Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 8 Nov 2026
Boyds Tower Reef
Eden & Green Cape, New South Wales · near Eden
| Depth | Depth not published |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Giant stride from boat |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 10–20 m m |
| Water | summer 17–20 °C °C, winter 12–14 °C °C |
| Suit | 7 mm wetsuit with hood and gloves, or drysuit, for most of the year; 5 mm only in late summer |
| Best season | Year round |
| Bottom time | 45 min |
| Position | -37.10300, 149.96000 (approximate) |
| Permit | None required – Twofold Bay has no marine park; Beowa (formerly Ben Boyd) National Park shoreline |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (Randwick, Sydney) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Boyds Tower Reef
Also known as Red Point, Boyd's Tower, Red Point Reef
Reef below the 1847 Boyd's Tower on Red Point, next to the Eden tug wrecks.
Near Eden · Eden & Green Cape, New South Wales
- Depth
- Depth not published
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~10 min
- Water
- 17–20 °C
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
Boyds Tower ReefDepth not published · Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Dive facts
- Depth
- Depth not published
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 0.2 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~10 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 10–20 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 17–20 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 12–14 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 45 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
7 mm wetsuit with hood and gloves, or drysuit, for most of the year; 5 mm only in late summer
Location
Twofold Bay south – Red Point tugs · Eden – Twofold Bay & Green Cape
-37.10300, 149.96000
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: michaelmcfadyenscuba.infoMarine park & permits
None required – Twofold Bay has no marine park; Beowa (formerly Ben Boyd) National Park shoreline
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (Randwick, Sydney)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Boyds Tower Reef →
A day-by-day plan for Eden & Green Cape 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
Boyds Tower Reef is a reef boat dive in Eden & Green Cape, NSW, suited to Open Water divers, about 10 minutes by boat.
Rated intermediate because of boat traffic overhead, cold water.
Why dive here
- Reef below the 1847 Boyd's Tower on Red Point, next to the Eden tug wrecks.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
- Visibility often reaches 10–20 m.
About Boyds Tower Reef
Boyd's Tower is a sandstone tower built in 1847 on Red Point, the southern headland of Twofold Bay, by the entrepreneur Benjamin Boyd. Intended as a lighthouse, it was never lit and was used instead as a lookout by shore-based whalers, who watched from it for whales and signalled to the boats. It is now a landmark of Beowa National Park.
The reef below Red Point is part of the same coastline as the documented sites nearby: the scuttled tugs Tasman Hauler and Henry Bolte lie just to the south on sand at 25–30 m, and Jacko's Cave at Leatherjacket Point shows the character of the reef – walls, boulders and caves covered in brilliant sponges, sea squirts, gorgonians and lace coral, with nudibranchs, octopus, cuttlefish, eastern blue devilfish and leatherjackets. The red rocks that give the point its name continue underwater as boulders and ledges.
The reef is best seen as an adjunct to the tug dives, and divers visiting the wrecks may be able to spend a dive exploring it. Its history is the draw: humpback whales still pass the point every spring, and the Eden Killer Whale Museum tells the story of whalers working alongside orcas in Twofold Bay. The museum in Eden is worth a visit on any non-diving day.
Getting there & entry
Reef below Boyd's Tower on Red Point, the southern headland of Twofold Bay in Beowa National Park, just north of the scuttled tugs.
Boat access only. Local boats launch at the four-lane Quarantine Bay ramp 3 km south of Eden (toilets, cleaning tables, trailer parking) or from Snug Cove in the town harbour and run south across Twofold Bay. Red Point, topped by the sandstone Boyd's Tower (1847), is about 10 minutes south of Eden across Twofold Bay, and the Tasman Hauler and Henry Bolte lie just south of it.
By road, Boyd's Tower is reached via Edrom Road and the Boyds Tower access road in Beowa National Park, but the cliffs make shore diving impractical.
Entry: Giant stride from boat
Facilities: Quarantine Bay ramp and Snug Cove, Eden; Boyd's Tower lookout and walking tracks onshore.
Weather, swell & tides
Red Point is the outer southern headland of Twofold Bay. Its northern (bay) side is sheltered from southerly swell, but its seaward face takes easterly and southerly swell. The tugs just south of the point are dived in most winds, so the bay side of the reef should be similar.
