Coffs Harbour
26 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Coffs Harbour →New South Wales
The Solitary Islands Marine Park is where the tropics meet the temperate zone: hard corals grow alongside kelp, anemonefish share ledges with blue gropers, and grey nurse sharks, turtles, mantas and leopard sharks all pass through. North Solitary's Anemone Bay has the densest carpet of anemones and clownfish in the country; South Solitary has the lighthouse, Manta Arch and Buchanan's Wall. Split Solitary and North West Solitary are closer in and quieter.

Custom YouDive mascot art inspired by New South Wales. An imaginative illustration, not a photograph or map of this destination.
Your bearings, in a minute
Start with the local site mix, explore the map and find people to ask about your trip.
Directory counts describe published records, not bookable trips. Location confidence is shown separately in the map list. How we check information →
Prepared by YouDive editorial with AI assistance. No firsthand visit, equipment test or instructor review is implied.
Independent specialist review: pending. We publish a reviewer’s name, qualifications, date and exact review scope only after the review has actually happened.
Who can contribute and how reviews work →Find your bearings
Compare where the recorded sites sit, then open a site to read its access and source notes. Locations are for orientation, not marine navigation or entry instructions.
38 matching records · 38 with a map location · 0 without a usable position.
Reef · 10–30 m
Approximate area
Reef · 3–12 m
Approximate area
Reef · 10–30 m
Approximate area
Shore/Rock Platform · 2–6 m
Approximate area
Reef · 12–25 m
Approximate area
Shore/Rock Platform · 3–15 m
Approximate area
Reef · 6–30 m
Approximate area
Cave/Cavern · 6–18 m
Approximate area
Cave/Cavern · 6–13 m
Approximate area
Reef · 8–22 m
Approximate area
Reef · 10–22 m
Approximate area
Reef · 8–20 m
Approximate area
The local notebook
Use the actual places attached to the local records to narrow your research. These are recorded nearby towns and areas, not verified departure points or accommodation recommendations.
26 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Coffs Harbour →10 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Wooli →1 site record refers to this town or area.
Look for operators around Sawtell →1 site record refers to this town or area.
Look for operators around Sawtell / Boambee →| Local example | Recorded nearby place | Recorded access | Follow the evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Solitary Island – Bubble Cave | Wooli | Boat (day trip) | Recorded source ↗ |
| North West Solitary Island | Coffs Harbour | Boat (day trip) | Recorded source ↗ |
| Pimpernel Rock | Wooli | Boat (multi-day/liveaboard) | Recorded source ↗ |
| Black Rock (Coffs Harbour) | Coffs Harbour | Boat | Recorded source ↗ |
Choose the named outing that interests you first. Compare its recorded place and access with your accommodation plans, then obtain the actual meeting address and schedule from the provider. The site links show the underlying depth, location confidence and source notes. Similar town names or map positions do not establish that two outings can be combined in a day.
A closer look at Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Our Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands directory currently includes 38 published site records. The largest recorded category is reef (20 records). Use the mix below to decide what you would like to read about first.

A visual guide to recorded site types. Counts show coverage, not popularity or current availability.
Source: published YouDive directory records for Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands. Bars use the same scale within this graphic; the longest is the largest category, not 100% of the destination.
Start with North Solitary Island – Bubble Cave, North West Solitary Island, Pimpernel Rock. These are examples from different recorded categories, not a recommended route or a list of the best sites. Open each record for its sources, map and review notes.
| Site | Recorded type | Access | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Solitary Island – Bubble Cave Details need confirmation | Cave/Cavern | Boat (day trip) | 6–18 m |
| North West Solitary Island | Island | Boat (day trip) | 8–18 m |
| Pimpernel Rock | Pinnacle/Bommie | Boat (multi-day/liveaboard) | 10–40 m |
| Black Rock (Coffs Harbour) | Reef | Boat | 10–30 m |
A dot shows a recorded maximum. A line joins the recorded minimum and maximum when both are available. These are site descriptions, not target depths or certification limits.
The table above contains the same depth values. Depth alone cannot establish suitability, and records may require correction. Source: the linked site records.
Start with one local base and explore from there. A region can contain several different shore and boat options, so the useful comparison is the whole outing: access, support, equipment collection and the time you have.
For a shore outing, ask about the meeting place, equipment collection, facilities and the actual entry arrangements. For a boat booking, include boarding, return times and what you bring aboard. Neither access label tells you that a site is suitable for you. Share your recent experience and ask about the route the provider proposes for that particular day.
You might be drawn to a wreck record, a rocky reef or a marine-life photograph. Use that interest to start a conversation about the environment and support involved. A wildlife highlight is a reason to look more closely, not a sighting promise. Likewise, seeing a cave or wreck feature in a description does not establish that entering it is part of an appropriate outing.
Work out where you collect and return hire equipment, where the group meets and how much of the day the activity occupies. Plan meals, accommodation and any non-diving company around those details. If the preferred outing changes, ask which alternatives would still suit the group. A short list with clear arrangements is easier to use than a long list of famous sites.
Where do we meet and collect the equipment?
Check the full access arrangement.
What does the ticket include for each person?
Separate diving from sightseeing products.
What observation guidance applies?
Keep sightings as a possibility.
From “that looks lovely” to a plan
Find your starting point, meet the local options and keep your ideas together. You do not need to have the whole trip worked out yet.
