Meet the site
Rifle Range Reef sits directly under the Long Bay Rifle Range cliffs at Malabar, a couple of hundred metres north of Yellow Rock, and is another of the sites McFadyen and the St George Scuba Club opened up after the 1990 deepwater outfall cleaned this coast. The layout is two distinct walls separated by a gentle rocky slope. The main, inner wall drops from about 10 m to 15 m and is built of big boulders that form overhangs, swim-throughs and several small gullies – the most interesting part of the site. Seaward, after the slope, a smaller and less dramatic lower wall drops from 20–22 m to the sand at 24–25 m. Both carry good sponge and sea-squirt cover, and the kelp on the slope between them is seadragon country. The fish life is described as excellent: seapike and yellowtail in dense schools over the walls, one-spot pullers everywhere, eastern blue devilfish under the boulder overhangs and giant cuttlefish in the gullies. The site's character is set by its position – it lies under one of the most dangerous pieces of rock platform in Australia and can only be dived when the ocean is completely flat, which limits it to a few days a month, mostly in winter westerlies. When those days come it is an easy multilevel dive: deep wall first, then the boulders, then the shallows against the platform. Like Tyre Reef, Red Flag and Yellow Rock it has no charter support and is dived almost exclusively by private boats out of Botany Bay, usually as one of two dives along this cliff line.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Rifle Range Reef (Malabar) is recorded as Wall 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.
- Lines and obstructions
- Discuss any known entanglement concerns and the suitability of the planned area.
- 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 Rifle Range Reef (Malabar) 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 Rifle Range Reef (Malabar) 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
Weedy seadragon, eastern blue devilfish, giant cuttlefish, seapike, yellowtail, one-spot pullers, sponges, sea squirts
Location
Two walls about 200 m north of Yellow Rock off the Long Bay Rifle Range, Malabar; a main boulder wall from 10 to 15 m and a smaller lower wall from 20–22 to 24–25 m.
Facilities nearby
None.
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.
