The North Wall at Ballina has two quite different personalities depending on which side is dived: the inner, harbour-facing side near Shaws Bay is a sheltered, gentle tidal dive suitable for beginners, while the outer, ocean-facing section of the same breakwall is a rockier, more exposed dive that sees genuine ocean conditions and a correspondingly different mix of marine life. This outer section is dived far less often, mainly by experienced local shore divers prepared to wait for a day when the swell drops enough to make a rock entry sensible. The reward for that patience is a slightly richer reef-fish community than the sheltered inner side typically offers, since the outer wall's exposure to open water and its position at the very entrance to the Richmond River draws a wider range of species — larger bream and tailor, occasional rays working the sandy patches between rocks, and reef fish more typical of a genuine ocean rock platform than the muck-and-critter habitat found inside the harbour.

Visibility, while still modest by offshore standards, is often marginally better here than in the more silt-affected inner harbour. Because this is a genuine ocean rock-wall entry rather than a sheltered beach or harbour dive, it demands more caution and experience than the inner North Wall/Shaws Bay dive: entries and exits over wet rock in any swell carry real risk, and the site should only be attempted by divers comfortable with rock-platform diving and confident in reading the day's swell and tide state. For local Ballina divers looking for a change from the well-trodden inner harbour dive, though, the outer North Wall offers a worthwhile, low-cost alternative.

From East Ballina, walk along the North Wall to its ocean-facing outer section beyond the sheltered harbour-side entry point used for the inner breakwall dive; entry here is over rock rather than sand and depends on swell being minimal.

This stretch of coast is exposed to easterly and south-easterly swell year-round, and the Ballina bar itself can close to small boats in a moderate swell or on an outgoing tide, so a trip depends as much on the bar as on conditions at the reef. Visibility degrades for days after Richmond River floods. Winter gives the clearest water and the best chance of grey nurse sharks.

Unlike the sheltered inner harbour dive at Shaws Bay, the outer North Wall is exposed to ocean swell and should only be entered on genuinely small-swell days.

Enter from the outer rock wall on a calm, rising tide, work along the base of the wall at 3-10 m looking for larger reef fish and rays than the more sheltered inner harbour dive typically offers, and exit at the same point before conditions change.

No boat or dive shop required; used by experienced local shore divers on calm days as a rockier alternative to the sheltered inner breakwall.