Jibbon Bombora is the reef that protects the mouth of Port Hacking from the southerly swell, lying just off Jibbon Point in Royal National Park about 25 km south of Sydney. It has two peaks, a larger northern one and a smaller southern one, which come to within 2 m of the surface at low tide; the surrounding reef is about 4 m deep and slopes gently to 9 m before dropping away more steeply. In calm seas it is invisible from the surface, but in big swell waves break along its full length – which is why local boaties treat it with great respect.

The best diving is on the south-east side, known as Fish Reef, which McFadyen revisited in 2026. Here the depth at the anchor is about 17.5 m, dropping to sand at more than 22 m. A small kelp-covered ledge leads to walls with overhangs and holes, and to the south a large rock stands apart from the main reef, separated by a small canyon with a huge overhang.

Eastern blue devils and giant cuttlefish live under the overhangs, very large wobbegongs rest on the ledges, and seals visit. Big bream, yellowtail, many different leatherjackets and wrasse, and nudibranchs round out the list, and older records mention resident grey nurse sharks – a reminder of how widely the species once ranged in southern Sydney. The western slopes are less interesting.

Because the bombora is only minutes from the ramps, it is a convenient dive, but it needs the right conditions: small seas but not so flat that skippers head elsewhere. It suits Advanced divers comfortable at 20 m and competent boat handlers who understand breaking reefs.

Boat only. From the Port Hacking ramps (Gunnamatta Bay, Lilli Pilli, Bundeena) run out through the entrance – the bombora is just outside, off Jibbon Point, about 5–10 minutes. McFadyen's recommended anchor position for the south-east (Fish Reef) site is 34° 04.880' S 151° 10.562' E, where the depth is about 17.5 m.

In calm seas the reef is invisible from the surface; in any swell it breaks along its whole length – do not approach the peaks.

Jibbon Bombora shelters the Port Hacking entrance from the south, so it takes the full southerly and south-easterly swell itself: in large seas waves break over the entire reef and diving is not just difficult but dangerous. In very flat seas skippers tend to go to other sites, so it is mostly dived on small-swell days. Stormwater from Port Hacking affects visibility only after extended very heavy rain and clears within a couple of days.

Westerly winds give the best conditions.

Descend at the south-east anchor (17.5 m) and head west to a small kelp-covered ledge, then follow the walls north past overhangs and holes. Return south to the large separate rock and the small canyon between it and the wall, with its huge overhang, and finish back at the anchor. Stay well away from the breaking peaks.

No regular charter – private boat or dive-club (St George Scuba Club) only; no charter currently operates out of Port Hacking.