Brighton Jetty is one of the Adelaide metropolitan jetties included on the list of sites for this region, but it is not a recognised dive site in the published guides consulted. The original jetty was built in 1886 and stood for more than a century until winter storms in 1994 caused serious damage; it was rebuilt with funding from a mobile phone company, which is why a telecommunications tower stands at its end. A war memorial arch at the shore end hosts Anzac Day dawn services.

Brighton is better known for the Brighton Jetty Classic, an open-water swim first held in 2006 that became the largest in South Australia, and for its patrolled sandy beach. Underwater, the jetty sits over a mostly sandy seabed in shallow water. As at other Holdfast Bay jetties, the piles carry some algal and invertebrate growth and can hold small fish, crabs and occasionally cuttlefish or octopus, especially at night, but without the rich pylon growth of jetties such as Rapid Bay or Edithburgh.

It is best thought of as a snorkel or casual shallow dive for locals on a flat day rather than a destination dive. The Glenelg Jetty and Glenelg Blocks nearby have more documented diving interest, and Port Noarlunga to the south is far better. Divers using the jetty should respect anglers above, stay clear of lines and keep an eye on swimmers and surf lifesaving activity during the patrolled season (November-March weekends).

A 1926 memorial fountain near the jetty commemorates a fatal shark attack at Brighton, a reminder that the gulf's larger sharks do occasionally come inshore.

Brighton is about 20 minutes south-west of the Adelaide CBD via Anzac Highway and Brighton Road, or by train to Brighton station (short walk). Parking is along the Esplanade and in side streets near Jetty Road, Brighton; it fills quickly on summer weekends. Enter from the beach beside the jetty and swim out along the piles.

There is no dedicated diver staircase on the jetty, so plan entry and exit from the beach.

Shallow, sandy and west-facing, Brighton Jetty is only worth diving in flat conditions after offshore easterly winds. Any westerly or south-westerly wind or swell stirs sand through the water and creates surf at the beach entry; a seasonal sandbar can create surf even in moderate conditions. The summer sea breeze usually builds by early afternoon.

Visibility drops after rain. Tidal range is small.

Enter beside the jetty, swim out on the surface to about halfway, descend and work slowly along the piles looking for small life, then swim back along the other side.

No regular operator; occasionally used informally for snorkelling and night dives. Air fills at Adelaide Scuba (Glenelg North) and The Dive Shack.