Dive Sites Near Sydney
36 dive sites in and around Sydney, NSW, nearest first, with the depth, skill level and conditions for each one.
Chowder Bay
Mosman, NSW
A sheltered Sydney Harbour shore dive at Clifton Gardens: pygmy pipehorses, octopus and weedy pylons in 2-6 metres of training-friendly water.
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South Bondi Reef
Bondi, NSW
A Sydney shore dive at the south end of Bondi: sandstone gutters, kelp ledges and a curious blue groper community in 5-18 m beside the city's most famous beach.
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Camp Cove
Watsons Bay, NSW
Sheltered site with seagrass beds and sponge gardens, ideal for night dives.
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Gordon's Bay
Coogee, NSW
Sydney is full of good shore dives, but only one comes with a map laid out on the seabed. At Gordons Bay, a chain of twenty-five concrete drums runs six...
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Clovelly
Clovelly, NSW
Calm, sheltered pool area with resident blue gropers and schooling fish.
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North Bondi (Ben Buckler)
Bondi, NSW
Shore dive from the Ben Buckler rock platform and boat ramp at the end of Ramsgate Avenue, following a boulder reef south to sand at 15 to 18 m; weedy seadragons on the sand edge; undiveable in south or south-east seas.
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Bondi Wall
Bondi, NSW
Boat dive off North Bondi, 500 to 600 m north of Ben Buckler Point: a north-south rock wall dropping from 21 to 27 m off a 20 m reef, with good sponges and nudibranchs but modest fish life.
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Shark Point
Clovelly, NSW
Exposed headland shore dive on the north side of Clovelly Bay: kelp, stepped walls and boulder fields to sand at 20-26 m. Experienced divers with local knowledge only.
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Wedding Cake Island
Coogee, NSW
A kilometre off Coogee Beach, a low slab of rock sits awash in the swell, named for its tiered, icing-white resemblance to a wedding cake. Above the water...
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The Colours
South Head, NSW
An offshore reef off South Head, 22-33 m deep and covered in sponges, sea squirts and soft corals. A boat dive for experienced divers.
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SS Annie M. Miller
Sydney, NSW
Sydney's SS Annie M. Miller wreck off Dover Heights is an advanced, 46-metre deep historical dive. Featuring variable 8-20m visibility and potential currents, it's a thriving artificial reef teeming with resident fish, octopus, wobbegongs, and occasional pelagics. Accessible only by boat, this demanding yet rewarding site offers a profound encounter with maritime history and diverse marine life, making it a unique challenge for experienced divers seeking Sydney's deeper treasures
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Red Indian Point
North Head, NSW
Boat dive just inside North Head: a reef edge of boulders, gullies, overhangs and low walls from 12 to 23 m with sponges, sea tulips and gorgonians, named for the red indianfish McFadyen sees on two dives in three.
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Mistral Point
Maroubra, NSW
Series of east-west walls off North Maroubra, just north of the Mahon Pool site, stepping from 23 m sand up to about 10 m; mainly a private-boat dive, with seadragons on the sand and blue devils under small overhangs.
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Fairlight
Manly, NSW
Sheltered North Harbour shore dive off Fairlight Crescent: kelp-covered rock to a north-south wall at 7 to 9 m with the wreckage of an aluminium speedboat and a tinny, plus boulders, ledges and small critters.
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Little Manly Cove
Manly, NSW
Harbour shore dive from Little Manly Beach along the swimming-enclosure nets (seahorses) and the eastern rocks, or from Little Manly Point (old Manly Gasworks) over sand, kelp and coal debris at 4 to 10 m. Easy navigation; good at night.
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South Maroubra
Maroubra, NSW
Long shore dive from the South Maroubra rock platform over rocky reef and a sand edge in 5 to 15 m, with scattered wreckage from the TSS Belbowrie (1939) and possibly the SS Tekapo (1899), and prolific fish life.
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Magic Point
Maroubra, NSW
Magic Point is Sydney's most reliable grey nurse shark dive, a boulder field off Maroubra in 12 to 22 m with a year-round resident aggregation.
