Meet the site
Stansbury is a quiet holiday town on Oyster Bay, once a major shipping point for grain and oysters, and its long town jetty is one of the string of old Yorke Peninsula jetties that can be dived as an easy shore entry. It does not have the reputation of Edithburgh or Wool Bay and is only lightly documented as a dive site, but it offers the same basic ingredients: timber piles colonised by sponges, ascidians and algae, standing over sand and seagrass in shallow, sheltered water. Depths are modest, from a metre or so near the shore to around 6-7 m at the outer end at high tide. The piles carry a lighter growth than Edithburgh, but divers report the usual cast for the area: nudibranchs, decorator and spider crabs, small octopus, cowfish, globefish, leatherjackets and schools of tommy ruff and garfish around the end. Blue swimmer crabs are common on the sand (and are the reason the jetty is popular with anglers and crabbers), and southern calamari hover near the lights at night. Seahorses and pipefish can be found on the weedier piles, and the seagrass fringe is worth scanning for leafy seadragons, which occur along this whole coast. The appeal of Stansbury is convenience and calm. It is a straightforward first jetty dive, a practical training site, a night dive when you are staying in town, and a fallback when the south coast is unworkable. Snorkellers enjoy the shallow inner section in summer. Its limitations are its shallowness at low tide, fairly low visibility on anything but settled westerly days, and heavy fishing use. Divers looking for the classic Yorke jetty experience should prioritise Edithburgh and Wool Bay, 30-40 minutes south, but Stansbury is worth a dive for anyone based in town.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Stansbury Jetty is recorded as Jetty/Pier in Yorke 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.
- 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 Stansbury Jetty 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 Stansbury Jetty 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
Nudibranchs, spider and decorator crabs, blue swimmer crabs, octopus, southern calamari, cowfish, globefish, leatherjackets, tommy ruff, garfish, seahorses, pipefish, seagrass fauna
Location
Long town jetty at Stansbury on Oyster Bay, mid-way down the east coast of Yorke Peninsula, about 205 km from Adelaide.
Facilities nearby
Foreshore parking, public toilets and showers near the caravan park, boat ramp, shops, pub and cafes in town.
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
thediveshack.com.ausdfsa.netvisityorkepeninsula.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.