Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 8 Nov 2026
Big Woody Island Fringing Reef
Hervey Bay & K'gari, Queensland · near Urangan (Hervey Bay)
| Depth | 3–12 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Backward roll or giant stride from boat; descend the anchor or shot line |
| Current | Variable/Tidal |
| Visibility | 3-10 m |
| Water | summer 26-28 °C, winter 18-21 °C |
| Suit | 3 mm full suit in summer; 5 mm full suit and hood in winter |
| Best season | June-October (calmer, clearer water); dive at high-water slack year-round |
| Bottom time | 50 min |
| Position | -25.28000, 152.96000 (approximate) |
| Permit | Great Sandy Marine Park – no dive permit required outside designated areas; observe zoning (green zones) and go-slow areas. |
| Nearest chamber | Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital hyperbaric unit (Herston, Brisbane) — nearest chamber; Wesley Hospital hyperbaric unit (Auchenflower, Brisbane) is the alternative. Divers Emergency Service 1800 088 200. |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Big Woody Island Fringing Reef
Also known as Big Woody Island
Sheltered shallow fringes of the island beside the Roy Rufus reef – an easy, low-key second dive.
Near Urangan (Hervey Bay) · Hervey Bay & K'gari, Queensland
- Depth
- 3–12 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~15 min
- Water
- 26-28 °C
- Visibility
- 3-10 m
Big Woody Island Fringing Reef3–12 m · Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
June-October (calmer, clearer water); dive at high-water slack year-round
- Best months
- Now (November)
- Stinger suit Nov–May
Dive facts
- Depth
- 3–12 m
- Typical depth
- 8 m
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Open Water (10–18 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 7 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~15 min
- Current
- Variable/Tidal
- Visibility
- 3-10 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 26-28 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 18-21 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Bottom time
- 50 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
3 mm full suit in summer; 5 mm full suit and hood in winter
Location
Big Woody Island · Hervey Bay & K'gari (Fraser Island)
-25.28000, 152.96000
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: scubadivefrasercoast.weebly.comMarine park & permits
Great Sandy Marine Park – no dive permit required outside designated areas; observe zoning (green zones) and go-slow areas.
Nearest recompression chamber
Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital hyperbaric unit (Herston, Brisbane) — nearest chamber; Wesley Hospital hyperbaric unit (Auchenflower, Brisbane) is the alternative. Divers Emergency Service 1800 088 200.
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Big Woody Island Fringing Reef →
A day-by-day plan for Hervey Bay & K'gari with this site locked in.
This guide is a planning aid. Conditions change daily — confirm with a local dive centre and dive within your training. Data & safety notes.
Dive profile
How this site rates
Scores are computed from the recorded data, not opinions. How?
At a glance
Big Woody Island Fringing Reef is a island boat dive in Hervey Bay & K'gari, QLD, 3–12 m, suited to Open Water divers, variable/tidal current, about 15 minutes by boat.
Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note tidal current that must be timed and boat traffic overhead.
Why dive here
- Sheltered shallow fringes of the island beside the Roy Rufus reef – an easy, low-key second dive.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
Conditions to avoid
- Outgoing tide or run-off after rain (poor visibility)
- Any time other than slack water
About Big Woody Island Fringing Reef
Big Woody Island is the largest island in Hervey Bay's southern waters, lying in the Great Sandy Strait a short run east of Urangan. Its eastern side hosts the Roy Rufus Artificial Reef, and the island itself is fringed by rock, coral patches and seagrass. The island carries the historic Woody Island lighthouses, and both the Simpson and Hardie artificial reefs are named after its lighthouse keepers.
There is no dedicated published dive guide for the island's natural fringes. Expect a shallow, low-profile reef with soft corals, sponges and small reef fish, rays on the sand and turtles and dugong habitat in the seagrass nearby.
Conditions are typical of the strait: tidal flow that restricts diving to slack water, and visibility that is often only a few metres. The island gives some shelter from south-easterly chop on its western side.
It is best seen as a sheltered, shallow alternative for divers with their own boat, or a place to finish a Roy Rufus trip. Anyone planning to dive here should check local zoning and avoid anchoring in seagrass. Because the island lies beside the main Great Sandy Strait channel used by the K'gari barges and ferries, tow a surface marker and keep a dive flag flying on the boat.
Getting there & entry
Rocky and coral fringes of Big Woody Island in the Great Sandy Strait, about 6-8 km east of Urangan and adjacent to the Roy Rufus Artificial Reef.
Hervey Bay's boat dives leave from Urangan Boat Harbour (Great Sandy Straits Marina / Boat Club Marina, Buccaneer Drive, Urangan), at the eastern end of Hervey Bay's Esplanade about 10 minutes' drive from Pialba; there is free parking at the marina and a public boat ramp in the harbour. Hervey Bay Dive Centre runs its local wreck and reef trips from here. Big Woody Island is a 15-20 minute run east from Urangan.
