Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
Laurieton – Grants Head
Port Macquarie & Camden Haven, New South Wales · near Laurieton
| Depth | 5–15 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Shore or Boat |
| Entry | Rock entry from the headland in calm conditions, or short boat trip from the Camden Haven ramp |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 5-15 m |
| Water | summer 22-25 °C, winter 17-20 °C |
| Suit | 3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter |
| Best season | Autumn–winter |
| Bottom time | 40 min |
| Position | -31.64500, 152.84000 (approximate) |
| Permit | None required |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Laurieton – Grants Head
Also known as Grants Head
A sheltered alternative headland reef on the North Haven side of the Camden Haven entrance.
Near Laurieton · Port Macquarie & Camden Haven, New South Wales
- Depth
- 5–15 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Shore or Boat
- Boat ride
- ~10 min
- Water
- 22-25 °C
- Visibility
- 5-15 m
Laurieton – Grants Head5–15 m · Open Water · Shore
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: March, April, May, June, July, August.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 5–15 m
- Typical depth
- 10 m
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Open Water (10–18 m)
- Access
- Shore or Boat
- Offshore
- 0.5 km
- Dive centre needed
- No – independently diveable
- Shore / independent
- Possible (experienced only)
- Boat ride
- ~10 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 5-15 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 22-25 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 17-20 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Bottom time
- 40 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- Possible
- Snorkel friendly
- Partial
Exposure suit
3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter
Location
Camden Haven · NSW Mid North Coast — Port Macquarie & Camden Haven
-31.64500, 152.84000
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsMarine park & permits
None required
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Laurieton – Grants Head →
A day-by-day plan for Port Macquarie & Camden Haven 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
Laurieton – Grants Head is a reef shore dive for experienced divers in Port Macquarie & Camden Haven, NSW, 5–15 m, suited to Open Water divers, about 10 minutes by boat.
Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day.
Why dive here
- A sheltered alternative headland reef on the North Haven side of the Camden Haven entrance.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
About Laurieton – Grants Head
Grants Head sits on the North Haven side of the Camden Haven river entrance, opposite Laurieton, and offers a generally more sheltered alternative to the Perpendicular Point reef on the southern side when swell direction favours it. It is a modest, shallow headland reef rather than a destination dive, dropping to around fifteen metres over rock and rubble, and its main value is convenience for locals and campers in the North Haven area who want an easy shore or short-boat dive without the longer run out to Cod Grounds. Marine life is the standard mid-north-coast temperate assemblage — reef fish, occasional rays, and enough invertebrate interest to reward a slow, careful look — rather than anything the site is specifically known for.
As with Perpendicular Point, there is no dedicated dive operator based at Camden Haven, so Grants Head is dived almost exclusively by locals and private boat owners rather than featuring on any charter itinerary. It is best regarded as a convenient, low-key option for divers already in the Camden Haven area with their own gear and local knowledge of the entrance conditions, rather than a site worth specifically travelling to. Divers should pay particular attention to the state of the river entrance bar and the swell direction on the day, since conditions here can change quickly with the tide and weather at a river mouth this exposed.
Given how little formal documentation exists for the site, treat any depth or marine-life detail here as indicative rather than definitive until confirmed on the water.
Getting there & entry
A rocky headland reef on the northern side of Camden Haven near North Haven, offering a sheltered alternative to the more exposed Perpendicular Point side of the entrance.
Grants Head is reached via North Haven, on the northern side of the Camden Haven river entrance opposite Laurieton. Park near the headland reserve and carry gear a short distance to a rock entry point, or launch a boat from the Camden Haven ramp for a five-to-ten-minute run across the entrance.
Entry: Rock entry from the headland in calm conditions, or short boat trip from the Camden Haven ramp
Facilities: Parking near the North Haven headland reserve.
Weather, swell & tides
Offers more shelter than the Perpendicular Point side of the Camden Haven entrance on days with a southerly component to the swell, though still exposed to easterly conditions; check the entrance bar and swell direction before entering.
Best season: Autumn–winter
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Laurieton – Grants Head doesn't.
- Port Macquarie – Lighthouse Beach reef · 21 km · Max 10 m
- Port Macquarie – Flynns Beach & Shelly Beach shore/snorkel · 24 km · Max 8 m
How the dive is usually run
Enter from the headland rocks on a calm day or run a short boat trip across the entrance from Laurieton, working the shallow reef fringe at 5-15 m for typical mid-north-coast reef species.
Marine life
- Temperate reef fish
- occasional rays
- invertebrates
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.
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
River entrance bar conditions can be hazardous in a run-out tide against swell; check locally before entering.
Dive centres that go here
No dedicated dive charter; dived by locals and private boat owners from Camden Haven.
Other dive centres in Port Macquarie & Camden Haven
All dive centres in New South Wales →
Operators mentioned: No dedicated local operator
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views
Laurieton – Grants Head: frequently asked questions
How deep is Laurieton – Grants Head?
Laurieton – Grants Head reaches a maximum depth of 15 m, with the shallowest part at about 5 m; most of the dive is spent around 10 m.
What certification do I need to dive Laurieton – Grants Head?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day.
Can I shore dive Laurieton – Grants Head?
Experienced divers do dive Laurieton – Grants Head from the shore, but the entry or conditions make it unsuitable for newer divers without local guidance. Entry: Rock entry from the headland in calm conditions, or short boat trip from the Camden Haven ramp.
When is the best time to dive Laurieton – Grants Head?
Autumn–winter.
What marine life will I see at Laurieton – Grants Head?
Regularly recorded: Temperate reef fish, occasional rays, invertebrates.
What wetsuit do I need at Laurieton – Grants Head?
3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter.
How cold is the water at Laurieton – Grants Head?
Typically 22-25 °C in summer and 17-20 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Laurieton – Grants Head?
River entrance bar conditions can be hazardous in a run-out tide against swell; check locally before entering. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Laurieton – Grants Head?
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Port Macquarie & Camden Haven
Port Macquarie's reefs are a step down in fame from Fish Rock and Forster but not in quality. The Cod Hole and the Pinnacle off Tacking Point have grey nurse sharks and big schools of fish; the Coral Reef off Camden Haven is a genuine subtropical hard-coral patch; and the Wreck of the Ellenborough, a 1901 collier in 46 m, suits deep divers.
Getting there: Four hours north of Sydney or a one-hour flight. Charters run from Port Macquarie's marina; Flynns and Shelly beaches are sheltered shore snorkels.
All Port Macquarie & Camden Haven dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
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