Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
Duranbah
Tweed & Byron Bay, New South Wales · near Tweed Heads / Coolangatta
| Depth | 2–10 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Shore |
| Entry | Rock or beach entry at the southern end of Duranbah Beach on a calm day |
| Current | Moderate |
| Visibility | 4-10 m |
| Water | summer 24-27 °C, winter 20-22 °C |
| Suit | 3-5 mm full suit |
| Best season | Calm days with minimal surf |
| Bottom time | 30 min |
| Position | -28.16900, 153.54500 (approximate) |
| Permit | Cape Byron Marine Park / Solitary Islands Marine Park zoning applies – check current sanctuary/habitat protection zone boundaries before diving or spearfishing |
| Nearest chamber | Gold Coast University Hospital (Southport) hyperbaric unit; Wesley Hospital (Brisbane) for complex cases |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Duranbah
Also known as D-Bah, Duranbah Beach reef
A well-known surf break at the Tweed River mouth, only very rarely calm enough to dive; included for geographic completeness.
Near Tweed Heads / Coolangatta · Tweed & Byron Bay, New South Wales
- Depth
- 2–10 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Shore
- Boat ride
- —
- Water
- 24-27 °C
- Visibility
- 4-10 m
Duranbah2–10 m · Open Water · Shore
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 2–10 m
- Typical depth
- 6 m
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Depth tier
- Easy (0–10 m)
- Access
- Shore
- Offshore
- 0 km
- Dive centre needed
- Recommended
- Shore / independent
- Possible (experienced only)
- Current
- Moderate
- Visibility
- 4-10 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 24-27 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 20-22 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Bottom time
- 30 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- Possible
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
3-5 mm full suit
Location
Duranbah · NSW Far North Coast – Tweed
-28.16900, 153.54500
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: divernet.comMarine park & permits
Cape Byron Marine Park / Solitary Islands Marine Park zoning applies – check current sanctuary/habitat protection zone boundaries before diving or spearfishing
Nearest recompression chamber
Gold Coast University Hospital (Southport) hyperbaric unit; Wesley Hospital (Brisbane) for complex cases
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Duranbah →
A day-by-day plan for Tweed & Byron 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
Duranbah is a shore / rock platform shore dive for experienced divers in Tweed & Byron Bay, NSW, 2–10 m, suited to Open Water divers, moderate current.
Rated intermediate by the operators who dive it.
Why dive here
- A well-known surf break at the Tweed River mouth, only very rarely calm enough to dive; included for geographic completeness.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
About Duranbah
Duranbah, universally known to surfers simply as D-Bah, sits right at the mouth of the Tweed River on the NSW side of the border with the Gold Coast, and is one of the most consistently working surf breaks in the region — a reputation that, as with several other named surf points on this coast, means it is only very rarely calm enough to dive. It is included here for completeness given its prominence as a named coastal feature immediately south of the Tweed River, rather than as an established or frequently used scuba site. On the handful of days a year when the swell drops away, the shallow rock and sand terrain at the point offers a modest, typical inshore subtropical habitat: small reef fish, occasional rays and the beginnings of the same reef community found at nearby Fido's Reef and Kingscliff Reef a little further along the coast, along with some tidal influence from the adjacent Tweed River mouth affecting current and visibility.
There is no meaningful published diving documentation for Duranbah specifically, and it does not feature in any local dive shop's site list. For practical purposes, Duranbah is a surf break first and a dive site only in the loosest, most opportunistic sense, and visiting divers are far better served by the established boat-accessed sites at Cook Island, Nine Mile Reef or the Tweed River shore dive at Jack Evans Boat Harbour than by planning any kind of trip around this location. It is documented here mainly to mark it as a named coastal feature within the Tweed Heads/Duranbah area covered by this regional survey.
Getting there & entry
A rocky point and reef at Duranbah Beach, immediately south of the Tweed River mouth and the NSW/Queensland border, better known as a surf break than a dive site but occasionally dived from shore on flat days.
Drive to Duranbah Beach car park, just south of the Tweed River mouth off Boyds Bay Bridge/Tweed Coast Road; a short walk over sand and rock leads to the point. Entry is only sensible in very small swell given the beach's status as a well-known surf break.
