Skeleton Rock, a granite formation said to resemble a skull, sits in Skeleton Bay at the southern end of the Bay of Fires near Binalong Bay. The Marine Life Network guide rates it 7 out of 10 - one of the better shore dives in the north-east - with swim-throughs, butterfly perch, Australian salmon and large banded morwong in 6-15 m.

The bay is scenic and sheltered, but the guide notes difficult shore access by a steep 200 m track and a boat traffic hazard, since the bay is popular with fishing boats launching at Binalong Bay. Snorkellers can enjoy the shallows on calm days, and the orange-lichen granite above and below the water makes it a very photogenic site.

It suits fit Open Water divers with their own equipment.

The north-east coast from St Helens to the Bay of Fires is built of the same orange-lichen granite as Freycinet, and under water it forms rounded boulders, cracks and swim-throughs. The regional guide notes damage from the long-spined black sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) on several sites; this urchin has spread south with the warming East Australian Current and grazes kelp and weed down to bare 'barrens', so expect patches of bare rock among the weed.

The north-east sees far fewer divers than Bicheno or the Tasman Peninsula. There is no regular charter boat, so most diving is done by Launceston club members and visitors towing their own boats, and conditions are checked on the morning rather than booked in advance. The nearest hyperbaric chamber is the Royal Hobart Hospital, more than three hours' drive away; Launceston General Hospital has no chamber, so evacuation planning and oxygen on board matter here.

From St Helens drive 11 km north on Binalong Bay Road to Binalong Bay, then follow the road north towards Skeleton Bay. The Marine Life Network guide describes a steep 200 m track down to the water, which requires fitness with scuba gear. Enter in the sheltered corner of the bay beside Skeleton Rock.

Allow about 2 hours' drive from Launceston via Scottsdale or the Tasman Highway through St Marys. Park close to the water where possible and check the exit before entering; the granite is slippery when wet and swell surges can be deceptive.

The St Helens and Bay of Fires coast faces east and north-east into the Tasman Sea, so easterly and north-easterly swell over about 1.5 m, and the common summer NE sea breeze, make it rough; the Georges Bay bar breaks in easterly swell. Westerly and south-westerly winds blow offshore and give the flattest seas and clearest water. Southerly swell wraps around St Helens Point.

Visibility falls after rain when Georges Bay drains tannin-stained water on the ebb. Skeleton Bay is described as scenic and sheltered; it is diveable in westerly and southerly weather but not in easterly swell.

Enter beside Skeleton Rock and explore its swim-throughs at 6-10 m, then follow the granite reef out to 15 m before returning to the exit. Tow a flag - boats use the bay. Turn at a third of gas to allow for the swim back and a possibly harder exit, finish with a 3-minute safety stop at about 5 m if the depth allows, and exit where you entered unless an alternative exit has been checked beforehand.

East Coast Scuba Centre (124 Binalong Bay Road, St Helens) is listed by Wikivoyage as offering dive and snorkel equipment hire - current trading status and whether it runs boat dives are unconfirmed. Otherwise sites are dived from private boats and by Launceston clubs and Tasmanian Divers (Launceston) on occasional trips.