Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
Bowen Island Multilevel
Jervis Bay, New South Wales · near Huskisson / Jervis Bay Village
| Depth | 5–30 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Advanced Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Back roll from boat |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 10-20 m |
| Water | summer 19-23 °C, winter 15-17 °C |
| Suit | 5–7 mm wetsuit with hood in summer–autumn; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June–October |
| Best season | Year-round; sunfish most often in late winter–spring |
| Bottom time | 45 min |
| Position | not published |
| Permit | Bowen Island and its surrounding waters are part of Booderee National Park (Commonwealth) and listed as a sanctuary zone – no take of any marine life; landing on Bowen Island is prohibited (little penguin colony). Use public moorings where provided; anchoring is restricted in places. |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) – approx. 3 h by road from Jervis Bay; call 000 and DAN Asia-Pacific hotline (evacuation usually by air) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Bowen Island Multilevel
Also known as Bowen Island – Multilevel Site
A wall-and-slope profile for every level, with a chance of sunfish at cleaning stations.
Near Huskisson / Jervis Bay Village · Jervis Bay, New South Wales
- Depth
- 5–30 m
- Minimum level
- Advanced Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~20 min
- Water
- 19-23 °C
- Visibility
- 10-20 m
Bowen Island Multilevel5–30 m · Advanced Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Year-round; sunfish most often in late winter–spring
- Best months
- Now (November)
Dive facts
- Depth
- 5–30 m
- Typical depth
- 15 m
- Certification
- Advanced Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Depth tier
- Advanced Open Water (18–30 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 0.05 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~20 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 10-20 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 19-23 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 15-17 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 45 min
- Dive traffic
- Popular (weekly charters)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
5–7 mm wetsuit with hood in summer–autumn; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June–October
Location
Bowen Island · Shoalhaven – Jervis Bay
No published coordinates. The map above shows the general area, estimated from other documented sites near Huskisson.
Primary source: deep6divingjervisbay.com.auMarine park & permits
Bowen Island and its surrounding waters are part of Booderee National Park (Commonwealth) and listed as a sanctuary zone – no take of any marine life; landing on Bowen Island is prohibited (little penguin colony). Use public moorings where provided; anchoring is restricted in places.
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) – approx. 3 h by road from Jervis Bay; call 000 and DAN Asia-Pacific hotline (evacuation usually by air)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Bowen Island Multilevel →
A day-by-day plan for Jervis Bay 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
Bowen Island Multilevel is a reef boat dive in Jervis Bay, NSW, 5–30 m, suited to Advanced Open Water divers, about 20 minutes by boat.
Rated intermediate because of depth beyond 18 m, boat traffic overhead, cold water.
Why dive here
- A wall-and-slope profile for every level, with a chance of sunfish at cleaning stations.
- Visibility often reaches 10-20 m.
Conditions to avoid
- Strong southerly or south-east swell and wind
- Outgoing tide or run-off after rain (poor visibility)
About Bowen Island Multilevel
Deep 6 Diving Jervis Bay describes a Bowen Island 'multilevel site' that starts at 5 m, drops over a wall to 15 m and then slopes to sand at 30 m. It is presented as excellent for all experience levels, because divers can choose how deep to go while staying on the same reef, and the profile naturally ends in the shallows for a long safety stop among the fish.
The site's calling card is the oceanic sunfish (Mola mola). Sunfish visit cleaning stations on the reef, where small wrasse and other cleaners pick parasites from their skin, and a patient diver who stays still near the station may be rewarded with a close encounter with one of the ocean's strangest fish. Juvenile fish schools crowd the upper wall, and the usual Bowen Island cast – weedy sea dragons, yellowtail, seapike, leatherjackets and cuttlefish – is present.
Divers should treat it as the operator's name for a Bowen Island multilevel dive and rely on the dive centre's choice of site on the day. Bowen Island's waters are part of Booderee National Park and a sanctuary zone, landing on the island is prohibited, and all marine life is protected. Sunfish are easily disturbed – do not chase or touch them, and keep clear of the cleaning station itself.
Getting there & entry
Bowen Island site starting at 5 m, dropping over a wall to 15 m and sloping to sand at 30 m; juvenile fish schools and sunfish cleaning stations.
Charters depart Huskisson (Dive Jervis Bay; boats in Currambene Creek), about 15–20 minutes across the bay to Bowen Island. Private boats can launch at the Murrays Beach ramp in Booderee National Park (park entry fee; ramp faces Bowen Island, 5 minutes away) or at Huskisson/Callala. Deep 6 Diving lists this as a Bowen Island site without a published position; operators choose the side of the island according to conditions.
Travel time is 15–25 minutes from Huskisson.
Entry: Back roll from boat
Facilities: Departure from Huskisson (Dive Jervis Bay shop, air/nitrox, cafés) or Murrays Beach ramp in Booderee National Park (toilets, parking; park entry pass required).
Weather, swell & tides
Bowen Island shelters the southern side of the Jervis Bay entrance. The inside and north-western corner (Nursery, Aztec, North Bowen) are protected from southerly swell and are often the only diveable sites when big southerlies close the outer coast, although waves can break on the points in large seas. The eastern and southern faces are exposed to south-easterly and southerly swell and want under about 1.5 m.
An outgoing tide can produce strong current around the island's points. Visibility typically 10–20 m.
