Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 7 Nov 2026
Fosters Rock
Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania · near Nubeena
| Depth | 10–25 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Advanced Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Boat (day trip) |
| Entry | Back roll or giant stride from charter boat |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 6-15 m |
| Water | summer 14-18 °C, winter 10-13 °C |
| Suit | Drysuit strongly recommended year-round; 7 mm semi-dry or two-piece 7 mm wetsuit with hood and gloves is the minimum in summer |
| Best season | Late summer to autumn (February-May) for settled weather and best visibility; diveable year-round between fronts |
| Bottom time | 40 min |
| Position | not published |
| Permit | No permit required |
| Nearest chamber | Royal Hobart Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Hobart CBD); DAN emergency hotline 1800 088 200 |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Fosters Rock
Also known as Foster's Rock
The deepest and most dramatic of the Wedge Bay sites – pinnacles and drop-offs off Outer Head.
Near Nubeena · Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania
- Depth
- 10–25 m
- Minimum level
- Advanced Open Water
- Access
- Boat (day trip)
- Boat ride
- ~10 min
- Water
- 14-18 °C
- Visibility
- 6-15 m
Fosters Rock10–25 m · Advanced Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, March, April, May, December.
Late summer to autumn (February-May) for settled weather and best visibility; diveable year-round between fronts
- Best months
- Now (November)
Dive facts
- Depth
- 10–25 m
- Typical depth
- 18 m
- Certification
- Advanced Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Depth tier
- Advanced Open Water (18–30 m)
- Access
- Boat (day trip)
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~10 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 6-15 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 14-18 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 10-13 °C
- Water
- Cold Temperate
- Bottom time
- 40 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
Drysuit strongly recommended year-round; 7 mm semi-dry or two-piece 7 mm wetsuit with hood and gloves is the minimum in summer
Location
Wedge Bay – Nubeena
No published coordinates. The map above shows the general area, estimated from documented sites across the Tasman Peninsula region.
Primary source: marinelife.org.auMarine park & permits
No permit required
Nearest recompression chamber
Royal Hobart Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Hobart CBD); DAN emergency hotline 1800 088 200
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Fosters Rock →
A day-by-day plan for Tasman Peninsula 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
Fosters Rock is a pinnacle / bommie boat dive in Tasman Peninsula, TAS, 10–25 m, suited to Advanced Open Water divers, about 10 minutes by boat.
Rated intermediate because of depth beyond 18 m, boat traffic overhead, cold water.
Why dive here
- The deepest and most dramatic of the Wedge Bay sites – pinnacles and drop-offs off Outer Head.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
Conditions to avoid
- Strong southerly or south-east swell and wind
- Afternoon north-easterlies
- Strong westerlies
About Fosters Rock
Fosters Rock lies off Outer Head at the entrance to Wedge Bay, on the Storm Bay side of the Tasman Peninsula. The Marine Life Network guide describes rocky pinnacles, drop-offs and walls in 10-25 m, with crayfish and small reef fish. The pinnacles rise from a sandy bottom and are covered in kelp and brown algae on their upper parts, with sponges and other invertebrates increasing on the steeper, deeper faces.
Rock lobsters shelter in ledges and cracks, and wrasse, leatherjackets, morwong and bastard trumpeter are common. It offers more relief and depth than the shallow reefs inside Wedge Bay, making it the pick of the western-side sites for divers with some experience. The site is exposed to westerly and southerly swell and is best on calm days or with light easterlies, when the east coast is likely to be rough.
Documentation is limited to older guides and it is rarely visited, so divers should expect to explore. Wedge Bay and Nubeena are quiet holiday areas with boat ramps, a store and accommodation, and Fosters Rock combines well with Wedge Island for a relaxed two-dive day. Divers based in Hobart can reach Nubeena in about 90 minutes, making a day trip practical for groups with their own boat.
Carry filled cylinders from Hobart or Eaglehawk Neck, as there is no dive shop on this side of the peninsula. A torch helps to look into the ledges where lobsters and small invertebrates hide, and a sounder makes finding the pinnacles much easier. When the western side is calm and the east coast is blown out, this is one of the better alternatives.
Getting there & entry
Rocky pinnacles and drop-offs off Outer Head at the entrance to Wedge Bay on the western Tasman Peninsula.
