Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
Darts Point
Jervis Bay, New South Wales · near Huskisson
| Depth | 8–20 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Advanced Open Water |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Back roll from boat (often a live-boat drift) |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 8-15 m |
| Water | summer 19-23 °C, winter 15-17 °C |
| Suit | 5–7 mm wetsuit with hood in summer–autumn; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June–October |
| Best season | Year-round; not in southerly swell |
| Bottom time | 45 min |
| Position | -35.06500, 150.75500 (approximate) |
| Permit | Jervis Bay Marine Park (NSW) – check the zoning map: sanctuary zones (no take of any kind) cover much of the Beecroft Peninsula coast including Drum and Drumsticks, The Docks area and Bowen Island; special grey nurse shark rules apply. No permit needed for recreational diving. Beecroft Peninsula is the Department of Defence Beecroft Weapons Range. Road access to Point Perpendicular, Honeymoon Bay, Long Beach and the peninsula's bays is only when the range is open to the public (generally Friday afternoon to Sunday and NSW school/public holidays – confirm with Range Control on 02 4448 3411 or the range Facebook page), and sea areas off the peninsula can be closed during live firing; check Notices to Mariners and range notices before a boat trip. |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) – approx. 3 h by road from Jervis Bay; call 000 and DAN Asia-Pacific hotline (evacuation usually by air) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Darts Point
Easy drift over low sponge-covered ridges and boulders with giant cuttlefish.
Near Huskisson · Jervis Bay, New South Wales
- Depth
- 8–20 m
- Minimum level
- Advanced Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~12 min
- Water
- 19-23 °C
- Visibility
- 8-15 m
Darts Point8–20 m · Advanced Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 8–20 m
- Typical depth
- 13 m
- Certification
- Advanced Open Water
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Advanced Open Water (18–30 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 0.05 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~12 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 8-15 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 19-23 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 15-17 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 45 min
- Dive traffic
- Moderate (occasional charters/club dives)
- Night dive
- Possible
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
5–7 mm wetsuit with hood in summer–autumn; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June–October
Location
Jervis Bay – northern shore (Beecroft Peninsula) · Shoalhaven – Jervis Bay
-35.06500, 150.75500
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: michaelmcfadyenscuba.infoMarine park & permits
Jervis Bay Marine Park (NSW) – check the zoning map: sanctuary zones (no take of any kind) cover much of the Beecroft Peninsula coast including Drum and Drumsticks, The Docks area and Bowen Island; special grey nurse shark rules apply. No permit needed for recreational diving. Beecroft Peninsula is the Department of Defence Beecroft Weapons Range. Road access to Point Perpendicular, Honeymoon Bay, Long Beach and the peninsula's bays is only when the range is open to the public (generally Friday afternoon to Sunday and NSW school/public holidays – confirm with Range Control on 02 4448 3411 or the range Facebook page), and sea areas off the peninsula can be closed during live firing; check Notices to Mariners and range notices before a boat trip.
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) – approx. 3 h by road from Jervis Bay; call 000 and DAN Asia-Pacific hotline (evacuation usually by air)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Darts Point →
A day-by-day plan for Jervis 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
Darts Point is a reef boat dive in Jervis Bay, NSW, 8–20 m, suited to Advanced 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 depth beyond 18 m and boat traffic overhead and cold water.
Why dive here
- Easy drift over low sponge-covered ridges and boulders with giant cuttlefish.
Conditions to avoid
- Strong southerly or south-east swell and wind
- Afternoon north-easterlies
- Strong westerlies
About Darts Point
Darts Point is an easy but interesting inner-bay dive on the north-western side of Longnose Point, just west of a small protected beach. The reef near the shore sits at about 10 m and drops over a small wall to 12 m, with a deeper zone to the south reaching about 20 m. Its distinctive feature is a series of small ridges, only a metre or so high, running roughly north–south across a sandy bottom scattered with boulders – two or three of them in the main area.
The boulders are decorated with sponges, sea squirts and small gorgonians, and the life is typical of the sheltered bay: small rays over the sand, giant cuttlefish (sometimes very bold in winter), and several species of leatherjackets. The ridges and boulders concentrate fish and invertebrates and give the dive a pleasant rhythm as you cross from one to the next.
McFadyen describes it as very easy but still interesting, and it works well as a drift, the boat following divers along the route before the safety stop over the sand. The beach provides shelter from every wind except southerly swell, which means it is often available when the outer sites are closed by north-easterlies. It suits Open Water divers, training dives and relaxed second dives, and it pairs naturally with Longnose Point or Bombora Reef. As with the rest of the northern shore, the land behind is Defence property and Jervis Bay Marine Park zoning applies offshore. It is also a good site for photographers practising on cuttlefish.
Getting there & entry
Series of low north–south ridges on sand west of a protected beach on the north-western side of Longnose Point; 8–20 m, sheltered from all but southerly swell.
Charters depart Huskisson (Dive Jervis Bay; boats in Currambene Creek), and private boats launch at Huskisson, Callala Bay or Murrays Beach. Cross the bay north-east towards the Beecroft Peninsula shore; Darts Point is on the north-western side of Longnose Point, west of a small protected beach (about 10–12 minutes from Huskisson). McFadyen dived it from a liveaboard tender as a drift.
