Manly
21 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Manly →New South Wales
From Manly to Palm Beach the Northern Beaches are a string of headlands with reefs on their protected sides and open-ocean sites offshore. Shelly Beach at Manly is the classic Sydney shore dive, an aquatic reserve with blue gropers and dusky whalers in summer; Long Reef and the Apartments off Dee Why are boat dives with grey nurse sharks and a resident wobbegong population. The wreck of the Valiant off Palm Beach and the SS Tuggerah off Long Reef suit deeper divers.

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.
52 matching records · 52 with a map location · 0 without a usable position.
Reef · 15–24 m
Approximate area
Wreck · 41–47 m
Approximate area
Shore/Rock Platform · 3–10 m
Approximate area
Reef · 6–22 m
Approximate area
Shore/Rock Platform · 2–15 m
Approximate area
Reef · 10–28 m
Approximate area
Wall · 5–24 m
Approximate area
Reef · 5–16 m
Approximate area
Shore/Rock Platform · 3–15 m
Approximate area
Wreck · 45–51 m
Approximate area
Wall · 8–26 m
Approximate area
Wreck · 38–48 m
Recorded location
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.
21 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Manly →8 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Narrabeen / Collaroy →5 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Palm Beach →4 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Collaroy / Dee Why →3 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Mona Vale →2 site records refer to this town or area.
Look for operators around Dee Why / Curl Curl →| Local example | Recorded nearby place | Recorded access | Follow the evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manly Bommie | Manly | Shore or Boat | Recorded source ↗ |
| Adamson Sponge Gardens | Manly | Boat | Recorded source ↗ |
| Avalon (Little Av) | Avalon Beach | Shore | Recorded source ↗ |
| Bluefish Point | Manly | 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 Sydney Northern Beaches
Our Sydney Northern Beaches directory currently includes 52 published site records. The largest recorded category is reef (17 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 Sydney Northern Beaches. Bars use the same scale within this graphic; the longest is the largest category, not 100% of the destination.
Start with Manly Bommie, Adamson Sponge Gardens, Avalon (Little Av). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manly Bommie Details need confirmation | Pinnacle/Bommie | Shore or Boat | 6–14 m |
| Adamson Sponge Gardens | Reef | Boat | 15–24 m |
| Avalon (Little Av) Details need confirmation | Shore/Rock Platform | Shore | 3–10 m |
| Bluefish Point | Wall | Boat | 5–24 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.
Source-linked to a site in this region
Ramsgate
A Sydney operation associated with training across recreational and technical levels, boat diving and equipment services.
Listed agencies: padi. Check current affiliations and course availability.
Meet this operator →Source-linked to a site in this region
Killarney Vale
An SSI Instructor Training Facility at Killarney Vale with two full-time Instructor Trainers, onsite servicing for all major brands, and freediving courses.
Listed agencies: ssi. Check current affiliations and course availability.
Meet this operator →Listed in this region
Cromer
Open the profile for contact details and recorded services, then ask about current arrangements.
Meet this operator →Source-linked to a site in this region
Manly
A Northern Beaches operation with a long-standing presence at Shelly Beach, offering recreational training, boat diving and technical pathways.
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 52 published site records in Sydney Northern Beaches. The recorded categories include reef (17), shore/rock platform (14), wreck (14), wall (5). These categories reflect the database; they are not a ranking, a conditions report or an assessment of your suitability.
Use the Sydney Northern Beaches 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 52 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 Sydney Northern Beaches, or narrow the list to a recorded dive type. Open a site for its map, sources and access notes.
52 matching site records. Listings do not confirm current access or availability.
WallSydney Northern Beaches
The deepest and richest of the North Head reefs – walls and swim-throughs above sponge gardens at 26–30 m at the tip of the…
ReefSydney Northern Beaches
An out-of-the-way wall and boulder gully at the tip of North Head with an old Admiralty anchor and, on one occasion, sixty…
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney Northern Beaches
The beach where a southern right whale and calf rested within 200 m of the sand in 1993 – an open surf beach with reef only at…
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney Northern Beaches
Overhangs, swim-throughs and a sponge-lined sand line at 18–20 m off a rock platform on the Curl Curl headland – exposed,…
ReefSydney Northern Beaches
Continuous sponge and soft-coral mosaic on a sheltered boulder slope, reliably diveable and reliably colourful – Manly's standard…
Pinnacle/BommieSydney Northern Beaches
Surface-breaking pinnacles and a maze of house-sized boulders with swim-throughs and sea dragons, all shallower than 18 m.
WreckSydney Northern Beaches
A 50 m ferro-cement barge upright in 51 m off Mona Vale, discovered in 1988 and still rarely visited.
ReefSydney Northern Beaches
A sheltered 45-degree boulder slope beneath a cliff spring, coated in sponges and sea fans – the easiest of the North Head sponge…
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney Northern Beaches
A shallow, sheltered-corner boulder reef beside the Avalon rock pool – the upper Northern Beaches' easiest local shore dive and…
Details need confirmation
ReefSydney Northern Beaches
Sea-dragon gullies and boulder slopes beneath the Barrenjoey lighthouse at the mouth of Broken Bay – the last reef on the…
Details need confirmation
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney Northern Beaches
Kelp gardens and a sea-dragon sand line at 12–15 m off the palm-fringed northern headland of Bilgola.
Details need confirmation
ReefSydney Northern Beaches
An outer North Head boulder-slope anchorage between Checkpoint Charlie and Runway, dropping to 28 m on the ocean face.
Details need confirmation
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney Northern Beaches
A headland-sheltered sandy bay with seagrass seahorses, sea dragons on the kelp edge and an easy beach entry – Mona Vale's…
Details need confirmation
WreckSydney Northern Beaches
A canoe-ended barge, fully intact with its winches, whose hold fills with schools of jewfish – the furthest out of the Long Reef…
Details need confirmation
WallSydney Northern Beaches
A sharp wall rolling into a boulder maze of gullies and swim-throughs, home to some of the biggest bull rays at North Head.
Details need confirmation
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney Northern Beaches
The northern access to a 2 km headland-to-headland reef traverse, best by scooter; shallow kelp reef under the Dee Why surf break…
Details need confirmation
ReefSydney Northern Beaches
Deep rocky shelves and valleys in 36–45 m of clear offshore water east of North Head – a technical-depth reef few have seen.
Details need confirmation
ReefSydney Northern Beaches
Metre-wide gorgonian fans on a North Head boulder reef, with a recent cliff rockfall adding fresh walls and overhangs.
Details need confirmation
WreckSydney Northern Beaches
An intact 50 m MSB hopper barge on the Long Reef reef ground with an accessible bow void, in the clear water 3 nautical miles out.
Details need confirmation
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney Northern Beaches
Tame blue groper and kelp gutters inside NSW's oldest aquatic reserve, from a sandy beach beneath the Long Reef headland.
Details need confirmation
Pinnacle/BommieSydney Northern Beaches
The sponge-walled outer bommie of Cabbage Tree Bay – bigger fish and real structure a short boat hop or a long swim from Shelly…
Details need confirmation
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney Northern Beaches
Kelp beds to a sea-dragon sand line at 12 m off the Mona Vale headland, with the sheltered Basin as a fallback around the corner.
Details need confirmation
ReefSydney Northern Beaches
Shallow North Head reef with scattered wreck fragments and, each autumn, a cast of tropical vagrants among the kelp.
Details need confirmation
Shore/Rock PlatformSydney Northern Beaches
Kelp-and-boulder reef under Little Head beside the Palm Beach ocean pool – a sheltered corner of Sydney's northernmost surf beach.
Details need confirmation