Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
Foggy's Cave
Central Coast, New South Wales · near Terrigal
| Depth | 32–39 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Deep/Advanced + experience |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Back-roll from charter or private boat onto a mooring/shot line |
| Current | Moderate |
| Visibility | 8-20 m |
| Water | summer 20-23 °C, winter 14-17 °C |
| Suit | 5 mm steamer/full suit in summer; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June-October |
| Best season | Year-round for the cave; grey nurse sharks most reliable in cooler months |
| Bottom time | 20 min |
| Position | -33.40640, 151.53750 (GPS) |
| Permit | Grey nurse shark critical habitat protections apply — no spearfishing, maintain a respectful distance from sharks. |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Foggy's Cave
Also known as Foggy Cave, Foggy Reef (deep)
A cave 15 m into a Foggy Reef cliff face, one of the most reliable grey nurse shark sightings on the Central Coast.
Near Terrigal · Central Coast, New South Wales
- Depth
- 32–39 m
- Minimum level
- Deep/Advanced + experience
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~20 min
- Water
- 20-23 °C
- Visibility
- 8-20 m
Foggy's Cave32–39 m · Deep/Advanced + experience
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Year-round for the cave; grey nurse sharks most reliable in cooler months
- Best months
- Now (November)
Dive facts
- Depth
- 32–39 m
- Typical depth
- 35 m
- Certification
- Deep/Advanced + experience
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Depth tier
- Deep / Advanced + experience (30–40 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 3 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~20 min
- Current
- Moderate
- Visibility
- 8-20 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 20-23 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 14-17 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 20 min
- Dive traffic
- Popular (weekly charters)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
5 mm steamer/full suit in summer; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June-October
Location
Foggy Reef · Terrigal / Avoca
-33.40640, 151.53750
Published GPS position.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: michaelmcfadyenscuba.infoMarine park & permits
Grey nurse shark critical habitat protections apply — no spearfishing, maintain a respectful distance from sharks.
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Foggy's Cave →
A day-by-day plan for Central Coast 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
Foggy's Cave is a cave / cavern boat dive in Central Coast, NSW, 32–39 m, suited to Deep/Advanced + experience divers, moderate current, about 20 minutes by boat.
Rated advanced because of depth to 39 m, an overhead environment, cold water.
Why dive here
- A cave 15 m into a Foggy Reef cliff face, one of the most reliable grey nurse shark sightings on the Central Coast.
- Visibility often reaches 8-20 m.
About Foggy's Cave
Foggy's Cave is the signature deep dive of the Terrigal reef network and one of the most reliable grey nurse shark encounters on the NSW Central Coast. The reef drops from about 32 m to 36 m at its edge before a straight wall continues to 39 m, where a large boulder anchors a mooring; the cave itself is cut roughly 15 m into the underwater cliff face, about 10 m wide for most of its length but low — perhaps only 2 m high in places — with a floor thick with fine sand that demands careful buoyancy to avoid a instant whiteout. The cave sits in the corner where the main reef wall changes direction from a south-north to a west-east orientation, giving the site a distinct three-dimensional structure beyond a simple wall profile.The reason divers travel specifically for Foggy's Cave is the grey nurse sharks that regularly aggregate here, using the cave and surrounding reef as a resting and gathering point; despite their fearsome appearance, grey nurse sharks are docile, and a calm, non-intrusive approach typically allows for extended, close observation.
Beyond the sharks, the cave roof carries gorgonian growth and the walls support prolific, colourful sponge life, with eastern blue devils, luderick, red morwong and large black reef leatherjackets holding tight against the rock. Because the site sits at 32-39 m, it pushes at the edge of recreational no-decompression limits and some operators run it as a planned decompression dive, so this is firmly a deep-diving-experienced destination rather than an entry-level Advanced Open Water outing. Combined with the shallower Foggy Fish section of the same reef, Foggy's Cave anchors one of the best two-tank charter days on the Central Coast.
Getting there & entry
A cave carved about 15 m into an underwater cliff on Foggy Reef, roughly 3 km north of Terrigal and 3 km east of Blue Lagoon, in 33-38 m; a well-known grey nurse shark aggregation site.
Boats depart Terrigal Haven and run a few kilometres north to Foggy Reef; Pro Dive Central Coast and Central Coast Divers include it in their charter rotation, and it is a favoured Terrigal Underwater Group destination given its grey nurse shark reputation.
Entry: Back-roll from charter or private boat onto a mooring/shot line
Weather, swell & tides
Terrigal Haven and the boats launching from it are reasonably sheltered by The Skillion headland, but the reefs and wrecks further offshore are exposed to swell from the north-east through south-east; charters generally want under about 1.5 m swell and moderate winds. Visibility improves markedly when the East Australian Current pushes warm water down the coast, typically strongest from late summer into autumn, and drops after prolonged onshore wind or heavy rain feeds sediment out of the Terrigal Lagoon and nearby catchments. Winter brings cooler, sometimes clearer water and the best chance of grey nurse shark sightings at Foggy Reef.
This is a decompression-capable deep dive for most divers' no-decompression limits, so a stable weather window matters and bottom time must be planned conservatively.
Best season: Year-round for the cave; grey nurse sharks most reliable in cooler months
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Foggy's Cave doesn't.
