Magic Point

Location Information

Magic Point is just of South Maroubra Beach. 

Diving Conditions

The wall runs east-west and here the sharks will in a cave / overhang in the wall. The cave is at 15 metres and extends for about 20 metres. Once you have found the cave swim towards it and stop about 5 metres in front of the cave. There is nothing more you need to do, just watch these beautiful animals cruise around. They move from inside the cave to the outside and sometimes they swim away from the cave on short jaunts.

Visibility usually 5 - 20 metres, it is usually the larger swells that make the dive site not suitable for diving.

SeaLife

The sharks are accompanied by enormous schools of yellowtail as well as suckerfish (remoras) and pilot fish of many different species. The grey nurse sharks that come to the cave are often only female. None of them are huge, but a couple are getting on in size. On average there are between 10 and 15 sharks per dive.

Barrens Hut

Location Information

The site is located only a few hundred metres off Royal National Park on the southern outskirts of the city. It was named after a squatter's hut built a long time ago into the side of the rocky cliff. After leaving Port Hacking travel till you are the southern end of the township of Bundeena.

Diving Conditions

The site is probably Sydney's best boat dive and one of the best dive sites in NSW. The dive site itself is formed by a dramatic drop-off from the reef top. The reef top is nothing very special; it is covered by kelp and sea urchins. Once you reach the edge of the reef it is like looking at whole different world.

The walls that go down to the sand at 28 metres are completely covered by plant and animal life of all different shapes and sizes. Because of its distance from the city, water visibility is often not a problem averaging about 15 metres. Having descended the anchor line swim in an easterly direction till you hit the sand. Continuing on change your direction and head south till you reach 'the cave' which you can swim through from either side.

Having past this there is a wall that continues for roughly 50 metres and at the 20 metre mark you should see "The tunnel' (still heading south). After entering the tunnel check first if there is a wobbegong blocking the middle section. The normal exit is by ascending vertically for a short distance before going up at a 45 degree angle to your right. If you have bottom time remaining, return to the sand and follow the wall to the north.

30 metres past the cave there is a low overhang and further on there is a larger one that can be entered. On returning to the anchor you are sure to have blue gropers, comb fish, eastern king wrasse, crimson banded wrasse and Maori wrasse following you.

SeaLife

While descending the anchor line you will see the reason why Barren's Hut is so famous.... FISH.

There are literally millions of them; Blue Groper, Yellowtail Kingfish, one spot-pullers, ladder-finned pomfrets and huge schools of yellowtail. In the nooks and crannies that are all over the wall you should find eastern blue devils and cuttlefish. The wall is covered by giant jelly, solitaire corals, Gabo Island soft coral, wandering anemones and supports bream, snapper, old wife and numerous of other fish.

The boulders that you encounter during the dive also support a huge variety of sponges, ascidians, sea fans, soft corals and nudibranchs. Also a lot of small fish live here, pygmy leatherjackets, snakeskin wrasse, old wife and Gunther's Butterfly fish. During winter there are also Port Jackson sharks in this area.

Marley

Location Information

Marley is located about 5 miles south of Port Hacking, and due to this distance we only take charters when the conditions are perfect.

The dive location is easily noted by the point that stands out on the cliff faces, and we anchor just south of the point, very close to the shore.

Diving Conditions

This can be an easy dive, as we only go there with the best conditions, the dive can be as shallow as 10m and going down to around 20m, but really the best sea life is in the 10-12m mark. The site has some very interesting yet tight swim through's.

This site can have 20+ visibility, millpond conditions and the chance of spotting whales in winter!

SeaLife

You name it, Marley may deliver it! SeaLife like wobbegong sharks, tuna, large rays and leather jackets are common around Marley point, and being a site that is not dived regally or fished, the sea life is fantastic!

Tumble Down

Location Information

The best place to anchor is where the reef comes up from 24 metres. Within a very short distance the reef moves up to 15 metres and then to 12 metres.

Diving Conditions

Most of the coastline of the Royal National Park on the southern outskirts of Sydney has numerous suitable sites for scuba diving. The coast all the way from Port Hacking in the North to well past Wattamolla has a beautiful reef that extends a good distance from the rock platform and reaches depths that are good for diving.

One of the most popular dive sites in the area lies on this stretch of coast (Barren's Hut) and Tumbledown lies just south of this spot. The name is derived from the surroundings; the seafloor is covered by rocks that have fallen from the cliffs.

Once you have descended, head to the sand and follow the reef either north or south. After a while, come up a little shallower and then head back in the other direction. You should find a number of small canyons and swim throughs that team with life. 

SeaLife

One of the first things you will notice is the immense diversity of sponge life. The conditions here are perfect and they seem to thrive in these waters. If you look carefully you will see sea dragons, rays and even fiddler rays. On occasion more than 10 have been seen on dives and in autumn you will definitely see Port Jackson sharks (50 have been seen on a single dive). Also huge schools of yellowtail, ladder finned pomfret, sea pike, silver sweep and one-spot pullers are known to regularly pass by. Other fish that may be seen include luderick, bream, morwong and lots of leatherjackets. 

