Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 8 Nov 2026
Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)
Tasmania North & North-West, Tasmania · near Ulverstone
| Depth | 3–18 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Back roll or giant stride from a small boat (live-boat drop and pick-up is the local norm) |
| Current | Moderate |
| Visibility | 5-12 m |
| Water | summer 16-19 °C, winter 11-13 °C |
| Suit | 7 mm wetsuit with hood, gloves and boots (or semi-dry); drysuit common, especially May-October |
| Best season | December-April, on calm days with southerly (offshore) winds |
| Bottom time | 45 min |
| Position | -41.13500, 146.12000 (approximate) |
| Permit | No marine reserve; normal Tasmanian fishing rules apply. No permit needed to dive. |
| Nearest chamber | Royal Hobart Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Hobart) - the only chamber in Tasmania; Launceston has none. DAN emergency hotline 1800 088 200 |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)
Also known as Fourth Sister, Three Sisters reef
A 300 m reef ending in a pinnacle, with schooling fish fed by the current.
Near Ulverstone · Tasmania North & North-West, Tasmania
- Depth
- 3–18 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~12 min
- Water
- 16-19 °C
- Visibility
- 5-12 m
Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)3–18 m · Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, March, April, December.
December-April, on calm days with southerly (offshore) winds
- Best months
- Now (November)
Dive facts
- Depth
- 3–18 m
- Typical depth
- 14 m
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Depth tier
- Open Water (10–18 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 1 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~12 min
- Current
- Moderate
- Visibility
- 5-12 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 16-19 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 11-13 °C
- Water
- Cold Temperate
- Bottom time
- 45 min
- Dive traffic
- Moderate (occasional charters/club dives)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
7 mm wetsuit with hood, gloves and boots (or semi-dry); drysuit common, especially May-October
Location
Ulverstone & Penguin · Tasmania North-West Coast
-41.13500, 146.12000
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: levenscubaclub.com.auMarine park & permits
No marine reserve; normal Tasmanian fishing rules apply. No permit needed to dive.
Nearest recompression chamber
Royal Hobart Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Hobart) - the only chamber in Tasmania; Launceston has none. DAN emergency hotline 1800 088 200
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Fourth Sister (Ulverstone) →
A day-by-day plan for Tasmania North & North-West 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
Fourth Sister (Ulverstone) is a reef boat dive in Tasmania North & North-West, TAS, 3–18 m, suited to Open Water divers, moderate current, about 12 minutes by boat.
Rated intermediate because of boat traffic overhead, cold water.
Why dive here
- A 300 m reef ending in a pinnacle, with schooling fish fed by the current.
Conditions to avoid
- Strong southerly or south-east swell and wind
- Afternoon north-easterlies
- Strong westerlies
- Any time other than slack water
About Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)
Fourth Sister is an underwater extension of the Three Sisters islets near Ulverstone - about 300 m long and 70 m wide on average - that terminates in a pinnacle rising to within 3 m of the surface. The Marine Life Network guide rates it 6 out of 10: 10-18 m, with a slight current that enhances filter-feeding animals and fish schools. Bastard trumpeter, sea sweep, long-finned pike, large schools of barber perch, southern hulafish, leatherjackets and wrasse are recorded, along with gorgonian fans, many of which appeared dead, and the guide notes pollution and siltation concerns. The Leven Scuba Club describes a 300 m reef ending in a pinnacle, affected by current and visited by pelagics. Local knowledge from Leven Scuba Club members is the best way to get the most out of it, and first-time visitors should ideally dive it with someone who knows the site and the tide.
The central north coast between Wynyard and Port Sorell is the home water of the Leven Scuba Club at Ulverstone, whose site list is the main modern source for it, supplemented by the older Marine Life Network guide. The towns of Burnie, Ulverstone and Devonport sit right on the coast, so many sites are within minutes of a ramp or car park, but the reefs are generally low and weedy, visibility is often 5-10 m, and the coast is open to Bass Strait's northerly and westerly weather.
Devonport is the Spirit of Tasmania ferry terminal, which makes these sites the first and last dives for many interstate visitors bringing their own gear. There is no hyperbaric chamber in the north - the nearest is the Royal Hobart Hospital, about 3.5 hours' drive - so dive conservatively, especially on the deeper offshore sites.
Getting there & entry
An underwater reef extension about 300 m long off the north-western tip of the Third Sister islet near Ulverstone, ending in a pinnacle within 3 m of the surface.
