Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 7 Nov 2026
Flat Rock (Keppels)
Capricorn Coast & Keppel Islands, Queensland · near Yeppoon (Rosslyn Bay) / Great Keppel Island
| Depth | 10–30 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Advanced Open Water |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Access | Boat (day trip) |
| Entry | Giant stride from boat |
| Current | Moderate |
| Visibility | 10-20 m |
| Water | summer 25-28 °C, winter 19-22 °C |
| Suit | 3 mm full suit in summer; 5 mm full suit (hood optional) June-September |
| Best season | Year-round; July-October for the best visibility (15 m+) and humpback whales; summer (Dec-Mar) warmer but prone to northerlies, storms and Fitzroy River run-off |
| Bottom time | 30 min |
| Position | not published |
| Permit | Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Queensland Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park – check GBRMPA zoning map MPZ 11 (Keppel Bay); no permit needed for recreational diving |
| Nearest chamber | Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (Brisbane) – roughly equidistant with Townsville University Hospital (Townsville); evacuation via Rockhampton Hospital and RFDS/aeromedical retrieval |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Flat Rock (Keppels)
Also known as Flat Rock
A rarely visited deep drop-off to 30 m with giant sea fans and black coral trees, two hours beyond Great Keppel.
Near Yeppoon (Rosslyn Bay) / Great Keppel Island · Capricorn Coast & Keppel Islands, Queensland
- Depth
- 10–30 m
- Minimum level
- Advanced Open Water
- Access
- Boat (day trip)
- Boat ride
- ~120 min
- Water
- 25-28 °C
- Visibility
- 10-20 m
Flat Rock (Keppels)10–30 m · Advanced Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, March, July, August, September, October, December.
Year-round; July-October for the best visibility (15 m+) and humpback whales; summer (Dec-Mar) warmer but prone to northerlies, storms and Fitzroy River run-off
- Best months
- Now (November)
- Stinger suit Nov–May
Dive facts
- Depth
- 10–30 m
- Typical depth
- 22 m
- Certification
- Advanced Open Water
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Depth tier
- Advanced Open Water (18–30 m)
- Access
- Boat (day trip)
- Dive centre needed
- Recommended
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~120 min
- Current
- Moderate
- Visibility
- 10-20 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 25-28 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 19-22 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Bottom time
- 30 min
- Dive traffic
- Remote/expedition only
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
3 mm full suit in summer; 5 mm full suit (hood optional) June-September
Location
Keppel Bay – outer north-east · Capricorn Coast – Keppel Islands & Yeppoon
No published coordinates. The map above shows the general area, estimated from other documented sites near Yeppoon.
Primary source: marinelife.org.auMarine park & permits
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Queensland Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park – check GBRMPA zoning map MPZ 11 (Keppel Bay); no permit needed for recreational diving
Nearest recompression chamber
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (Brisbane) – roughly equidistant with Townsville University Hospital (Townsville); evacuation via Rockhampton Hospital and RFDS/aeromedical retrieval
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Flat Rock (Keppels) →
A day-by-day plan for Capricorn Coast & Keppel Islands 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
Flat Rock (Keppels) is a wall boat dive in Capricorn Coast & Keppel Islands, QLD, 10–30 m, suited to Advanced Open Water divers, moderate current, about 120 minutes by boat.
Rated advanced because of depth beyond 18 m.
Why dive here
- A rarely visited deep drop-off to 30 m with giant sea fans and black coral trees, two hours beyond Great Keppel.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
- Visibility often reaches 10-20 m.
About Flat Rock (Keppels)
Flat Rock is one of the least visited dive sites in the Keppel region, lying about two hours by boat north-east of Putney Beach on Great Keppel Island. It is included in regional dive listings for its deep drop-off and exceptional coral and invertebrate life, but its distance means it is visited only occasionally by private boats in very settled weather. The site features a deep drop-off falling to about 30 m, with excellent hard and soft corals and giant sea fans on the face.
At the base, a boulder-strewn sandy bottom supports sea whips and black coral trees, and local descriptions rate the fish and invertebrate life as superior to that of the inner bay sites. Because so few divers visit, there is little recent information on the condition of the reef, and divers should treat it as an exploratory site. Visibility is likely to be better than around Great Keppel because of its offshore position, but the site is also more exposed to swell and current.
Flat Rock suits experienced divers with access to a capable boat, a good skipper and time to wait for the right weather. It is not a site for casual visitors, and there is no dive operator support. For most divers staying on Great Keppel, the outer rocks such as Egg Rock, Outer Rock and Barren Island offer similar deep-reef experiences with far less travel.
