish life is excellent: red morwong line the bottom, and the water column holds heaps of yellowtail, seapike and one-spot pullers, with good numbers of bream and small snapper. Wobbegongs and Port Jackson sharks visit seasonally, and one September dive found hundreds of Port Jacksons spread across the sand. McFadyen notes the slimy weed that once covered the area in the outfall days has gone and the sponges have come back. Like its neighbours Tyre Reef, Rifle Range Reef and Yellow Rock it is a private-boat site; the charter operators run past it to Magic Point. That makes it a quiet, uncrowded intermediate dive for boat-owning divers from Botany Bay who want caves and fish without company, best done in the morning before the north-easterly.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Red Flag (Long Bay Rifle Range) is recorded as Reef in Sydney South & Botany Bay. The listed access is boat. 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 Red Flag (Long Bay Rifle Range) suitable for my certification?
The record lists Advanced 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 Red Flag (Long Bay Rifle Range) 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
Red morwong, yellowtail, seapike, one-spot pullers, bream, small snapper, wobbegong, Port Jackson shark (hundreds in September), sponges
Location
Reef below the sheer cliff and small bay behind the centre of the Long Bay Rifle Range, between South Maroubra and Long Bay; large rocks, tunnels and caves from a 7 m platform to sand at 23 m.
Facilities nearby
None (boat departure facilities in Botany Bay).
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.