Find out how a first course works, compare your options and get comfortable asking questions.
Connect your next outing with useful reading and a conversation about the right training and support.
Explore the professional pathway and prepare better questions for a training centre.
These are learning paths to explore, not prerequisites for every local site. Confirm the actual course, instructor and your readiness with the provider.
These profiles are based in the region or have a sourced link to one of its sites. Shown alphabetically, not as a quality ranking. Ask about the specific trip or course you want.
Listed in this region
Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour's PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre, running the Solitary Islands dive fleet from the Jetty Strip with training, retail, Nitrox and whale swims.
Listed agencies: padi. Check current affiliations and course availability.
Meet this operator →Listed in this region
Wooli
The closest operator to North Solitary Island and Pimpernel Rock, with its own 12-metre catamaran and riverside divers' accommodation in Wooli.
Listed agencies: padi. Check current affiliations and course availability.
Meet this operator →Start with the place and your questions. Add dates and prices once you have spoken with the people running the trip.
Creates a new trip with this destination, useful reading and starter questions. Saved on this browser; export a backup from My trips.
THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF
There are 38 published site records in Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands. The recorded categories include reef (20), pinnacle/bommie (5), cave/cavern (4), wall (4). These categories reflect the database; they are not a ranking, a conditions report or an assessment of your suitability.
Use the Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands site cards to compare recorded access and depth, then open the individual pages for the map accuracy and source notes. Sites grouped in a region are not necessarily close enough to combine in one day.
Research operators in New South Wales →Save the answers with the contact name and date. Separate confirmed arrangements from items still waiting for a reply.
Record your trip questions →Begin with the individual site and its source notes, then discuss the proposed trip with a local provider. The 38 published records are research options, not a list of trips available today. Match the plan to your training, recent experience and the operator’s current requirements.
Choose dates with a provider who runs the activity you want, then discuss seasonal patterns, recent conditions and alternative itineraries. A generic best-month claim cannot establish the conditions at your exact site or guarantee a wildlife encounter.
No. Recorded and approximate map positions support orientation only. Confirm the exact access, permissions, meeting point and route with the responsible local provider or manager.
Regional planning context: Destination NSW — beaches and water activities ↗. Directory counts come from published YouDive records. Individual site claims remain subject to their source and review notes.
Search within Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands, or narrow the list to a recorded dive type. Open a site for its map, sources and access notes.
38 matching site records. Listings do not confirm current access or availability.
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Claimed to hold the densest population of anemones and clownfish on the Australian mainland coast, on the sheltered side of…
Cave/CavernCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
An easy, current-free swim-through cave surrounded by extraordinarily dense anemone beds and a 1980s trawler wreck, allowing…
Pinnacle/BommieCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
A remote, U-shaped pinnacle with a semi-trailer-sized tunnel through its base, huge jewfish and kingfish schools, and grey nurse…
WallCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
The best macro and invertebrate photography wall at South Solitary Island, with abundant nudibranchs and Spanish dancers.
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
A natural cleaning station with long-resident, well-known turtle and groper 'characters', plus excellent macro life including…
Pinnacle/BommieCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
The signature dive of the Solitary Islands Marine Park: a natural arch through a boulder field with one of the most reliable…
WallCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
A sheltered, boulder-covered wall on the lee side of the island with reliably high fish density — the easy, dependable South…
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
A shallow, swim-through gutter that has historically been one of the most productive grey nurse shark sites at South Solitary…
WallCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Sheltered boulder wall with abundant reef fish, linking with North Boulder Wall for a longer drift along the island's lee side.
Pinnacle/BommieCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
A compact bommie separated from the plateau by a deep gutter, home to a resident two-metre black cod under its overhangs.
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
A rare, close overlap of kelp forest and plate coral growth in a single easy dive, illustrating the tropical/temperate transition…
WallCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
The closest and most reliably diveable island in the Solitary Islands Marine Park, with a rich, densely encrusted drop-off…
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Gutters and grottos with a good torch-and-search macro dive, used when the islands are unreachable.
Shore/Rock PlatformCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
A sheltered training/skills site used for open-water course transitions, of limited interest to certified divers.
Shore/Rock PlatformCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
An easy, boat-free island shore dive right at the end of Coffs Harbour's breakwall, with turtles, groper and good macro life on…
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
A small point where an extraordinary density of fish concentrates in the current — one of the most photogenic schooling-fish…
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Massive boulder topography and a canyon-like channel between the island's two sections, with grey nurse sharks and giant groper —…
IslandCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
The best hard-coral gardens in the Solitary Islands Marine Park with regular summer manta ray sightings, in a quieter,…
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
A boulder-and-gutter site with the remains of an old trawl cable, a resident giant black stingray, and a reputation among…
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Historic lighthouse-supply gantry wreckage, now a sheltered artificial-reef-style dive below South Solitary Island's 1880…
IslandCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Extensive plate coral cover and a reputation for unusual fish sightings, in shallow, sheltered water close to the coast.
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
One of the most reliable turtle encounter sites in the Solitary Islands Marine Park, in a sheltered, life-filled gutter.
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
A minor, essentially undocumented headland reef between Sawtell and Bonville Creek.
Details need confirmation
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
A local backup reef used by Jetty Dive Centre when the Solitary Islands are inaccessible.
Details need confirmation