- Terrigal Haven · 9 km · Max 15 m
- Toowoon Bay (Little Bay) · 6 km · Max 6 m
- Cabbage Tree Bay (Norah Head) · 15 km · Max 9 m
- SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area) · 15 km · Max 10 m
How the dive is usually run
Descend the mooring/shot line to the boulder at the base of the wall around 36-39 m, move into the cave entrance in the corner where the wall changes direction, checking the roof for gorgonians and the interior for grey nurse sharks holding in the sand-floored chamber, then ascend back along the wall for a staged safety stop given the depth.
Marine life
- Grey nurse sharks (resident aggregation) →
- eastern blue devils →
- luderick
- red morwong
- black reef leatherjackets
- gorgonians
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
The recreational limit. Operators expect a Deep Diver specialty or Advanced plus a log of similar dives, and most recommend nitrox.
This is a deep dive: plan gas, bottom time and a safety stop accordingly, and consider nitrox.
Courses that help here
- Enriched Air Nitrox – Longer no-decompression time at 25 m and deeper.
- Deep Diver – The site reaches 39 m.
- Cavern Diver – An overhead environment.
- 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
Depth requires deep/advanced experience; fine sand floor easily stirred, causing zero visibility if buoyancy is poor; some operators plan this as a decompression dive; respect grey nurse shark etiquette (no flash close to the face, maintain distance).
Technical notes
Often run near or beyond recreational no-decompression limits at 33-39 m; nitrox recommended; some club/technical divers plan a short staged deco hang.
Dive centres that go here
Pro Dive Central Coast (Terrigal Haven) and Central Coast Divers run regular boat charters to the Terrigal reef network; Terrigal Underwater Group club members dive the full spread of sites from private and club boats.
Operators recorded for Foggy's Cave
Central Coast Divers
ProfiledKillarney Vale · Central Coast · NSW
An SSI Instructor Training Facility at Killarney Vale with two full-time Instructor Trainers, onsite servicing for all major brands, and freediving courses.
centralcoastdivers.com.au · +61 2 4389 3483
Pro Dive Central Coast
Named by sitesKillarney Vale · Central Coast · NSW
Independent SSI centre (formerly Central Coast Divers), not part of the PRO DIVE Sydney chain.
prodivecentralcoast.com.au · (02) 4389 3483
Other dive centres in Central Coast
Dive Newcastle
ProfiledBeresfield · Port Stephens · NSW
A Beresfield dive superstore teaching RAID courses, with air fills, servicing, rental and a large scuba, freediving and spearfishing range.
neptunesports.com.au · (02) 4966 4900
Terrigal Dive Centre
ProfiledTerrigal · Central Coast · NSW
A dive shop on the waterside at Terrigal Haven, running boat and wreck dives including the ex-HMAS Adelaide, a few minutes offshore.
+61 2 4384 1219
Terrigal Underwater Group
Named by sitesTerrigal · Central Coast · NSW
Dive club, not a shop.
terrigalunderwatergroup.com · (02) 4324 0064
Norah Head Divers Depot
Named by sitesNorah Head · Central Coast · NSW
No trace of any business by this name at Norah Head.
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views



Foggy's Cave: frequently asked questions
How deep is Foggy's Cave?
Foggy's Cave reaches a maximum depth of 39 m, with the shallowest part at about 32 m; most of the dive is spent around 35 m.
What certification do I need to dive Foggy's Cave?
Deep/Advanced + experience is the recommended minimum. This is a deep dive: plan gas, bottom time and a safety stop accordingly, and consider nitrox. Rated advanced because of depth to 39 m, an overhead environment, cold water.
Can I shore dive Foggy's Cave?
No, it is reached by boat (about 20 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Foggy's Cave?
Year-round for the cave; grey nurse sharks most reliable in cooler months.
What marine life will I see at Foggy's Cave?
Regularly recorded: Grey nurse sharks (resident aggregation), eastern blue devils, luderick, red morwong, black reef leatherjackets, gorgonians.
What wetsuit do I need at Foggy's Cave?
5 mm steamer/full suit in summer; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June-October.
How cold is the water at Foggy's Cave?
Typically 20-23 °C in summer and 14-17 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Foggy's Cave?
Depth requires deep/advanced experience; fine sand floor easily stirred, causing zero visibility if buoyancy is poor; some operators plan this as a decompression dive; respect grey nurse shark etiquette (no flash close to the face, maintain distance). See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Foggy's Cave?
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Central Coast
The Central Coast's headline is the ex-HMAS Adelaide, a 138 m frigate scuttled off Avoca in 2011 that is now one of the busiest wreck dives in the country. Around it are the reefs and caves of Terrigal Haven, Foggy's Cave and the Skillion, the shore dive at Terrigal, and the grey nurse gutters at the Pinnacles off Bangalley Head.
Getting there: Ninety minutes north of Sydney. Charters from Terrigal Haven run the Adelaide daily in season; Terrigal Haven itself is a sheltered shore dive with parking on the beachfront.
Sources
- terrigalunderwatergroup.com/dive-sites
- prodive.com.au/locations/Scubadive/central+coast/view/Dive_Site
- divenewcastle.com.au/pages/local-shore-dives
- michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/viewpage.php?page_id=745
- michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/viewpage.php?page_id=151
- lovecentralcoast.com/ex-hmas-adelaide-dive-site
- prodivecentralcoast.com.au/products/ex-hmas-adelaide-boat-charter
Data confidence: High. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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