Entry: Back roll from boat (often a live-boat drift)
Facilities: Departure from Huskisson: Dive Jervis Bay shop (air, nitrox, hire), cafés and parking; Huskisson, Callala and Murrays ramps.
Weather, swell & tides
The northern shore of Jervis Bay is sheltered from all ocean swell except a large south-easterly rolling in through the entrance, and it is protected from northerly and north-easterly winds by the Beecroft Peninsula, which makes it the standard summer venue when afternoon nor'easters roughen the outer coast. Strong southerly and south-westerly winds blow across the bay and make the northern shore choppy and the crossing from Huskisson wet. Visibility varies considerably with sea state and rainfall – typically 8–20 m.
Tidal currents are weak except near Point Perpendicular and the entrance. Darts Point's beach gives shelter from all winds except southerly swell.
Best season: Year-round; not in southerly swell
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Darts Point doesn't.
- Murrays Beach · 7 km · Max 12 m
- Hyams Beach · 7 km · Max 10 m
- Scottish Rocks · 8 km · Depth not published
- Honeymoon Bay · 1 km · Max 10 m
How the dive is usually run
Enter and head south across the reef to the 20 m zone, turn south-east and rise to 13 m, cross the ridges heading north-east, then follow the sand edge north at about 8 m and cross the sand for the safety stop beneath the boat.
Marine life
- Small rays
- giant cuttlefish →
- leatherjackets (several species)
- sponges
- sea squirts
- small gorgonians
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Beyond 18 m an Advanced certification (which includes a deep dive to 30 m) is the accepted minimum. Anything past 25 m is a deep dive in practice.
Open Water divers can dive the shallower section (typical depth 13 m); the full site to 20 m needs Advanced Open Water. Operators often quote Open Water.
Operators' own listing: Open Water.
Courses that help here
- Drift Diver – Current is a feature of the dive.
- 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
Southerly swell reaches the site; boat traffic; drift dives need a boat cover and SMB.
Dive centres that go here
Dive Jervis Bay (Huskisson; boats Avalon and Genesis) runs double boat dives most days, and Deep 6 Diving Jervis Bay / other Huskisson operators also visit; site chosen on the day according to swell and wind.
Operators recorded for Darts Point
Dive Jervis Bay
ProfiledHuskisson · Jervis Bay · NSW
A Huskisson operation with two dive boats and on-site accommodation, diving the walls, sponge gardens and seal sites of Jervis Bay Marine Park.
(02) 4441 5255
Deep 6 Diving Jervis Bay
Reported closedHuskisson · Jervis Bay · NSW
Former domain deep6divingjervisbay.com.au now serves unrelated SEO content; only stale directory listings remain.
Other dive centres in Jervis 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
Crest Diving
Named by sitesJervis Bay · Jervis Bay · NSW
Escorted shore dive tours; no shopfront address published.
crestdiving.com.au · 0414 787 281
Woebegone Freedive
Named by sitesHuskisson · Jervis Bay · NSW
Freediving school; official site live (Unit 3/1 Erina Rd Huskisson) with online bookings and a TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice 2026 award.
woebegone.com.au
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views


Darts Point: frequently asked questions
How deep is Darts Point?
Darts Point reaches a maximum depth of 20 m, with the shallowest part at about 8 m; most of the dive is spent around 13 m.
What certification do I need to dive Darts Point?
Advanced Open Water is the recommended minimum. Open Water divers can dive the shallower section (typical depth 13 m); the full site to 20 m needs Advanced Open Water. Operators often quote Open Water. Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note depth beyond 18 m and boat traffic overhead and cold water.
Can I shore dive Darts Point?
No, it is reached by boat (about 12 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Darts Point?
Year-round; not in southerly swell.
What marine life will I see at Darts Point?
Regularly recorded: Small rays, giant cuttlefish, leatherjackets (several species), sponges, sea squirts, small gorgonians.
What wetsuit do I need at Darts Point?
5–7 mm wetsuit with hood in summer–autumn; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June–October.
How cold is the water at Darts Point?
Typically 19-23 °C in summer and 15-17 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Darts Point?
Southerly swell reaches the site; boat traffic; drift dives need a boat cover and SMB. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Darts Point?
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) – approx. 3 h by road from Jervis Bay; call 000 and DAN Asia-Pacific hotline (evacuation usually by air). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay's white sand and clear water make it the best-known dive destination on the NSW south coast. The Docks, Stoney Creek and the Arch on the northern headland, and Cabbage Tree Point on the south, are boat dives with sponge gardens, grey nurse sharks in season and fur seals from Drum and Drumsticks. Inside the bay, Hyams Beach, Murrays Beach and the Green Patch reefs are gentle shore dives with seadragons and octopus.
Getting there: Two and a half hours south of Sydney. Dive shops in Huskisson run daily charters; shore dives inside the bay have car parks at Hyams, Murrays and Green Patch (Booderee National Park entry fee applies).
Sources
Data confidence: High. 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
Similar dives