Best season: Year-round; sunfish most often in late winter–spring
How the dive is usually run
Start shallow at 5 m, drop over the wall to 15 m and follow the slope towards the 30 m sand only as far as your certification allows, then work back up the slope and wall, watching for sunfish at cleaning stations on the way.
Marine life
- Oceanic sunfish (Mola mola) at cleaning stations
- juvenile fish schools
- weedy sea dragons →
- yellowtail
- seapike
- leatherjackets
- cuttlefish →
- cleaner wrasse
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Beyond 18 m an Advanced certification (which includes a deep dive to 30 m) is the accepted minimum. Anything past 25 m is a deep dive in practice.
Open Water divers can dive the shallower section (typical depth 15 m); the full site to 30 m needs Advanced Open Water. Operators often quote Open Water. At more than 25 m this counts as a deep dive: watch no-decompression limits and gas.
Operators' own listing: Open Water.
Courses that help here
- Enriched Air Nitrox – Longer no-decompression time at 25 m and deeper.
- Drysuit Diver – Cold water; locals dive dry for much of the year.
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
Depth to 30 m on the slope; do not chase sunfish; boat traffic; sanctuary zone – no take; no landing on Bowen Island.
Dive centres that go here
Deep 6 Diving Jervis Bay and Dive Jervis Bay (Huskisson) include Bowen Island multilevel dives in their regular rotation.
Operators recorded for Bowen Island Multilevel
Dive Jervis Bay
ProfiledHuskisson · Jervis Bay · NSW
A Huskisson operation with two dive boats and on-site accommodation, diving the walls, sponge gardens and seal sites of Jervis Bay Marine Park.
(02) 4441 5255
Deep 6 Diving Jervis Bay
Reported closedHuskisson · Jervis Bay · NSW
Former domain deep6divingjervisbay.com.au now serves unrelated SEO content; only stale directory listings remain.
Other dive centres in Jervis Bay
Indepth Scuba
ProfiledBelconnen · Jervis Bay · NSW
A Canberra operation that functions as both a training school and a life-support service facility, with cylinder testing and a full range of gas fills.
indepthscuba.com.au · (02) 6251 1070
Lady of the Sea Diving Academy
ProfiledTuggeranong (Canberra, ACT) · Jervis Bay · NSW
A Canberra operation with an unusually complete set of facilities for an inland centre, including an onsite pool, classroom, retail shop and dive boat.
ladyofthesea.com.au · +61 407 487 735
Crest Diving
Named by sitesJervis Bay · Jervis Bay · NSW
Escorted shore dive tours; no shopfront address published.
crestdiving.com.au · 0414 787 281
Woebegone Freedive
Named by sitesHuskisson · Jervis Bay · NSW
Freediving school; official site live (Unit 3/1 Erina Rd Huskisson) with online bookings and a TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice 2026 award.
woebegone.com.au
General area
No position has been published for Bowen Island Multilevel. The circle shows where it is likely to be, worked out from other documented sites near Huskisson. Ask a local operator for the exact site.
Dashed circle: general area (about 4 km), from other documented sites near Huskisson. 6 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Bowen Island Multilevel: frequently asked questions
How deep is Bowen Island Multilevel?
Bowen Island Multilevel reaches a maximum depth of 30 m, with the shallowest part at about 5 m; most of the dive is spent around 15 m.
What certification do I need to dive Bowen Island Multilevel?
Advanced Open Water is the recommended minimum. Open Water divers can dive the shallower section (typical depth 15 m); the full site to 30 m needs Advanced Open Water. Operators often quote Open Water. At more than 25 m this counts as a deep dive: watch no-decompression limits and gas. Rated intermediate because of depth beyond 18 m, boat traffic overhead, cold water.
Can I shore dive Bowen Island Multilevel?
No, it is reached by boat (about 20 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Bowen Island Multilevel?
Year-round; sunfish most often in late winter–spring.
What marine life will I see at Bowen Island Multilevel?
Regularly recorded: Oceanic sunfish (Mola mola) at cleaning stations, juvenile fish schools, weedy sea dragons, yellowtail, seapike, leatherjackets, cuttlefish, cleaner wrasse.
What wetsuit do I need at Bowen Island Multilevel?
5–7 mm wetsuit with hood in summer–autumn; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June–October.
How cold is the water at Bowen Island Multilevel?
Typically 19-23 °C in summer and 15-17 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Bowen Island Multilevel?
Depth to 30 m on the slope; do not chase sunfish; boat traffic; sanctuary zone – no take; no landing on Bowen Island. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Bowen Island Multilevel?
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) – approx. 3 h by road from Jervis Bay; call 000 and DAN Asia-Pacific hotline (evacuation usually by air). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay's white sand and clear water make it the best-known dive destination on the NSW south coast. The Docks, Stoney Creek and the Arch on the northern headland, and Cabbage Tree Point on the south, are boat dives with sponge gardens, grey nurse sharks in season and fur seals from Drum and Drumsticks. Inside the bay, Hyams Beach, Murrays Beach and the Green Patch reefs are gentle shore dives with seadragons and octopus.
Getting there: Two and a half hours south of Sydney. Dive shops in Huskisson run daily charters; shore dives inside the bay have car parks at Hyams, Murrays and Green Patch (Booderee National Park entry fee applies).
Sources
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Position not published; may duplicate North Bowen Island or Little Egypt.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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