Getting there & entry
A remote deep drop-off about two hours by boat north-east of Putney Beach (Great Keppel), with giant sea fans, sea whips and black coral trees on a boulder-strewn sandy bottom at around 30 m.
Flat Rock is a long-range site: about two hours by boat to the north-east from Putney Beach on Great Keppel Island, or a similar run from Rosslyn Bay Harbour (Keppel Bay Marina, 7 km south of Yeppoon). It requires a capable private vessel or a special charter in settled weather; there is no mooring and no regular operator trip. Plan fuel and a full day for the round trip.
Entry: Giant stride from boat
Weather, swell & tides
Keppel Bay is exposed to the prevailing south-east trades (strongest April-September) and to summer northerlies. Flat Rock is far out on the north-eastern side of the bay and completely exposed; it needs a settled period of light winds (under about 10 knots) and low swell for the long run out and back. Currents at the drop-off vary with the tide.
Visibility is generally better than the inner Keppels, best July-October.
Best season: Year-round; July-October for the best visibility (15 m+) and humpback whales; summer (Dec-Mar) warmer but prone to northerlies, storms and Fitzroy River run-off
How the dive is usually run
Descend at the edge of the drop-off and follow it down to the boulder-strewn sand at 25-30 m, then work back up the face among the sea fans and black coral trees, ascending gradually. Complete a safety stop on an SMB as there is no mooring.
Marine life
- Giant sea fans
- sea whips
- black coral trees
- hard and soft corals
- reef fish
- pelagic fish
- invertebrates
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.
At more than 25 m this counts as a deep dive: watch no-decompression limits and gas.
Courses that help here
- Enriched Air Nitrox – Longer no-decompression time at 25 m and deeper.
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
Very remote – two hours from assistance; depth to 30 m; exposed to wind and swell; no mooring; carry full safety equipment, EPIRB and oxygen.
Dive centres that go here
No regular operator – private boat or special charter only.
Operators recorded for Flat Rock (Keppels)
General area
No position has been published for Flat Rock (Keppels). The circle shows where it is likely to be, worked out from other documented sites near Yeppoon. Ask a local operator for the exact site.
Dashed circle: general area (about 10 km), from other documented sites near Yeppoon. 6 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Flat Rock (Keppels): frequently asked questions
How deep is Flat Rock (Keppels)?
Flat Rock (Keppels) reaches a maximum depth of 30 m, with the shallowest part at about 10 m; most of the dive is spent around 22 m.
What certification do I need to dive Flat Rock (Keppels)?
Advanced Open Water is the recommended minimum. At more than 25 m this counts as a deep dive: watch no-decompression limits and gas. Rated advanced because of depth beyond 18 m.
Can I shore dive Flat Rock (Keppels)?
No, it is reached by boat (about 120 minutes).
When is the best time to dive Flat Rock (Keppels)?
Year-round; July-October for the best visibility (15 m+) and humpback whales; summer (Dec-Mar) warmer but prone to northerlies, storms and Fitzroy River run-off.
What marine life will I see at Flat Rock (Keppels)?
Regularly recorded: Giant sea fans, sea whips, black coral trees, hard and soft corals, reef fish, pelagic fish, invertebrates.
What wetsuit do I need at Flat Rock (Keppels)?
3 mm full suit in summer; 5 mm full suit (hood optional) June-September.
How cold is the water at Flat Rock (Keppels)?
Typically 25-28 °C in summer and 19-22 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Flat Rock (Keppels)?
Very remote – two hours from assistance; depth to 30 m; exposed to wind and swell; no mooring; carry full safety equipment, EPIRB and oxygen. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Flat Rock (Keppels)?
Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (Brisbane) – roughly equidistant with Townsville University Hospital (Townsville); evacuation via Rockhampton Hospital and RFDS/aeromedical retrieval. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Capricorn Coast & Keppel Islands
Great Keppel Island and its neighbours off Yeppoon have fringing coral reefs, the Barren Island walls and Man and Wife Rocks in clearer water further out, and the artificial reef of the Cementco wreck. It is a laid-back, uncrowded alternative to the big reef towns.
Getting there: Yeppoon is 40 minutes from Rockhampton airport. Charters and the island ferry leave from Rosslyn Bay.
All Capricorn Coast & Keppel Islands dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Position not published; name is generic – confirm exact location with local skippers.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