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Fairy Bower
Manly, NSW
On the southern arm of Cabbage Tree Bay, where Marine Parade rounds the headland between Manly Cove and Shelly Beach, a small rocky inlet drops into a shallow boulder field that has shaped Sydney...
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Bluefish Point
North Head, NSW
Deep site with drop-offs and large schools of pelagic fish.
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Shelly Beach
Manly, NSW
Shelly Beach in Manly offers calm conditions, easy shore access, and rich marine life, making it one of Sydney’s top shore diving spots for beginners and experienced divers alike.
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Freshwater (Harbord)
Freshwater, NSW
Shore dive beside Freshwater Rock Pool: boulders, ledges, overhangs, kelp and sponges along a rock wall at 8 to 14 m, with two larger reefs east of the point to 20 m. Strong currents; never in a southerly.
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Little Bay
Little Bay, NSW
Small east-facing cove: sandy entry from the southern beach, out through the shallow rocky mouth and along a reef wall to sand at 13 m. Needs flat seas.
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Frenchmans Bay
La Perouse, NSW
Frenchmans Bay, nestled in Sydney's Botany Bay, is a tranquil haven for macro life. With shallow depths (3-10m), calm conditions, and variable 5-10m visibility, it's ideal for beginners and photographers. Expect crabs, octopus, and small rays amidst sandy bottoms and reef patches. Shore-accessible with parking, it offers a gentle, rewarding dive, best mid-winter, providing a serene contrast to ocean sites
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Bare Island
La Perouse, NSW
Classic Sydney shore dive packed with marine life and heritage charm
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Bare Island Deep Wall
La Perouse, NSW
Sponge-covered drop-off off Bare Island's western point where the reef meets sand at 18-19 m, home to pygmy pipehorses. Island closed for bridge works until about late 2027.
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Cape Banks Caverns
Botany Bay, NSW
Explore swim-throughs and sponge-covered tunnels in Sydney's wildest bay
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Kurnell Monument
Kurnell, NSW
Sheltered Botany Bay shore dive: sponge-covered boulders and low walls along a 10-14 m sand edge, known for weedy seadragons, anglerfish and nudibranchs, with little current.
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The Steps Drift
Kurnell, NSW
Kurnell's The Steps Drift in Sydney's Botany Bay National Park: a scenic shore drift between The Steps and Monument with soft corals and weedy seadragons.
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The Leap
Kurnell, NSW
Drift dive along a vibrant sponge garden wall with abundant marine life.
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Yena Gap
Kamay Botany Bay NP, NSW
Two rarely dived reefs at Yena, south-east of The Leap: a calm-day shore dive along walls from 5 to 18 m with a large cave at 14 m, and a boat-only outer reef of low walls and a sand gutter at 15 to 23 m that can be dived in southerlies.
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Dee Why Wide
Dee Why, NSW
An offshore Northern Beaches reef in 18-30 m, with a winter grey nurse aggregation and the room to do macro on the deeper ledges.
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Long Reef Wall (The Apartments)
Collaroy, NSW
Boat dive off Long Reef, also called The Apartments: a north-south wall, boulder caves and The Cathedral swim-through, with pomfret schools and grey nurse sharks.
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Voodoo
Kurnell, NSW
Boat dive east of Boat Harbour at Kurnell, beside the Cronulla sewage outfall: a flat reef top drops over a small wall and slope to sand at 28 m, with large boulders, gullies and some of Sydney's best gorgonians.
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Middle Ground
Cronulla, NSW
Deep isolated reef straight out of Port Hacking off Cronulla: a flat top at 28 to 29 m, a wall up to 3 m on its south and east sides and sand at 31 to 33 m, rich in gorgonians, sea whips and Port Jackson sharks.
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Oak Park
Cronulla, NSW
Discover Sydney’s top shore dive at Oak Park, Cronulla, easy access, vibrant marine life, and ideal for beginner to intermediate scuba divers.
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Shiprock
Port Hacking, NSW
A small aquatic-reserve wall dive in Port Hacking, a Sydney macro mecca dived only at slack tide and rated the city's best night dive.
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