New South Wales
Diving in Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
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.
THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF
Understand the options around Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
What this regional directory records Counts describe published records, not bookable trips or confirmed open sites.
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 →Ask before booking
- Where does the trip meet, and is parking or a transfer needed?
- Which alternative itinerary might be offered?
- What local park or access information should we check?
Save the answers with the contact name and date. Separate confirmed arrangements from items still waiting for a reply.
Record your trip questions →Questions, answered
How do I choose a dive in Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands?
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.
When should I visit Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands for diving?
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.
Can I use these maps to enter or navigate a dive site?
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.
Dive sites in this region
ReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Marsh Shoal
A lightly documented local reef used as an occasional Coffs Harbour backup site.
Details need confirmationCave/CavernCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
North Solitary Island – Bubble Cave
A novelty air-pocket cave where divers can briefly surface inside the rock, set within North Solitary Island's rich broader reef…
Details need confirmationReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
North Solitary Island – Grey Nurse Gutters
A remote, lightly dived grey nurse shark gutter system at North Solitary Island, offering quieter encounters than the busier…
Details need confirmationReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
North Solitary Island – Muttonbird Gutter
A reef gutter named for the wedge-tailed shearwater (muttonbird) colony nesting on North Solitary Island above.
Details need confirmationReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
North Solitary Island – The Aquarium
An exceptionally fish-dense, easy patch of reef near Anemone Bay, valued for sheer density and variety rather than any single…
Details need confirmationReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Sawtell Reef
A local headland reef south of Coffs Harbour, dived occasionally on the rare calm day.
Details need confirmationReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
South Solitary Island – Anemone Flat
A shallow, sheltered anemone-bed dive on South Solitary Island's western side, ideal for long, relaxed macro photography.
Details need confirmationCave/CavernCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
South Solitary Island – Archie's Cave
A lesser-known cave/overhang site at South Solitary Island, dived on request as a quieter alternative to the marquee moorings.
Details need confirmationPinnacle/BommieCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie
A sheltered bommie below South Solitary Island's historic 1880 lighthouse, a reliable easy dive on the island's lee side.
Details need confirmationWreckCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
South Solitary Island – Steam Boiler
A heavily overgrown historic steam boiler, now effectively a small artificial reef near South Solitary Island.
Details need confirmationPinnacle/BommieCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Split Bommie (Coffs Harbour)
A compact bommie near Split Solitary Island offering an easy extension to a main island dive.
Details need confirmationCave/CavernCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Split Solitary Island – The Arch
A small, scenic natural archway near Split Solitary Island's namesake split, an easy bonus feature on a broader island dive.
Details need confirmationReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
The Wash (Coffs Harbour)
A deeper, current-swept reef used as an occasional Jetty Dive Centre backup, good for kingfish and mulloway.
Details need confirmationReefCoffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Wooli – Sandon Shoals
Wooli Dive Centre's reliable, closer-in fallback reef system, used whenever weather rules out the longer runs to North Solitary…
Details need confirmation