Frying Pan Point is a small rocky headland in Mason Cove, the inner harbour where the Port Arthur penal settlement was built. The Marine Life Network guide describes it as a shore dive at the end of the road in 2-4 m, with a rocky headland, Macrocystis kelp and small reef fish. It is essentially a snorkel or very shallow scuba site: the reef drops only a few metres before meeting silt and sand.

The presence of Macrocystis – the giant kelp that has disappeared from most of Tasmania's east coast – is notable, although in such shallow water the plants are short and their condition varies with water temperature from year to year. Small wrasse, leatherjackets, weedfish and juvenile fish shelter in the kelp, and sea stars, crabs and occasional seahorses can be found on the rocks. Visibility is usually modest and deteriorates after rain, when runoff enters the cove.

The site's main virtue is shelter: when the rest of the peninsula is too rough, this cove is nearly always calm. It is suitable for beginners, snorkellers and families, and for a quiet dusk or night snorkel. The surroundings are historically sensitive: the penitentiary, dockyards and other convict-era buildings line the shore, and anything found on the seabed must be left in place.

Before diving, check current access arrangements with the Port Arthur Historic Site, as the shoreline is managed as part of a World Heritage-listed convict site. The historic site offers cafes, toilets and a visitor centre, and a harbour cruise past the Isle of the Dead and Point Puer gives a good overview of the surrounding waters.

Drive to Port Arthur via the Arthur Highway (about 1 hour 30 minutes from Hobart). The Marine Life Network guide describes shore access at the end of the road on the headland in Mason Cove. Much of the Mason Cove shoreline lies inside the Port Arthur Historic Site, which charges admission and controls access, so confirm current access arrangements with the site before diving; the road end may be outside the site boundary or require site entry.

Carry gear a short distance over rocks to the water; entry is easy in calm conditions.

Port Arthur and Carnarvon Bay are sheltered from the east and from most westerly winds, which is why operators such as Go Dive Tasmania launch here when the Eaglehawk Neck coast is blown out. The harbour entrance faces south into Storm Bay, so large southerly and south-westerly groundswell rolls in and brings surge and poor visibility to the outer sites; the inner harbour stays calmer. Strong southerly changes arrive quickly.

Heavy rain washes tannin-stained runoff into the inner harbour. Best conditions follow several days of northerly or light westerly weather; late summer and autumn are the most reliable. Mason Cove is the most sheltered water in Port Arthur and is diveable in almost any wind, but visibility drops after rain.

Enter beside the headland, swim along the rocky edge in 2-4 m through the kelp, and turn at half air to return along the same line.

No operator trips; occasional independent shore divers and snorkellers.