Kingston Beach is a long suburban beach at the mouth of Browns River, 20 minutes from Hobart, and one of the city's handiest shore dives. RACT's dive guide singles out the stretch between the Kingston Beach boat ramp and Boronia Beach as the perfect shallow reef for a night dive, and Go Dive Tasmania lists the site at 3-8 m with a sandy bottom and reef patches. The Tasmanian Scuba Diving Club describes a mix of sandy bottoms, rocky reefs and seagrass beds, with octopus, seahorses and plenty of fish.

The reef is low and broken, covered in brown algae with sponges and sea squirts, and the sand and seagrass beyond it are where much of the interest lies. Divers find big-belly seahorses, pipefish, stargazers buried in the sand, sea pens, skates, sea stars and octopus, and night brings out crabs and shrimps. Kingston Beach lies at the southern edge of the Derwent estuary, the global stronghold of the spotted handfish, a critically endangered fish that 'walks' on its fins.

The species now survives in fewer than ten small colonies in the estuary plus a population found in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel in 2015. It was the first marine fish listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Local guides ask that exact handfish locations not be publicised.

If you do see one, watch without touching, keep off the sand around it, and never disturb the stalked ascidians (sea tulips) or artificial spawning habitat on which females lay eggs in September and October. Visibility is usually low – often under 5 m and much worse after rain – so the site rewards slow, close-focus diving.

Kingston Beach is about 15 km (20 minutes) south of Hobart: take the Southern Outlet to Kingston and follow Beach Road/Osborne Esplanade to the beach. RACT's guide places the best shallow reef between the Kingston Beach boat ramp (southern end, near Boronia Point) and Boronia Beach. Park near the boat ramp or on the esplanade, kit up at the car and walk a short distance to the water, keeping clear of the ramp.

Tasmanian Divers' Kingston shop is a few minutes away.

The Kingborough coast south of Hobart faces east across the lower Derwent and the northern D'Entrecasteaux Channel, so it is sheltered from the prevailing westerlies – the main reason Hobart divers use it year-round. Easterly and south-easterly winds put chop and small swell onto the shore and churn up the sandy bottom; strong southerly swell entering Storm Bay can also wrap in. Heavy rain is the biggest factor for visibility: the Derwent and local creeks carry tannin-stained, silty runoff that can drop visibility to 1-3 m for days.

Tidal flow is weak. Best after dry spells with westerlies, and in the calm mornings of late summer and autumn; night dives are popular year-round. Browns River enters at the northern end of the beach and discolours the water after rain.

Enter near the boat ramp (keeping well clear of launching boats), follow the reef south towards Boronia Beach at 3-6 m, and check the sand edge for handfish, pipefish and stargazers. Return along the reef or exit at Boronia Beach.

Go Dive Tasmania – Kingston Beach listed as a shore site (3-8 m, all certified divers); Tasmanian Divers (Kingston) – local shore and night dives; Tasmanian Scuba Diving Club – club dives.