New South Wales
Diving in Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay's white sand and clear water make it the best-known dive destination on the NSW south coast. The Docks, Stoney Creek and the Arch on the northern headland, and Cabbage Tree Point on the south, are boat dives with sponge gardens, grey nurse sharks in season and fur seals from Drum and Drumsticks. Inside the bay, Hyams Beach, Murrays Beach and the Green Patch reefs are gentle shore dives with seadragons and octopus.
THE LOCAL PLANNING BRIEF
Understand the options around Jervis Bay
New South Wales offers a long sequence of coastal regions rather than one central dive gateway. Our directory separates Sydney areas, the north and mid-north coast, and the south coast so that you can compare a realistic local base. A Sydney stay and a Jervis Bay or Coffs Harbour trip need different transport and departure arrangements; do not treat a state-level search as a list of nearby sites.
Connect the trip to a practical Jervis Bay base
Compare where the operator meets guests, where you will stay and how equipment is collected. A bay location in the directory is not a promise that it will be used on your departure. Ask which alternatives the provider might select and how the choice is communicated. For a group with non-divers, establish whether activities share a boat or need separate bookings, and what the full departure-to-return schedule looks like.
One useful question: What is the proposed meeting point and how will we be told if the itinerary changes?
What this regional directory records Counts describe published records, not bookable trips or confirmed open sites.
There are 47 published site records in Jervis Bay. The recorded categories include reef (17), shore/rock platform (12), cave/cavern (7), wall (6). These categories reflect the database; they are not a ranking, a conditions report or an assessment of your suitability.
Use the Jervis Bay 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 Jervis Bay?
Begin with the individual site and its source notes, then discuss the proposed trip with a local provider. The 47 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 Jervis Bay 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
Shore/Rock PlatformJervis Bay
Honeymoon Bay
Picturesque, sheltered horseshoe bay with clear water and an easy beach entry – great for snorkelling and night dives.
Shore/Rock PlatformJervis Bay
Hyams Beach
Parallel reef ledges at 8–10 m with wobbegongs, a short swim from the famous white sand of Hyams Beach.
ReefJervis Bay
Longnose Point
Reliable, shallow, sheltered inner-bay reef for northerly weather.
ReefJervis Bay
Middle Grounds
An extensive low reef in the bay entrance that stays diveable in big southerly seas.
Shore/Rock PlatformJervis Bay
Plantation Point
Easy, shallow reef and seagrass dive with sea dragons and cuttlefish, five minutes from Huskisson – good at night.
Muck/SandJervis Bay
Scallop Beds
Totally protected sand flats with prolific macro life – one of Jervis Bay's best night dives.
Shore/Rock PlatformJervis Bay
Scottish Rocks
Booderee's top snorkelling spot – clear water and sea dragons among quirky rock mounds.
Cave/CavernJervis Bay
Slot Cave
A 60 m slot into the cliff at 16–18 m with good natural light, soft corals and crustaceans.
Cave/CavernJervis Bay
Smugglers Cave
Huge dog-leg sea cave with an ocean entrance and a sheltered exit into a small bay.
WallJervis Bay
Ten Fathom Dropoff
Zig-zag wall from 19 m to 34 m with overhangs and swim-throughs, a sponge-covered boulder at 40 m and 30 m visibility.
ReefJervis Bay
The Boulders (Bowen Island)
A playground of giant boulders with endless crevices on the ocean side of Bowen Island.
Cave/CavernJervis Bay
The Caves (Crocodile Head)
Blue devilfish cave and a large swim-through cavern, sheltered from summer north-easterlies.
WallJervis Bay
The Crossroads
Pristine vertical wall at 30–39 m with pineapplefish, blue devils and anemone-draped sea whips.
ReefJervis Bay
Torpedo Tubes
Naval-history site below old torpedo-testing structures with famously fearless fish.
ReefJervis Bay
Bowen Island Multilevel
A wall-and-slope profile for every level, with a chance of sunfish at cleaning stations.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformJervis Bay
Callala Bay
Shallow, sheltered seagrass bay for beginners with nudibranchs and rays; launch point for the Firefly wreck.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformJervis Bay
Chinamans Beach
A quiet walk-in beach with rocky ends – a lesser-known snorkel on the White Sands Walk.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformJervis Bay
Greenfield and Blenheim Beaches
Gentle, beginner-friendly snorkelling around rocky outcrops on the White Sands Walk.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformJervis Bay
Hole in the Wall (Booderee)
Striking eroded sandstone 'hole in the wall' with clear shallow snorkelling and rock pools.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformJervis Bay
Little Hyams Beach
Quiet kelp-garden snorkel with friendly blue groper and resting Port Jackson sharks.
Details need confirmationWreckJervis Bay
Marina Star
A modern trawler wreck at 60 m off Point Perpendicular with instruments still visible inside.
Details need confirmationShore/Rock PlatformJervis Bay
Shark Net Beach (Huskisson)
Calm, clear shallow snorkel right on the edge of Huskisson town.
Details need confirmationReefJervis Bay
The Streets
Sandy 'streets' between house-sized boulders, and winter giant cuttlefish that follow divers.
Details need confirmation