Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 7 Nov 2026
Lennox Head Reef
Tweed & Byron Bay, New South Wales · near Lennox Head
| Depth | 8–18 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Giant stride from boat |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 5-15 m |
| Water | summer 21-26 °C, winter 18-21 °C |
| Suit | 3-5 mm full suit |
| Best season | Calm winter days with minimal swell |
| Bottom time | 40 min |
| Position | not published |
| Permit | Cape Byron Marine Park / Solitary Islands Marine Park zoning applies – check current sanctuary/habitat protection zone boundaries before diving or spearfishing |
| Nearest chamber | Gold Coast University Hospital (Southport) hyperbaric unit; Wesley Hospital (Brisbane) for complex cases |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Lennox Head Reef
Also known as Lennox Point, Boulder Beach reef
A boulder reef beneath one of Australia's best-known surf points, diveable only on the rare flat day.
Near Lennox Head · Tweed & Byron Bay, New South Wales
- Depth
- 8–18 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~30 min
- Water
- 21-26 °C
- Visibility
- 5-15 m
Lennox Head Reef8–18 m · Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: June, July, August.
Calm winter days with minimal swell
- Best months
- Now (November)
- Stinger suit Nov–May
Dive facts
- Depth
- 8–18 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
- Recommended
- Shore / independent
- Possible (experienced only)
- Boat ride
- ~30 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 5-15 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 21-26 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 18-21 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Bottom time
- 40 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- Possible
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
3-5 mm full suit
Location
Lennox Head · NSW Far North Coast – Byron Bay
No published coordinates. The map above shows the general area, estimated from documented sites across the Tweed & Byron Bay region.
Primary source: marinelife.org.auMarine park & permits
Cape Byron Marine Park / Solitary Islands Marine Park zoning applies – check current sanctuary/habitat protection zone boundaries before diving or spearfishing
Nearest recompression chamber
Gold Coast University Hospital (Southport) hyperbaric unit; Wesley Hospital (Brisbane) for complex cases
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Lennox Head Reef →
A day-by-day plan for Tweed & Byron Bay 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
Lennox Head Reef is a reef shore dive for experienced divers in Tweed & Byron Bay, NSW, 8–18 m, suited to Open Water divers, about 30 minutes by boat.
Rated intermediate because of surge on the entry or in the shallows.
Why dive here
- A boulder reef beneath one of Australia's best-known surf points, diveable only on the rare flat day.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
About Lennox Head Reef
Lennox Head Reef lies off Lennox Point and the adjacent Boulder Beach, roughly midway between Byron Bay and Ballina and within the southern reaches of the Cape Byron Marine Park, but it is a site that exists more on paper and in the memory of local divers than as a regularly bookable charter. Lennox Point's fame as one of the best right-hand point surf breaks in Australia is itself the reason the reef beneath it is so rarely dived — the same swell and bathymetry that wraps into a long surf break makes the water here consistently too rough for comfortable diving. On the handful of days each year when the swell drops away completely, the reef reveals a typical Far North Coast boulder-and-gutter system running from about 8 m down to 18 m, with the kind of subtropical marine life found at the better-known Julian Rocks and Ballina sites: wobbegong sharks resting under ledges, turtles moving through, bull rays working the sand patches between boulders, and schools of kingfish and snapper over the structure.
Occasional grey nurse sharks are reported moving along this stretch of coast between the more established aggregation sites to the north and south. Because no dive centre runs a standing schedule here, anyone wanting to dive Lennox Head Reef needs either a private boat and good local knowledge of the reef's position, or a willing charter operator prepared to make the run from Byron Bay or Ballina on a rare calm day. Documentation of the site's precise boundaries, exact depths and marine life is consequently thin, and prospective divers should treat the details here as indicative of the general character of this stretch of coast rather than a verified site description; anyone planning a trip should check current conditions and access with a Byron Bay or Ballina operator first.
Getting there & entry
Rocky reef off Lennox Point and Boulder Beach between Byron Bay and Ballina, within the southern section of the Cape Byron Marine Park, dived by boat from Byron Bay or Ballina only in calm swell.
Boat access only. Charters would run from Byron Bay (Sundive/Byron Bay Dive Centre, roughly 30 minutes south) or a private boat launched at Ballina's Richmond River ramps and run north past Lennox Head; there is no dedicated ramp at Lennox Head itself suitable for a dive boat.
Entry: Giant stride from boat
Weather, swell & tides
Byron Bay and the coast either side is exposed to easterly and south-easterly swell; the more remote sites away from the shelter of Cape Byron and Julian Rocks need under about 1.5 m swell and light winds to be diveable and are cancelled well before the rocks themselves. The East Australian Current runs strongly along this coast, especially November-May, and can add significant drift to any exposed pinnacle or headland site. Visibility improves after a run of settled offshore (westerly) winds and degrades for several days after the Brunswick River or Belongil Creek flood following heavy rain.
