First Bommie is a Silverswift site in a protected lagoon on Norman Reef. Silverseries describes a coral garden and a separate, deeper coral bommie outcrop with swim-throughs, depths of 1-15 m and visibility of 10-15 m, and a long list of residents: anemonefish, angelfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, surgeonfish, rabbitfish and damselfish; bottom-dwelling species; giant clams, sea cucumbers and stingrays; and sea turtles, cod, coral trout and sweetlips. It is essentially two dives in one.

The coral garden is very shallow, in places only a metre deep, and ideal for snorkellers and introductory divers; the light is strong, the coral colourful and the fish abundant. The bommie outcrop, a short swim away, rises from slightly deeper water and is pierced by swim-throughs, giving certified divers some structure and depth. Stingrays rest on the sand around the outcrop and turtles are regularly seen, while cod, coral trout and sweetlips shelter under the bommie's overhangs.

Giant clams and sea cucumbers dot the lagoon floor. Because it is in a lagoon, the water is calm and there is little current, which makes the site particularly suitable for new divers, families and people doing their first reef dive; the trade-off is somewhat lower visibility than on Norman's outer walls. For experienced divers it is a relaxed site, good for photography in the shallows and for a gentle end to a day that has included deeper dives elsewhere on the reef.

The lagoon is at its best around high tide, when the coral garden has enough water over it for snorkellers to float comfortably above the coral without risk of touching it.

Boat access only. Cairns day boats leave from the Reef Fleet Terminal (1 Spence Street) and the neighbouring Marlin Marina on the city waterfront, with check-in between about 7:00 and 8:00 am; most operators run transfers from city and northern-beaches accommodation, and there is paid parking near the terminal. The run of about 58 km out through Trinity Inlet and across the lagoon to Norman Reef takes around 82 minutes on a fast catamaran and noticeably longer on slower dive boats or into a south-easterly chop.

First Bommie is a Silverswift site on Norman Reef, listed by Australian Traveller. Enter from the stern platform into the lagoon.

The prevailing south-east trade winds (typically 15-25 knots from April to September) are what limit Cairns outer-reef diving: above about 25 knots trips may be cancelled, and exposed eastern moorings are used only in light winds. Summer northerlies are gentler but make north-facing moorings choppy. Box jellyfish and Irukandji are present from about November to May (stinger suits on every dive), and the cyclone season runs November to April, when a system in the Coral Sea can close the reef for days.

Visibility drops after heavy rain and strong winds; spring is usually calmest and clearest. Most Norman moorings lie on its protected western side. First Bommie is in a protected lagoon and is usable in most conditions; visibility is lower than on the reef edge, typically 10-15 m.

Explore the shallow coral garden at 2-6 m, then swim to the deeper bommie outcrop and work through its swim-throughs at 10-15 m. Return to the garden for a long, shallow finish and safety stop.

Silverswift – occasional Norman Reef day trips; other Norman operators occasionally; Norman is also worked by Divers Den (Ocean Quest liveaboard), Reef Experience, Aqua Quest, Down Under Cruise & Dive, Reef Encounter and Passions of Paradise; the mooring used on any day is chosen by the skipper according to wind, tide and other boats