The stretch of inshore reef north of the Richmond River mouth, running roughly from Black Head (also known as Skennars Head) up toward Lennox Head, forms a loose network of rocky ledges and gutters that is dived almost exclusively by private boat, since Ballina itself has not sustained a permanent dive centre in recent years. The reefs sit 1 to 3 km offshore in 10 to 22 m and share the same broken-rock, boulder-and-gutter character found up and down this section of the Far North Coast, without the fame or infrastructure of Julian Rocks a little further north. What makes the area worth the effort for local divers is the seasonal chance of grey nurse sharks, which move along this stretch of coast between the well-known aggregation sites at Tweed/Nine Mile Reef to the north and the Solitary Islands to the south, and are occasionally found resting in the deeper gutters here through the cooler months.

Wobbegong sharks are common under the ledges, turtles move through regularly, and kingfish, mulloway and snapper work the reef structure, making this a legitimate, if under-documented, shark and reef dive for those with local knowledge or a private boat. The main obstacle to diving here is logistics rather than the reef itself: without a resident dive shop, divers need their own vessel or a visiting charter, and getting out means crossing the Ballina bar at the Richmond River mouth, a bar with a reputation for changing shape and becoming dangerous in a moderate swell or an outgoing tide, so timing the crossing matters as much as timing the dive. Visibility close to the river mouth is also more susceptible to freshwater outflow after Richmond River floods than the more oceanic conditions further offshore.

This is a site for divers who already have their own boat and bar-crossing experience, or who can join a club or a visiting operator's occasional trip, rather than a walk-up charter destination.

Ballina has no permanent full-service dive centre at the time of writing, so diving here is mostly private-boat or club-organised. Boats launch at the Ballina Fishermen's Co-op ramp or the public ramp on the Richmond River at North Creek/Missingham Bridge, then cross the Ballina bar — a notoriously changeable and occasionally dangerous bar crossing that should only be attempted by those experienced with it, in settled conditions and a rising or high tide. From the river mouth it is a short run north to the Lennox/Black Head reefs or south toward Evans Head.

Byron Bay and the coast either side is exposed to easterly and south-easterly swell; the more remote sites away from the shelter of Cape Byron and Julian Rocks need under about 1.5 m swell and light winds to be diveable and are cancelled well before the rocks themselves. The East Australian Current runs strongly along this coast, especially November-May, and can add significant drift to any exposed pinnacle or headland site. Visibility improves after a run of settled offshore (westerly) winds and degrades for several days after the Brunswick River or Belongil Creek flood following heavy rain.

Winter (Jun-Sep) brings the clearest water, grey nurse sharks and migrating humpback whales; summer (Dec-Mar) is warmer with leopard sharks and more current. Add to this the Ballina bar itself, which can close to small boats in a moderate swell or on an outgoing tide, so a trip here depends as much on the bar as on conditions at the reef.

Drop onto the reef ledges at 10-12 m, work the gutters between Black Head and Lennox looking for grey nurse sharks and turtles, and return shallow along the reef top for the ascent.

No permanent Ballina dive centre; dived by private boats and occasional visiting charters from Byron Bay when conditions and interest align.