Campos Reef is one of the deeper local reefs off the Gold Coast, reaching about 30 m. Gold Coast Dive Adventures describes it as a coffee-rock reef with a huge rock formation and a topography unlike the other local reefs, and classifies it as a deep dive requiring advanced certification and a recommended dive plan. The central rock formation is the highlight.

Rising from the surrounding reef, it creates walls, overhangs and ledges that concentrate fish life and provide a strong sense of structure compared with the flatter boulder reefs closer to the Seaway. Coffee rock – compacted sand and organic material – erodes into holes and undercuts that shelter wobbegongs, moray eels, crayfish and reef fish, while sponges, soft corals and feather stars colour the surfaces. As with the other offshore reefs, pelagic fish, baitfish schools, dolphins and rays are possible, and the depth means big fish are often closer to the bottom here.

Published detail on Campos is limited, and it is not dived as often as Gretas or the Scottish Prince, largely because of its depth. Bottom time on air is short, so nitrox and a disciplined plan are important, and divers should be comfortable with depth, possible current and blue-water ascents. For experienced divers on the Gold Coast, it offers a deeper, more dramatic alternative to the regular local reefs, and it is best combined with a shallow second dive such as the Scottish Prince or Wonder Reef's upper spirals.

Winter water rarely drops below 19°C, so a 5 mm suit is usually enough.

Boat access only. Gold Coast Dive Adventures departs Runaway Bay Marina (Bayview Street, Runaway Bay – parking, cafes, toilets), runs south down the Broadwater and out through the Gold Coast Seaway; the reefs off the Seaway and The Spit are 10-20 minutes from the marina. Private boats launch at the Seaway/Broadwater ramps (e.g.

Doug Jennings Park area, Southport, Runaway Bay) and must cross the Seaway entrance, which can be rough on an outgoing tide against an easterly swell. Campos Reef is one of the deeper offshore reefs reached from the Seaway.

Offshore Gold Coast reefs sit in open water and are limited by swell and wind: easterly or south-easterly swell over about 1.5 m and south-east trade winds over 15-20 knots make the sites rough and stir up the bottom, while summer north-easterly sea breezes build through the afternoon. Visibility is typically 8-20 m, best after several days of southerly or westerly winds and in winter, and poor after heavy rain when the Nerang River and Broadwater outflow spreads along the coast. The Seaway crossing is safest on the incoming tide.

Follow the operator's recommended dive plan: descend to the main rock formation, circle it at 25-28 m, then move up to the shallowest part of the reef for the rest of the dive. Keep a close eye on no-decompression limits.

Nitrox recommended; follow operator's dive plan.

Gold Coast Dive Adventures (Runaway Bay) – occasional dives for advanced/deep-certified divers.