Osborne Shoals

Location Information

Osborne shoals is located directly of Cronulla Beach and is one of the many excellent dive sites that can be reached from Port Hacking. Osborne Shoals is only one part of the reef that can be found intermittently from Kurnell to Bundeena across Bate Bay.

Diving Conditions

Like Merries reef further to the north, the top of the reef is generally covered in kelp and or sponges. Once you drop of the scenery rapidly changes and the best spots are where the top of the reef plunges down to 20 metres or more. After descending down the anchor line and you haven't found the reef, swim to the north. The best dive is usually had when you keep the reef on your right shoulder and swim in an easterly direction. If the anchor was placed in the correct location you should come across a cave after only a few metres.

You can enter the cave a little to see the gorgonias in their hundreds. Continue to the east, past a small overhang after which the reef turns to the south. Even more marine life can be found on these walls. When you move on further you will see some large boulders and then a sandy patch on your left hand side. Past this, there are more rocks which most divers only briefly get to see because by now most people will have used half their air supply.

If you have some left you can continue on a little further, reaching 24 metres as maximum depth. No matter how far you go (or what route you take) you should to return to the anchor line, keeping the reef on your left hand, when you have used half your air supply. On returning to the anchor line a safety stop is always needed due to the depth of this dive.

This period is often made a lot easier due to the presence of blue gropers and wrasse that are often looking for an easy meal. Visibility here is usually quite good, with 9-12 metres being average. 

SeaLife

The sand is home to the very strange looking serpent eels. The fish life on and around the walls are absolutely amazing. Huge schools of yellowtail, ladder-finned pomfret, sea pike, black reef leatherjackets, six-spined leatherjackets, luderick, bream, and kingfish.

Other sea life often seen on Osborne Shoals include many different kinds of nudibranchs (colours varying from white to pink to blue), blue groper, red morwong, cuttlefish, mado, stripey, common bullseye, crimson banded wrasse, Maori wrasse, silver sweep, sergeant baker, old wife, white ear, Port Jackson sharks, One spot pullers, puffer fish, dusky flatheads, eastern blue devil, blue striped goatfish, firefish, common stingarees and sea dragons.

Simpson Reef

Location Information

It is located at the mouth of Port Hacking on the southern outskirts of the city.. When the depth sounder shows the wall dropping from 11 to 16 metres that is where you should anchor. The whole wall is bigger; it rises from the sandy bottom at 24 metres to 11 metres (6 fathoms) before levelling of. 

Diving Conditions

If you have anchored on the south eastern section of the reef, you should find the reef here to be the most distinct. Swimming westwards you should find diving conditions being better as you go along. Although many people feel that this reef has little to offer scuba divers, it is a great site for rougher sea conditions or for novice divers.

There are a couple of small overhangs and some swim-throughs that offer hiding places for all kinds of fish and sea life. Having followed the reef for 20 minutes, you should then start thinking about returning to the anchor line. This dive is not just suited for bad weather; the site itself is worth diving and is often used as second dive because of its shallow nature and close proximity to Port Hacking. 

SeaLife

The sea life on the reef wall is spectacular; you will often come across ladder-finned pomfret, bullseye, yellowtail, sea pike and one-spot pullers. Also bream, yellowtail kingfish and trevally are often seen in larger schools.

Also there are excellent sponge gardens, lace corals and gorgonias to be found in the deeper sections of the reef. As well as the fish noted earlier fish to be seen here include blue groper, red morwong, magpie morwong, leatherjackets, eastern blue devils wobbegongs and Port Jackson sharks.

Pistol Crack

Location Information

Virtually all of the Sydney Coast is suitable for diving, you are only limited by the means to access sites and your imagination. One of the least dived sections is the coast north of Botany Bay. The northern headland of Botany Bay is known as Cape Banks and is part of Botany Bay National Park. Just a few hundred metres to the north of Cape Banks is the Sydney Pistol Club.

The crack or fissure runs adjacent to the pistol club and in the past was filled in with rubbish. Underwater the crack continues and when you want to anchor the crack is your point of reference. Line up with the crack at a depth of about 15 metres an run in north until the depth comes up to 12 metres. Turn east and when the depth drops again to 15 to 20 metres, drop the anchor. 

Diving Conditions

The anchor should be right in the edge of a three metre wall. To the east is another wall of five metres. Try diving along either of the two walls in a northerly direction before returning back to the anchor area. Head south to the crack itself and then follow it out to deeper water you can reach 27 metres but usually your maximum depth won't exceed 23 metres.

When you turn around, be sure to swim back up the crack and on the north side of the crack there is an excellent tunnel under a huge rock. The depth gage should read about 18 metres when this entrance can be seen and the cave looks somewhat similar to 'the whorehouse' in Jervis Bay.

After examining the swim-through, if you have time and air, you can head towards the shallows where you will find the remains of rubbish from the old tip. 

SeaLife

There are some awesome sponge gardens along the side of the walls especially in the 22 to 27 metres range. The fish life on this dive can be excellent, huge schools of yellowtail, sea pike, nannygais and red morwong hover over the crack or line its bottom. At this time of the year (March to September) Port Jackson come and visit the area and they are often found in or near the swim-through.