Meet the site
Split Bommie is at the very southern end of Hastings Reef. Passions of Paradise describes it as multiple split bommies, with a swim-through at 12 m, and notes that it is used only in light winds because swell wraps around the end of the reef. That exposure is also what makes it interesting: at the southern tip a current line often forms, bringing in small reef sharks and pelagic fish that patrol the edge of the flow. The bommies themselves are split by cracks and clefts, some wide enough to swim through, and the main swim-through at 12 m is the centrepiece of the dive. The coral is robust and healthy, shaped by moderate water movement, with plate and boulder corals and soft corals in the shelter of the clefts. Fish include the usual reef species on the bommies, parrotfish, wrasse, fusiliers, damsels and coral trout, and schools of trevally or mackerel in the current line. Turtles are common on Hastings. Because of the current and occasional surge, this is a better dive for divers with some experience; newly certified divers can do it with a guide in calm conditions. Divers Den also describes a Split Bommie at Norman Reef, which is a different site. On a calm day it is one of the more exciting moorings on Hastings. Visibility at the tip of the reef is often better than inside, commonly 15-25 m, because of the clean water carried in by the current. The site is a good contrast to the sheltered bommies at Stepping Stones, and the two are often dived on the same day, Split Bommie first while divers are fresh and the conditions are at their calmest.
What you might see
Small reef sharks, trevally, mackerel, fusiliers, parrotfish, wrasse, damselfish, coral trout, turtles, plate and boulder corals
Location
Mooring at the very southern end of Hastings Reef, about 50 km north-east of Cairns, over several split bommies with a swim-through at 12 m.
Facilities nearby
Departs Reef Fleet Terminal / Marlin Marina, Cairns: toilets, cafes, paid parking; dive gear, tanks and lunch supplied on board
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
passions.com.aucairnsdiveadventures.com.audiversden.com.aureeftrip.comRecord updated 27 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.