The top 11 dive and snorkel sites in Northern Beaches Council, ranked by diver reviews, with maps and photos. Read the Northern Beaches Council guide
White sand and a natural reef of boulders and rocks. Sea dragons, dusky whalers, small rays... but not much fixed life. Parking available in Council car park at end of Bower St - parking $4+ or free if you park on the residential streets further away. Short walk down to sandy beach - park benches and open space available near entry.
Good alternative choice if the sea is too rough at Shelley Beach
The Vailant was a tug boat that sunk in 1981. This is ones of Sydneys most recent wrecks. Vessel size: 22.5m x 5.4 m (72 tons). The Vailant wreck is off Barrenjoey Head, Palm Beach. The Valiant is also known as The Valient (mispelled name).
A fantastic little spot if you have a boat or go with a dive company. On an incoming tide you can get up to 20m visability to see all the wonderful sealife here. Schooling fish can be seen here, nudibranchs apleny, and keep you eyes out for the giant cuttlefish! On a more recent excursion here we discovered some weedy sea-dragons, a wobbegong and a few octopus. Had lots of fun here with a camera. Nice relaxing dive and a great for newly certified divers. Access by boat only! This can be done by private charter or Prodive have a boat that runs out of Rose Bay and Manly.
The dive path goes towards the left. You may choose to dive over the shallow rocks covered with kelp, or a little further, where the rocks meet the sandy bottom. The area has numerous rock arrangements with small openings and overhangs. There is numerous rock fish life, making this a very popular spot among spearfishers. The site is on the northern side of Queenscliff Bay. There is a ticket parking area where you can gear up. There are also some free car spaces just outside the parking area. To reach the dive site, walk down the steps and circle the rock pool. The entry point is through a small canal on the seaside end of the rock pool. Note that this area is very exposed and the shallow reef may make it difficult to enter and exit.
The SS duckenfield was a steam-powered cargo ship used to transport coal. It sank in 1889 with a cargo of coal, coke and copper. The copper cargo was salvaged. The current remains are the boiler, the engine, and some pieces scattered on sandy ocean floor.
Average site, but a good alternative when you are tired of other sites. Be aware of surge from a southerly swell, it can be a problem if the seas are up. Enter the dive site at the end of Ocean Park rd, south end. Cross the beach and dive the headland and dive to the southeast. Simple.
Shallow, easy dive to navigate. Head straight into the water and follow the reek either left or right and turn around once you're halfway through your air. Lots of things to see like eels, occys and nudi's. Highlight here is if you get to catch a glimpse of the dusky whalers. GREAT night dive! Go down the set of stairs at the end of Little Bower Street.