Anchor in sand off the island's fringing reef, clear of the shipping and ferry channels in the strait; there are no moorings for divers.
Entry: Backward roll or giant stride from boat; descend the anchor or shot line
Facilities: Departure: Urangan Boat Harbour
Weather, swell & tides
Hervey Bay lies in the lee of K'gari, so ocean swell is rarely a problem; the limits are wind, tide and visibility. South-east trades over about 15-20 knots kick up a steep, short chop across the bay, and strong northerlies do the same in summer. Tides in the Great Sandy Strait run hard, so dives are timed for high-water slack – the Roy Rufus reef is dived only around high tide – and neap tides give the calmest water and best visibility.
Visibility is modest, typically 5 m and rarely above 10 m, and drops further after rain when the Mary River and creeks discharge into the bay (December-March). Winter (June-October) is generally calmer and clearer, and coincides with humpback whale season.
Best season: June-October (calmer, clearer water); dive at high-water slack year-round
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Big Woody Island Fringing Reef doesn't.
- Gatakers Reef (Point Vernon) · 17 km · Max 6 m
How the dive is usually run
Anchor off the fringe, descend to the reef edge at 5-8 m and follow it with the island on one side, turning on a third of your gas. Dive at high-water slack and keep close to the reef in the low visibility.
Marine life
- Soft corals
- sponges
- small reef fish
- rays
- turtles; seagrass habitat nearby →
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Within the 18 m limit of an entry-level certification.
Courses that help here
- Peak Performance Buoyancy – Silt and low visibility punish poor trim.
Depth tiers: 0–10 m easy · to 18 m Open Water · 18–30 m Advanced (25 m+ is a deep dive) · 30–40 m Deep specialty · 40 m+ technical. All courses
Hazards & warnings
Tidal current – slack water only; low visibility; boat and ferry traffic in the strait; avoid anchoring in seagrass.
Dive centres that go here
No scheduled operator trips documented – private boat; Hervey Bay Dive Centre may use the island's lee as a sheltered alternative.
Operators recorded for Big Woody Island Fringing Reef
Other dive centres in Hervey Bay & K'gari
Bundaberg Aqua Scuba
ListedBundaberg · Bundaberg & Agnes Water · QLD
A Bundaberg-based training and equipment business serving the local diving community and southern reef access.
aquascuba.com.au · 0402 937 765
Lady Musgrave Experience
ListedBurnett Heads · Bundaberg & Agnes Water · QLD
A Bundaberg-based operation providing day and overnight access to Lady Musgrave Island and its lagoon.
ladymusgraveexperience.com.au · (07) 4151 5225
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views
Big Woody Island Fringing Reef: frequently asked questions
How deep is Big Woody Island Fringing Reef?
Big Woody Island Fringing Reef reaches a maximum depth of 12 m, with the shallowest part at about 3 m; most of the dive is spent around 8 m.
What certification do I need to dive Big Woody Island Fringing Reef?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note tidal current that must be timed and boat traffic overhead.
Can I shore dive Big Woody Island Fringing Reef?
No, it is reached by boat (about 15 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Big Woody Island Fringing Reef?
June-October (calmer, clearer water); dive at high-water slack year-round.
What marine life will I see at Big Woody Island Fringing Reef?
Regularly recorded: Soft corals, sponges, small reef fish, rays, turtles; seagrass habitat nearby.
What wetsuit do I need at Big Woody Island Fringing Reef?
3 mm full suit in summer; 5 mm full suit and hood in winter.
How cold is the water at Big Woody Island Fringing Reef?
Typically 26-28 °C in summer and 18-21 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Big Woody Island Fringing Reef?
Tidal current – slack water only; low visibility; boat and ferry traffic in the strait; avoid anchoring in seagrass. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Big Woody Island Fringing Reef?
Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital hyperbaric unit (Herston, Brisbane) — nearest chamber; Wesley Hospital hyperbaric unit (Auchenflower, Brisbane) is the alternative. Divers Emergency Service 1800 088 200. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Hervey Bay & K'gari
Hervey Bay is famous for humpback whales from July to October and, for divers, for the artificial reefs and wrecks off Urangan, the Roy Rufus reef and the coral around Big Woody and Round islands. K'gari (Fraser Island) has the Maheno wreck on the beach and surf-side reefs for the adventurous.
Getting there: Three and a half hours north of Brisbane or a flight to Hervey Bay. Local dive operators launch from Urangan.
All Hervey Bay & K'gari dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
- scubadivefrasercoast.weebly.com/diving-spots.html
- marinelife.org.au/?page_id=1580
- visitfrasercoast.com/diving-reefs
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: No dive-specific published description of the island fringes found; depths from v1.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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