Dive sites by state · 2026 guide

The Best Dive Sites in New South Wales

Q: How is this list ranked?

Sites are chosen from our dive-site database and ordered by how well documented they are: flagship status, the number of operators we have confirmed dive there, and the marine life recorded. Nobody pays to be listed.

Q: Can a business pay to appear here?

No. Listings and order come from our research only. Businesses can ask us to correct their details, but not to change their position.

Q: How current is this guide?

It is generated from the directory's latest research, checked in 2026. Conditions, operators and seasons change — confirm details with the operator before you book.

New South Wales has 17 dive sites in our database. These are the 10 with the strongest combination of reputation, marine life and confirmed operators.

Each entry shows the typical depth, the certification it suits and who runs trips there.

Tasselled wobbegong resting camouflaged on a rocky reef

Julian Rocks (Nguthungulli)

Byron Bay, New South Wales

Open Water · ≤18 m~15 m typical, 25 m maxBoat divereef · island

Where tropical and temperate waters meet — more than 20 shark and ray species recorded.

The ecological importance of the site comes from the meeting of tropical and temperate influences. Warm water arriving on the East Australian Current mixes with cooler temperate water, and species from both systems occur here together.

Look for: Green Turtle, Grey Nurse Shark, Humpback Whale, Leopard Shark (Zebra Shark)

Who takes you there Sundive Byron Bay Byron Bay Dive Centre

Blue Bay Divers

Full Julian Rocks (Nguthungulli) guide →

Colourful nudibranch on a sponge garden with a diver behind

Bare Island

Sydney, New South Wales

Open Water · ≤18 m~12 m typical, 20 m maxShore divereef · muck

Sydney's most-dived shore site — weedy seadragons, extraordinary macro life and multiple routes.

The site offers several distinct routes at different depths, which is why it sustains that popularity — divers who have dived it a hundred times still find new things.

Look for: Eastern Blue Groper, Giant Australian Cuttlefish, Nudibranchs, Port Jackson Shark

Who takes you there Abyss Scuba Diving Pro Dive Sydney Sydney Dive Safari

Full Bare Island guide →

Grey nurse sharks cruising calmly beside a rocky reef

Fish Rock

South West Rocks, New South Wales

Advanced · 18–25 m~20 m typical, 30 m maxBoat divereef · cave

Grey nurse shark aggregation and one of Australia's few genuine ocean through-caves.

The cave has a deeper entrance around 24 metres and rises internally toward shallower water before reaching the opposite side. That makes it a genuine through-cave rather than a cavern, which is unusual in an ocean setting.

Look for: Grey Nurse Shark, Wobbegong

Who takes you there

South West Rocks Dive Centre

Fish Rock Dive Centre

Full Fish Rock guide →

Fly Point

Newcastle, Nelson Bay & Port Stephens, New South Wales

Open Water · ≤18 m~10 m typical, 16 m maxShore divereef · muck

A protected sponge garden at Nelson Bay with some of the richest macro life in Australia.

The sponge gardens hold an extraordinary density of small life, and the protection means the fish are habituated and the habitat is intact.

Look for: Nudibranchs, Seahorses & Pipefish

Who takes you there Feet First Dive

Full Fly Point guide →

Two equipped scuba divers entering a calm Australian bay from shore

Gordons Bay

Sydney, New South Wales

Open Water · ≤18 m~10 m typical, 18 m maxShore divereef

An Eastern Suburbs shore dive with a long-established underwater nature trail.

The boulder terrain and kelp hold a solid range of temperate species, and the bay is sheltered enough for comfortable diving in most conditions.

Look for: Eastern Blue Groper, Nudibranchs, Port Jackson Shark, Wobbegong

Who takes you there Dive Centre Bondi Pro Dive Sydney

Full Gordons Bay guide →

Kurnell

Sydney, New South Wales

Open Water · ≤18 m~14 m typical, 25 m maxShore divereef · wall

A cluster of Botany Bay shore dives including The Steps and The Leap, with wall terrain.

The Leap and The Steps access genuine wall and drop-off terrain that is unusual for a shore dive, reaching well past 20 metres.

Look for: Eastern Blue Groper, Nudibranchs, Port Jackson Shark, Weedy Seadragon

Who takes you there Abyss Scuba Diving Sydney Dive Safari

Full Kurnell guide →

Jervis Bay Walls

Jervis Bay, New South Wales

Advanced · 18–25 m~20 m typical, 35 m maxBoat divewall · reef

Temperate sponge-covered walls and drop-offs in some of the clearest water in NSW.

Water clarity here is frequently better than anywhere else on the NSW coast, which changes what the diving feels like — the walls read as genuinely dramatic rather than merely deep.

Look for: Australian & New Zealand Fur Seals, Eastern Blue Groper, Port Jackson Shark, Weedy Seadragon

Who takes you there Dive Jervis Bay

Full Jervis Bay Walls guide →

North Solitary Island

Coffs Harbour & the Solitary Islands, New South Wales

Open Water · ≤18 m~18 m typical, 30 m maxBoat diveisland · reef

Extensive anemone beds and the strongest tropical influence in the Solitary Islands Marine Park.

Visit NSW particularly highlights extensive anemone beds and soft corals here — anemone city is one of the site's signature features, with dense fields of anemones and their resident clownfish.

Look for: Grey Nurse Shark, Manta Ray

Who takes you there

Jetty Dive Centre

Wooli Dive Centre

Full North Solitary Island guide →

Shelly Beach (Cabbage Tree Bay)

Sydney, New South Wales

Easy · <10 m~8 m typical, 14 m maxShore divereef

Sydney's most forgiving shore entry, inside a protected aquatic reserve at Manly.

Marine life can include blue gropers, rays, wobbegongs and other temperate species, and the protection means they are habituated and easily approached.

Look for: Eastern Blue Groper, Wobbegong

Who takes you there

Dive Centre Manly

Pro Dive Brookvale

Full Shelly Beach (Cabbage Tree Bay) guide →

Terrigal Haven

Central Coast, New South Wales

Easy · <10 m~9 m typical, 14 m maxShore dive · Boat divereef

A sheltered Central Coast shore entry used heavily for training and night diving.

The rocky reef and sand terrain holds a good range of temperate species, and the shelter means it is diveable when the open coast is not.

Look for: Eastern Blue Groper, Port Jackson Shark

Who takes you there Central Coast Divers Terrigal Dive Centre

Full Terrigal Haven guide →

Questions about this list

How is this list ranked?

Sites are chosen from our dive-site database and ordered by how well documented they are: flagship status, the number of operators we have confirmed dive there, and the marine life recorded. Nobody pays to be listed.

Can a business pay to appear here?

No. Listings and order come from our research only. Businesses can ask us to correct their details, but not to change their position.

How current is this guide?

It is generated from the directory's latest research, checked in 2026. Conditions, operators and seasons change — confirm details with the operator before you book.

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Questions about this list

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