Entry: Rock or beach entry at the southern end of Duranbah Beach on a calm day
Weather, swell & tides
Duranbah is a well-known, consistently working surf break right at the Tweed River mouth/NSW-Queensland border, which by definition means it is rarely calm enough for diving; a genuine flat spell, uncommon outside brief lulls, is needed before entry is sensible, and the adjacent river mouth adds tidal current and variable visibility.
Best season: Calm days with minimal surf
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Duranbah doesn't.
- Tweed River – Jack Evans Boat Harbour / Rock Wall · 0 km · Max 12 m
- The Gutters (Palm Beach) · 9 km · Max 12 m
- Kirra Reef · 2 km · Max 8 m
- Tallebudgera Creek · 12 km · Max 10 m
How the dive is usually run
Enter at the southern point on a rare calm day, explore the shallow rock and sand at 2-8 m close to shore, and exit before surf or tidal current builds.
Marine life
- Small reef fish
- occasional rays (inferred from regional pattern)
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Shallow enough for snorkellers and for a first dive under supervision. Any certified diver can dive it.
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
Consistent surf and rip current; tidal influence from the adjacent Tweed River mouth; no documented dive-site information.
Dive centres that go here
No dedicated charter; occasionally explored by local shore divers and spearfishers on the rare flat day.
Other dive centres in Tweed & Byron Bay
Sundive Byron Bay
ProfiledByron Bay · Tweed & Byron Bay · NSW
Byron Bay's PADI 5 Star dive centre, running three daily departures to Nguthungulli Julian Rocks with training from Try Scuba to Divemaster.
sundive.com.au · (02) 6685 7755
Byron Bay Dive Centre
ProfiledByron Bay · Tweed & Byron Bay · NSW
Byron Bay's original dive centre, running daily Julian Rocks dive and snorkel trips from The Pass with PADI and SSI training and an onsite pool.
byronbaydivecentre.com.au · 0494 094 915
Gold Coast Dive Adventures
ListedRunaway Bay · Gold Coast · QLD
A Gold Coast operation focused on guided local diving and charter access to offshore sites.
goldcoastdiveadventures.com.au · 0404 286 599
Gold Coast Dive Centre
ListedMiami · Gold Coast · QLD
A Gold Coast training and service business serving local divers and visitors.
goldcoastdivecentre.com.au · (07) 5572 0511
Kirra Dive
Named by sitesTweed Heads · Tweed & Byron Bay · NSW
Trades as Kirra Dive 'On the Tweed'.
kirradive.com · (07) 5536 6622
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views


Duranbah: frequently asked questions
How deep is Duranbah?
Duranbah reaches a maximum depth of 10 m, with the shallowest part at about 2 m; most of the dive is spent around 6 m.
What certification do I need to dive Duranbah?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated intermediate by the operators who dive it.
Can I shore dive Duranbah?
Experienced divers do dive Duranbah from the shore, but the entry or conditions make it unsuitable for newer divers without local guidance. Entry: Rock or beach entry at the southern end of Duranbah Beach on a calm day.
When is the best time to dive Duranbah?
Calm days with minimal surf.
What marine life will I see at Duranbah?
Regularly recorded: Small reef fish, occasional rays (inferred from regional pattern).
What wetsuit do I need at Duranbah?
3-5 mm full suit.
How cold is the water at Duranbah?
Typically 24-27 °C in summer and 20-22 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Duranbah?
Consistent surf and rip current; tidal influence from the adjacent Tweed River mouth; no documented dive-site information. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Duranbah?
Gold Coast University Hospital (Southport) hyperbaric unit; Wesley Hospital (Brisbane) for complex cases. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Tweed & Byron Bay
Julian Rocks, 2.5 km off Byron Bay, is the most biodiverse dive site in NSW: turtles by the dozen, wobbegongs stacked in the caves, grey nurse sharks in winter, leopard sharks and manta rays in summer, and more than 1,000 recorded species. The Cod Hole, the Nursery and Hugo's Trench are the classic circuits. Cook Island off Tweed Heads has similar life on a smaller scale.
Getting there: Byron Bay is two hours south of Brisbane or a short flight to Ballina. Dive shops in Byron run several trips a day to Julian Rocks, launched off the beach at the Pass; Tweed Heads shops cover Cook Island.
All Tweed & Byron Bay dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: No dive-specific documentation found for Duranbah; included for geographic completeness per the regional task brief.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction










