Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 8 Nov 2026
Charlie's Reef
Batemans Bay, New South Wales · near Batemans Bay
| Depth | 8–18 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Giant stride from anchored boat |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 8–15 m m |
| Water | summer 20–22 °C °C, winter 13–15 °C °C |
| Suit | 7 mm wetsuit with hood most of the year (5 mm adequate Feb–Apr); semi-dry or drysuit and gloves Jul–Oct |
| Best season | Year round |
| Bottom time | 50 min |
| Position | not published |
| Permit | Batemans Marine Park – check current zoning map |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital Hyperbaric Unit (Randwick, Sydney) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Charlie's Reef
Also known as Charlies Reef
Large, easy reef known for the variety of nudibranchs.
Near Batemans Bay · Batemans Bay, New South Wales
- Depth
- 8–18 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~12 min
- Water
- 20–22 °C
- Visibility
- 8–15 m
Charlie's Reef8–18 m · Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 8–18 m
- Typical depth
- 14 m
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Open Water (10–18 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~12 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 8–15 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 20–22 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 13–15 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 50 min
- Dive traffic
- Moderate (occasional charters/club dives)
- Night dive
- Yes
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
7 mm wetsuit with hood most of the year (5 mm adequate Feb–Apr); semi-dry or drysuit and gloves Jul–Oct
Location
Batemans Bay inner reefs · Batemans Bay – Eurobodalla
No published coordinates. The map above shows the general area, estimated from other documented sites near Batemans Bay.
Primary source: spiritdiversdotcomdotau.wordpress.comMarine park & permits
Batemans Marine Park – check current zoning map
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 Charlie's Reef →
A day-by-day plan for Batemans 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
Charlie's Reef is a reef boat dive in Batemans Bay, NSW, 8–18 m, suited to Open Water divers, about 12 minutes by boat.
Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note boat traffic overhead and cold water.
Why dive here
- Large, easy reef known for the variety of nudibranchs.
- Commonly dived at night, when octopus, cuttlefish and crustaceans are out.
Conditions to avoid
- Strong southerly or south-east swell and wind
- Strong westerlies
About Charlie's Reef
Charlie's Reef was one of the boat sites in Spirit Divers' Batemans Bay site guide. It was rated Easy for Open Water divers, with a maximum depth of 18 m, and was suitable for day and night dives. The guide called it a spectacular site with lots to explore, notable for the variety of marine life and particularly the many different nudibranchs that live there. It also noted that the site is large enough that it takes several dives to see properly.
The reefs in this part of Batemans Bay are typically rocky reef and boulders on sand, with kelp and crayweed on the tops and sponges, sea squirts, bryozoans and ascidians on the sides. Nudibranchs feed on these sponges and hydroids, and the Batemans Bay area has a rich nudibranch fauna. Other life likely includes octopus, cuttlefish, blue groper, red morwong, sweep, wobbegongs and eastern blue devilfish.
The site suits Open Water divers and macro photographers. A slow pace and a torch will help with finding nudibranchs in crevices. Because the only source is an operator site guide that may be out of date, check with current Batemans Bay operators before planning a trip specifically for this site. If it is still dived under the same name, the operator can supply the mark and describe the layout. Otherwise, the nearby Tollgate Islands and Black Rock sites offer similar nudibranch hunting in well-documented locations.
Getting there & entry
Boat-dive reef in Batemans Bay described by Spirit Divers as large and full of nudibranchs; to 18 m.
Boat access only. Launch at the Hanging Rock ramp in Batemans Bay (or Batehaven/Mosquito Bay). Spirit Divers showed the site on its own maps but no GPS has been published.
Divers should obtain the mark from a local operator before heading out; the run from Hanging Rock to the southern bay sites is 10–15 minutes.
Entry: Giant stride from anchored boat
Facilities: Hanging Rock boat ramp; air fills at Beneath the Bay.
Weather, swell & tides
Sites inside Batemans Bay are sheltered from southerly swell by the southern headlands and islands, so they are diveable on many days. Strong easterly swell wraps into the bay and causes surge; strong westerly winds make anchoring choppy. Heavy rain floods the bay with brown water from the Clyde River and can reduce visibility to a few metres for days.
Best season: Year round
How the dive is usually run
Anchor on the reef and explore slowly at 12–18 m, searching the sponges and rock for nudibranchs. The operator notes it takes several dives to see the whole site, so pick one direction each time and return on the reciprocal.
Marine life
- Nudibranchs (many species) →
- octopus →
- cuttlefish →
- blue groper →
- red morwong
- sweep
- wobbegongs →
- eastern blue devilfish →
- sponges
- sea squirts
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Within the 18 m limit of an entry-level certification.
Courses that help here
- Night Diver – Commonly dived at night.
- 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
Position unpublished. Boat traffic in the bay.
Dive centres that go here
Spirit Divers ran Charlie's Reef as an Easy boat dive (max 18 m, day and night). Not currently listed by Beneath the Bay, which may use other names for its sites.
Operators recorded for Charlie's Reef
Other dive centres in Batemans 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
General area
No position has been published for Charlie's Reef. The circle shows where it is likely to be, worked out from other documented sites near Batemans Bay. Ask a local operator for the exact site.
Dashed circle: general area (about 3 km), from other documented sites near Batemans Bay. 6 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Charlie's Reef: frequently asked questions
How deep is Charlie's Reef?
Charlie's Reef reaches a maximum depth of 18 m, with the shallowest part at about 8 m; most of the dive is spent around 14 m.
What certification do I need to dive Charlie's Reef?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note boat traffic overhead and cold water.
Can I shore dive Charlie's Reef?
No, it is reached by boat (about 12 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Charlie's Reef?
Year round.
What marine life will I see at Charlie's Reef?
Regularly recorded: Nudibranchs (many species), octopus, cuttlefish, blue groper, red morwong, sweep, wobbegongs, eastern blue devilfish, sponges, sea squirts.
What wetsuit do I need at Charlie's Reef?
7 mm wetsuit with hood most of the year (5 mm adequate Feb–Apr); semi-dry or drysuit and gloves Jul–Oct.
How cold is the water at Charlie's Reef?
Typically 20–22 °C in summer and 13–15 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Charlie's Reef?
Position unpublished. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Can you night dive Charlie's Reef?
Yes, Charlie's Reef is commonly dived at night.
Diving in Batemans Bay
Batemans Bay sits at the centre of the Batemans Marine Park, with the Tollgate Islands just outside the bay and a run of headlands and islands to the south. The Tollgates have caves, grey nurse sharks and fur seals; Burrewarra Point and Broulee Island are shore-accessible reefs; Guerilla Bay and Maloneys Beach are sheltered beginner sites.
Getting there: Four hours south of Sydney or two from Canberra. Charters from Batemans Bay run the Tollgates and Montague Island on longer days; shore sites have beach or rock entries.
Sources
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Location unknown – v1 coordinates (-35.76, 150.25) dropped as unverified.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
Nearby dive sites
More reef dives in New South Wales
Explore more
This region
Marine life