Chardons Reef is an open offshore reef east of Noosa. Deep Sea Fishing Co gives its position as 26°23.920'S 153°15.480'E, about 9 km from the Noosa bar, and describes it as an 'open reef area popular for pelagic species' in 30-55 m. That depth range places it beyond recreational diving limits for most of the reef.

As a deep open reef in clean offshore water, it can be expected to hold large pelagic fish – mackerel, tuna, kingfish and trevally, which is why fishers target it – along with sponge and gorgonian growth typical of deeper Sunshine Coast reefs, but none of this has been documented by divers.

In practice it is a technical dive: depths of 30 m and more require decompression planning and appropriate gas, the site is exposed to strong offshore currents, and it can only be reached on flat days via the Noosa bar. It should be attempted only by trained technical divers with a capable boat and a dedicated boat handler.

For recreational divers in Noosa, Jew Shoal is the practical choice; for deep reef diving on the Sunshine Coast, the better-documented options are the Outer Gneerings, Murphys Reef and, for technical divers, Barwon Banks. Anyone planning an exploratory dive here should survey the reef with a sounder first and choose the shallowest structure.

Noosa's reefs are reached by boat. SubSurface Scuba runs Jew Shoal double and triple dives (about 20 minutes' boat ride to the shoal). Private boats launch at the Noosa River ramps (Noosaville/Munna Point or Tewantin) and must cross the Noosa River bar at the river mouth beside Noosa Heads – a shallow, shifting bar that is hazardous in any swell and best crossed on a rising tide in daylight.

From the bar, run east-south-east to the reef at about 26°23.920'S 153°15.480'E – roughly 9 km from the bar, 20-30 minutes. It is fully exposed open water. Drop a shot; do not rely on anchoring at this depth.

Chardons is in open ocean east of Noosa and needs flat conditions – winds under about 10-12 knots and seas under 1 m – plus a safe Noosa bar crossing. The East Australian Current can push strongly along this coast, particularly in summer, so live-boat diving with SMBs is essential. Winter westerlies give the calmest seas and best visibility.

Descend a shot to the reef top at 30-35 m, stay on the up-current side and plan a short technical dive with staged decompression, ascending on the shot or drifting under an SMB with live-boat pickup.

Technical dive: trimix recommended beyond 40 m; planned decompression, redundant gas, SMB and live-boat cover.

No regular dive operator – fishing ground; technical divers with private boats only.