Ulverstone is on the Bass Highway 20 minutes west of Devonport. Launch at the Ulverstone (Leven River) ramp and run west 10-15 minutes to the Three Sisters islets off Goat Island; enter near the jagged foreshore rocks at the north-western tip of the Third Sister and follow the reef out. From the Spirit of Tasmania terminal at Devonport, all central north-coast sites are within about an hour's drive along the Bass Highway.
North-coast ramps are often shallow and weedy at low tide, so time launches for mid to high tide and carry a sounder, radio and tide tables.
Entry: Back roll or giant stride from a small boat (live-boat drop and pick-up is the local norm)
Facilities: Ulverstone: ramp, shops, fuel, accommodation.
Weather, swell & tides
The north-west coast faces Bass Strait: north-westerly to north-easterly winds and westerly swell make it rough, while southerly winds blow offshore and give flat seas - light airs and sunny days are relatively common from January to April. Easterly gales are common in the warmer months and close the eastern faces of Rocky Cape and Sisters Island. Tidal streams run along the coast (eastward on the flood), and several boat sites are only comfortable around slack water.
Affected by current, which brings in pelagics and feeds filter feeders.
Best season: December-April, on calm days with southerly (offshore) winds
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Fourth Sister (Ulverstone) doesn't.
- Don Heads · 17 km · Max 9 m
- Mersey Bluff (Devonport) · 20 km · Max 9 m
- Eugenana (Melrose) Quarry · 20 km · Max 13 m
- Burnie Breakwater / Blackmans Point · 20 km · Max 10 m
How the dive is usually run
Drop at the Third Sister and follow the 300 m reef (about 70 m wide) out to the pinnacle, diving at 10-18 m, then ascend on the pinnacle. Turn the dive at half gas (thirds where current or overhead sections are involved), deploy an SMB before surfacing for the live-boat pick-up, and complete a 3-minute safety stop at about 5 m where depth allows.
Marine life
- Bastard trumpeter
- sea sweep
- long-finned pike
- barber perch
- southern hulafish
- leatherjackets
- wrasse
- gorgonians
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Within the 18 m limit of an entry-level certification.
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
Current; boat traffic from the Leven River.
Dive centres that go here
No confirmed commercial dive operator on the north-west coast as of 2026 (older guides mention dive services in Wynyard and Devonport - verify). Sites are dived mainly by the Leven Scuba Club (Ulverstone), other north-west club members and visiting divers with their own boats; Tasmanian Divers (Launceston) runs occasional northern trips.
Operators recorded for Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)
Tasmanian Divers North
ListedLaunceston · Tasmania North & North-West · TAS
A northern Tasmanian operation serving the Bass Strait coastline and local diving community.
tasdivers.com.au · (03) 6229 1020
Leven Scuba Club
Named by sitesDevonport · Tasmania North & North-West · TAS
Club, not a shop: website live and the club is listed for the Tasmanian Combined Clubs Weekend 2026; meets first Thursday monthly at Mersey Yacht Club.
levenscubaclub.com.au
Other dive centres in Tasmania North & North-West
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views


Fourth Sister (Ulverstone): frequently asked questions
How deep is Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)?
Fourth Sister (Ulverstone) reaches a maximum depth of 18 m, with the shallowest part at about 3 m; most of the dive is spent around 14 m.
What certification do I need to dive Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated intermediate because of boat traffic overhead, cold water.
Can I shore dive Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)?
No, it is reached by boat (about 12 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)?
December-April, on calm days with southerly (offshore) winds.
What marine life will I see at Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)?
Regularly recorded: Bastard trumpeter, sea sweep, long-finned pike, barber perch, southern hulafish, leatherjackets, wrasse, gorgonians.
What wetsuit do I need at Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)?
7 mm wetsuit with hood, gloves and boots (or semi-dry); drysuit common, especially May-October.
How cold is the water at Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)?
Typically 16-19 °C in summer and 11-13 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)?
Current; boat traffic from the Leven River. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Fourth Sister (Ulverstone)?
Royal Hobart Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (Hobart) - the only chamber in Tasmania; Launceston has none. DAN emergency hotline 1800 088 200. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Tasmania North & North-West
Bass Strait's Tasmanian shore from Devonport to Stanley and Rocky Cape is clear, cold and almost undived: sponge gardens, kelp and rock lobster around Wynyard, Boat Harbour and Sisters Beach, the Table Cape wall, and the Rocky Cape National Park reefs. Visibility of 20 m is common in settled weather.
Getting there: Fly into Devonport, Burnie or Launceston. Mostly shore dives with beach and rock entries; occasional club boat dives.
All Tasmania North & North-West dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
Data confidence: Medium · Being verified: Coordinates approximate.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction










