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Match the operation to the job
Feet First Dive is most relevant to ongoing local diving, equipment and training support. The documented fit includes macro photographers, shore divers and learners.
Nelson Bay · New South Wales
Feet First Dive — Newcastle, Nelson Bay & Port Stephens
A Nelson Bay SSI centre running Broughton Island boat dives and Port Stephens shore dives, with rebreather and Extended Range training.
Contact & location
- Address
- 97 Stockton Street, Nelson Bay NSW 2315 · Open in maps
Taken from the operator's published details. Hours and locations change — confirm before you travel.
At a glance
- Own dive boatConfirmed by a source
- Learn-to-dive coursesAdvertised
- Advanced & specialty coursesAdvertised
- Pro training (Divemaster+)Not confirmed
- Technical trainingConfirmed by a source
- NitroxAdvertised
- Training poolNot confirmed
- Gear hireAdvertised
- ServicingConfirmed by a source
- AccommodationAdvertised
Compare Feet First Dive with other centres →
Region
Newcastle, Nelson Bay & Port Stephens
New South Wales
Business type
Full-service dive centre
+3 more
Water temp
16–24°C
seasonal range
Dive sites
3
documented
Agencies
SSI
Feet First Dive operates at Nelson Bay, serving one of the most distinctive diving areas in Australia: Fly Point and the Port Stephens shore-diving community.
Fly Point is a shore dive that has an international reputation, and deservedly so. The sponge gardens within the Fly Point–Halifax Park Aquatic Reserve hold an extraordinary density of small life, protected for decades, and the site rewards slowness absolutely. Divers who cover ground see a fraction of what is there; divers who work one patch of sponge properly find nudibranchs, seahorses, pipefish, octopus, stingarees and anglerfish.
The reserve status is the reason it remains this good. Collection is prohibited and the habitat has survived decades of heavy diving traffic, which makes it a useful demonstration of what protection actually achieves underwater within sight of a busy town.
It is tide-sensitive. Current runs on the change and slack water is strongly preferred, which makes local knowledge about timing genuinely valuable rather than a nicety. A centre embedded in Nelson Bay knows when to be in the water.
Beyond the shore sites, Port Stephens offers offshore diving at Broughton Island, where Looking Glass — a narrow gutter cutting through the island — is a recognised grey nurse shark aggregation site and the region's most sought-after dive. Conditions there are more exposed and trips are weather-dependent.
Training, retail, hire and fills are documented, which makes this a practical base for divers staying in the area.
Fly Point is genuinely a site where technique determines what you see. Divers who swim a circuit report a pleasant dive; divers who pick one patch of sponge and work it for forty minutes come up having found a dozen nudibranch species. It rewards patience more than almost any site in Australia.
Use the documented profile as a shortlist, then confirm the details that can change with staff, weather and season.
Confirm before travel
Turn the listing into a booking
Confirm boat schedule, rental equipment, accommodation, including what is included and what must be reserved separately. Ask which of the 3 linked sites is realistic for your date and experience.
Local context
Prepare for Newcastle, Nelson Bay & Port Stephens, New South Wales
Regional water temperature is roughly 16–24°C, with visibility Fly Point commonly 5–15 m; offshore sites often clearer. Build exposure protection and experience around the actual site, not the state-wide average.
Continue with the operator checklist, how to read conditions and the insurance guide.
Services documented for this business. A green tick means a current primary source states it directly; other entries are advertised but have not yet received the same source-backed verification.
Training
- Beginner coursesAdvertised by this business; confirm current availability
- Continuing educationAdvertised by this business; confirm current availability
- Technical trainingConfirmed by a current primary source
- FreedivingConfirmed by a current primary source
Equipment & workshop
- Equipment salesAdvertised by this business; confirm current availability
- Equipment hireAdvertised by this business; confirm current availability
- ServicingConfirmed by a current primary source
Gas
- Air fillsAdvertised by this business; confirm current availability
- NitroxAdvertised by this business; confirm current availability
- CCR supportConfirmed by a current primary source
Diving & facilities
- Dive boatConfirmed by a current primary source
- Shore divingConfirmed by a current primary source
- AccommodationAdvertised by this business; confirm current availability
What a primary source states
- Runs double boat dives to Broughton Island's grey nurse sharks and Looking Glass, plus historic wreck dives.
- SSI programmes listed include rebreather and Extended Range (XR).
- Services BCDs, computers, drysuits, wetsuits, rebreathers, regulators and cylinders.
- Also lists adaptive diving, freediving and shared accommodation for visiting divers.