Winter (Jun-Sep) brings the clearest water, grey nurse sharks and migrating humpback whales; summer (Dec-Mar) is warmer with leopard sharks and more current. Lennox Point is a renowned surf break, which by definition means it receives regular swell; the reef is realistically diveable only when that swell drops well below the level surfers want.
Best season: Calm winter days with minimal swell
How the dive is usually run
Drop onto the boulder reef and gutters at 8-10 m, work down to 18 m checking ledges for wobbegongs and bull rays, and return shallow for the ascent, staying alert for surge on the exposed point.
Marine life
- Wobbegongs →
- turtles →
- bull rays
- kingfish
- snapper
- occasional grey nurse sharks →
- nudibranchs →
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
Very swell-exposed surf break — only dive in genuinely flat conditions; strong surge and rip currents around the point; remote from any boat ramp.
Dive centres that go here
No scheduled charter; occasionally dived by Byron Bay operators or private boats out of Ballina when conditions and demand align.
Operators recorded for Lennox Head Reef
Sundive Byron Bay
ProfiledByron Bay · Tweed & Byron Bay · NSW
Byron Bay's PADI 5 Star dive centre, running three daily departures to Nguthungulli Julian Rocks with training from Try Scuba to Divemaster.
sundive.com.au · (02) 6685 7755
Byron Bay Dive Centre
ProfiledByron Bay · Tweed & Byron Bay · NSW
Byron Bay's original dive centre, running daily Julian Rocks dive and snorkel trips from The Pass with PADI and SSI training and an onsite pool.
byronbaydivecentre.com.au · 0494 094 915
Other dive centres in Tweed & Byron Bay
Gold Coast Dive Adventures
ListedRunaway Bay · Gold Coast · QLD
A Gold Coast operation focused on guided local diving and charter access to offshore sites.
goldcoastdiveadventures.com.au · 0404 286 599
Gold Coast Dive Centre
ListedMiami · Gold Coast · QLD
A Gold Coast training and service business serving local divers and visitors.
goldcoastdivecentre.com.au · (07) 5572 0511
Kirra Dive
Named by sitesTweed Heads · Tweed & Byron Bay · NSW
Trades as Kirra Dive 'On the Tweed'.
kirradive.com · (07) 5536 6622
General area
No position has been published for Lennox Head Reef. The circle shows where it is likely to be, worked out from documented sites across the Tweed & Byron Bay region. Ask a local operator for the exact site.
Dashed circle: general area (about 46 km), from documented sites across the Tweed & Byron Bay region. 6 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Lennox Head Reef: frequently asked questions
How deep is Lennox Head Reef?
Lennox Head Reef reaches a maximum depth of 18 m, with the shallowest part at about 8 m; most of the dive is spent around 14 m.
What certification do I need to dive Lennox Head Reef?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated intermediate because of surge on the entry or in the shallows.
Can I shore dive Lennox Head Reef?
Experienced divers do dive Lennox Head Reef from the shore, but the entry or conditions make it unsuitable for newer divers without local guidance. Entry: Giant stride from boat.
When is the best time to dive Lennox Head Reef?
Calm winter days with minimal swell.
What marine life will I see at Lennox Head Reef?
Regularly recorded: Wobbegongs, turtles, bull rays, kingfish, snapper, occasional grey nurse sharks, nudibranchs.
What wetsuit do I need at Lennox Head Reef?
3-5 mm full suit.
How cold is the water at Lennox Head Reef?
Typically 21-26 °C in summer and 18-21 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Lennox Head Reef?
Very swell-exposed surf break — only dive in genuinely flat conditions; strong surge and rip currents around the point; remote from any boat ramp. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Lennox Head Reef?
Gold Coast University Hospital (Southport) hyperbaric unit; Wesley Hospital (Brisbane) for complex cases. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Tweed & Byron Bay
Julian Rocks, 2.5 km off Byron Bay, is the most biodiverse dive site in NSW: turtles by the dozen, wobbegongs stacked in the caves, grey nurse sharks in winter, leopard sharks and manta rays in summer, and more than 1,000 recorded species. The Cod Hole, the Nursery and Hugo's Trench are the classic circuits. Cook Island off Tweed Heads has similar life on a smaller scale.
Getting there: Byron Bay is two hours south of Brisbane or a short flight to Ballina. Dive shops in Byron run several trips a day to Julian Rocks, launched off the beach at the Pass; Tweed Heads shops cover Cook Island.
All Tweed & Byron Bay dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: GPS coordinates, precise depth range and any current operator schedule all need verification with a Byron Bay or Ballina source.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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