Visibility is often good, as on the Tasman Hauler.
Best season: Year round
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Boyds Tower Reef doesn't.
- Merimbula Wharf · 23 km · Max 16 m
- SS Empire Gladstone · 17 km · Max 12 m
- Quarantine Bay · 4 km · Max 8 m
- Snug Cove Wharf · 6 km · Max 10 m
How the dive is usually run
Anchor on the bay side of Red Point and follow the reef along the base of the cliffs, returning shallower. Combine with a dive on the Tasman Hauler or Henry Bolte nearby. Keep the cliff on one side for navigation and ascend on the anchor line.
Marine life
- Expected: sponges
- sea squirts
- gorgonians
- lace coral
- nudibranchs →
- octopus →
- cuttlefish →
- eastern blue devilfish →
- leatherjackets
- blue groper →
- yellowtail
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Courses that help here
- Drysuit Diver – Cold water; locals dive dry for much of the year.
- Underwater Navigation – Navigation is part of the dive plan.
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
Cliffs – no shore access; boat traffic; exposed seaward face.
Dive centres that go here
No operator lists a separate Boyds Tower reef dive; Eden operators (Merimbula Divers Lodge, Dive Eden) dive the adjacent tugs and could include the reef.
Operators recorded for Boyds Tower Reef
Dive Eden
ProfiledEden · Merimbula · NSW
An Eden operator running boat, wreck, wharf and cave dives around Twofold Bay, with Try Scuba to Advanced courses and studio accommodation near Cocora Beach.
diveeden.com.au · 0410 026 990
Merimbula Divers Lodge
Reported closedMerimbula · Merimbula · NSW
An SSI dive centre with its own accommodation, classroom, shop, air and Nitrox and a purpose-built boat, running small classes on the far south coast.
Other dive centres in Eden & Green Cape
Sapphire Coast Scuba
ProfiledEden · Merimbula · NSW
An Eden-based operation offering PADI Open Water training, guided dives for certified divers, equipment hire and air fills.
sapphirecoastscuba.com · 0488 519 316
Wilderness Sea n' Ski
ListedLiverpool · Sydney South & Botany Bay · NSW
A far south coast business providing equipment and dive services. Range and training availability require verification.
wilderness.net.au · (02) 9822 4112
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views


Boyds Tower Reef: frequently asked questions
What certification do I need to dive Boyds Tower Reef?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated intermediate because of boat traffic overhead, cold water.
Can I shore dive Boyds Tower Reef?
No, it is reached by boat (about 10 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Boyds Tower Reef?
Year round.
What marine life will I see at Boyds Tower Reef?
Regularly recorded: Expected: sponges, sea squirts, gorgonians, lace coral, nudibranchs, octopus, cuttlefish, eastern blue devilfish, leatherjackets, blue groper, yellowtail.
What wetsuit do I need at Boyds Tower Reef?
7 mm wetsuit with hood and gloves, or drysuit, for most of the year; 5 mm only in late summer.
How cold is the water at Boyds Tower Reef?
Typically 17–20 °C in summer and 12–14 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Boyds Tower Reef?
Cliffs – no shore access; boat traffic; exposed seaward face. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Boyds Tower Reef?
Prince of Wales Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (Randwick, Sydney). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Eden & Green Cape
The far south coast around Eden is cold, clear and rarely crowded. Twofold Bay has the SS Empire Gladstone and the Tasman Hauler wrecks in shallow water, the Pinnacles at Merimbula sit just to the north, and Green Cape, at the southern tip of the state, has the Ly-ee-Moon wreck, seals and some of the best visibility in NSW.
Getting there: Six hours from Sydney or Melbourne. Eden has a dive shop with a charter boat; several Twofold Bay sites are shore dives from the Quarantine Bay and Cocora Beach car parks.
All Eden & Green Cape dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
- michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/viewpage.php?page_id=83
- michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/viewpage.php?page_id=84
- nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/swimming-spots/bittangabee-bay/learn-more
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: No dedicated dive source; depths removed; coordinates approximate.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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