- Macro photographers
- Shore divers
- Learners
- Local divers
Worth confirming when you call
Dive businesses change what they offer constantly. These are the details we would want nailed down before booking — useful questions to run through on the phone.
- Which rebreather units are supported
- Trimix availability
- Boat capacity to Broughton Island
Dive sites this operation services
Sites documented as being regularly serviced by this business.
Training relevant to this centre
Courses that connect to what this operation is documented as offering.
Learning to DiveWhat entry-level scuba training actually involves, and how to judge a course before you book it.Open Water DiverThe entry-level certification that allows independent recreational diving to around 18 metres.Advanced Open Water DiverFive guided specialty dives that extend depth to 30 metres and introduce navigation and other skills.Rescue DiverThe course most divers describe as the hardest and the most genuinely useful they have taken.Enriched Air NitroxDiving with elevated oxygen to extend no-decompression limits — the most commonly taken specialty.Advanced NitroxHigh-oxygen decompression gases and oxygen-clean equipment — not ordinary recreational Nitrox.Decompression ProceduresPlanning and executing dives with a mandatory decompression obligation.FreediverBreath-hold diving as a trained discipline — a different sport that shares the water with scuba.
Technical diving background
Technical capability is never one badge. These pages explain what to verify.
Technical Dive Centres in AustraliaWhy 'technical' is not one capability, and how to compare facilities service by service.Decompression DivingWhen the option of a direct ascent is deliberately given up, and what that changes.Closed Circuit RebreathersRecycled breathing gas, silent diving — and support that is specific to your exact unit.Cave Diving in AustraliaThe CDAA system, Mount Gambier, and why recreational certification does not apply.
Services documented here
Regulator ServicingWho services which brands, what oxygen cleaning involves, and why selling a regulator is not the same as servicing it.Nitrox FillsStandard mixes, custom blending, and why a simple yes or no is not enough information.Air FillsThe most basic dive service, and one worth checking for hours, pressure and cylinder requirements.Equipment HireRental gear ranges from basic recreational sets to drysuits, steel cylinders and DPVs.Equipment RetailersA dive shop and a dive centre are not always the same business.
Feet First Dive FAQs
What kind of business is Feet First Dive?
A Nelson Bay SSI centre running Broughton Island boat dives and Port Stephens shore dives, with rebreather and Extended Range training. It is documented here as: full-service dive centre, training centre, charter operator, technical facility.
How much does diving or training with Feet First Dive cost?
Prices and inclusions change too quickly for this independent profile to quote reliably. Ask Feet First Dive for the complete checkout cost, including equipment, materials, certification, guide fees, marine levies, transfers and cancellation terms where relevant.
Does this listing mean Dive Centres Australia endorses Feet First Dive?
No. This is an independent research profile, not an endorsement or ranking. Verified statements are linked to sources, advertised capabilities are labelled separately, and divers should make their own current checks before booking.
Where is Feet First Dive located?
Feet First Dive's published address is 97 Stockton Street, Nelson Bay NSW 2315, in the Newcastle, Nelson Bay & Port Stephens region of New South Wales. Confirm opening hours before visiting, as dive businesses change hours seasonally.
Can I learn to dive with Feet First Dive?
Entry-level training is advertised for this operation. Ask about class size, how many open-water dives are included and where they are conducted before booking.
Does Feet First Dive support technical diving?
Technical training is verified here. Technical capability is not a single service — verify the specific agency, course level, helium and oxygen availability, and any rebreather unit support separately.
Can I get fills at Feet First Dive?
Air fills are documented. Nitrox is documented. Analyse your own cylinder before use regardless of what a fill sheet says, and check opening hours and whether externally owned cylinders are filled.
Does Feet First Dive service equipment?
Equipment servicing is documented. Not every technician works on every brand, so confirm which brands are handled in-house and what the turnaround is.
Which dive sites does Feet First Dive visit?
This operation is documented as servicing 3 sites listed on this page. Site access varies with conditions, season and the certification of the group, so confirm the planned itinerary directly.
What should I ask Feet First Dive before booking?
Specifically: Which rebreather units are supported; Trimix availability; Boat capacity to Broughton Island. More generally, ask about instructor experience, group sizes, what equipment is included and what happens if conditions cancel the day.
Sources
What the verified statements on this page are based on. We link primary sources so you can check them yourself — and so you can see the date they were consulted.
- Feet First Dive — SSI dive centre listingchecked September 2026
Last researched: September 2026. Dive businesses change frequently — confirm current services, prices and requirements directly with the operator before booking.