Nubeena is on the western side of the Tasman Peninsula, about 1 hour 30 minutes from Hobart: take the Arthur Highway to Port Arthur's turn-off near Taranna and follow the B37 (Nubeena Road) west. There are boat ramps at Nubeena and White Beach. Launch at Nubeena or White Beach and run west to Outer Head at the mouth of Wedge Bay, about 10 minutes.
The rock is off the head; use a sounder to find the pinnacles and anchor in sand or run a live boat.
Entry: Back roll or giant stride from charter boat
Facilities: Boat ramps, toilets, store and fuel at Nubeena; no fills on the western side.
Weather, swell & tides
Wedge Bay and the White Beach–Nubeena coast face west and south-west into Storm Bay and the mouth of the Derwent. North-westerly to south-westerly winds and southerly groundswell make the outer sites rough and stir up the sand; easterly and north-easterly winds, which blow out the Tasman Sea coast, leave this side of the peninsula calm, so it complements Eaglehawk Neck. Visibility is generally lower than on the east coast (5-15 m) and drops after westerly blows.
Best in the calm mornings of late summer and autumn.
Best season: Late summer to autumn (February-May) for settled weather and best visibility; diveable year-round between fronts
How the dive is usually run
Descend on the main pinnacle, drop down the wall to 20-25 m, circle the pinnacle and cross to the next if gas allows. Ascend up the rock and do the safety stop on its top.
Marine life
- Southern rock lobster
- wrasse
- leatherjackets
- magpie morwong
- bastard trumpeter
- sponges
- kelp
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 18 m); the full site to 25 m needs Advanced Open Water. Operators often quote Open Water.
Operators' own listing: Open Water.
Courses that help here
- 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
Exposed to westerly and southerly swell; boat traffic; no shore exit.
Dive centres that go here
No regular operator; private boats from Nubeena and White Beach.
Operators recorded for Fosters Rock
Eaglehawk Dive Centre
ProfiledEaglehawk Neck · Tasman Peninsula · TAS
The principal operation at Eaglehawk Neck, servicing the Tasman Peninsula's sea caves, walls and deeper wrecks.
eaglehawkdive.com.au · 0417 013 518
Go Dive Tasmania
ListedHobart · Hobart & Derwent · TAS
A Tasmanian business providing training, equipment and service support for cold-water diving.
godivetas.com.au · (03) 6231 9749
General area
No position has been published for Fosters Rock. The circle shows where it is likely to be, worked out from documented sites across the Tasman Peninsula region. Ask a local operator for the exact site.
Dashed circle: general area (about 14 km), from documented sites across the Tasman Peninsula region. 6 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Fosters Rock: frequently asked questions
How deep is Fosters Rock?
Fosters Rock reaches a maximum depth of 25 m, with the shallowest part at about 10 m; most of the dive is spent around 18 m.
What certification do I need to dive Fosters Rock?
Advanced Open Water is the recommended minimum. Open Water divers can dive the shallower section (typical depth 18 m); the full site to 25 m needs Advanced Open Water. Operators often quote Open Water. Rated intermediate because of depth beyond 18 m, boat traffic overhead, cold water.
Can I shore dive Fosters Rock?
No, it is reached by boat (about 10 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Fosters Rock?
Late summer to autumn (February-May) for settled weather and best visibility; diveable year-round between fronts.
What marine life will I see at Fosters Rock?
Regularly recorded: Southern rock lobster, wrasse, leatherjackets, magpie morwong, bastard trumpeter, sponges, kelp.
What wetsuit do I need at Fosters Rock?
Drysuit strongly recommended year-round; 7 mm semi-dry or two-piece 7 mm wetsuit with hood and gloves is the minimum in summer.
How cold is the water at Fosters Rock?
Typically 14-18 °C in summer and 10-13 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Fosters Rock?
Exposed to westerly and southerly swell; boat traffic; no shore exit. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Fosters Rock?
Royal Hobart Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Hobart CBD); DAN emergency hotline 1800 088 200. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Tasman Peninsula
The Tasman Peninsula has the tallest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere, and beneath them some of Australia's most dramatic diving: the Cathedral Cave system and Waterfall Bay's caves and wall, the Sisters and Hippolyte Rocks with their fur seals, the Thumbs, and the remnant giant kelp at Fortescue Bay and Munro Bight. Deep sites like the Patersons Arch and the Nord wreck (40 m) reward experienced divers.
Getting there: Ninety minutes from Hobart. A dedicated dive operator at Eaglehawk Neck runs boat dives; Fortescue Bay and Pirates Bay have shore access.
Sources
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Single older source; location approximate.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
