Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
Little Halls Reef
Sunshine Coast, Queensland · near Noosa Heads
| Depth | Depth not published |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Giant stride or backward roll from boat; anchor in sand or descend a shot line |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 5-12 m |
| Water | summer 25-27 °C, winter 19-21 °C |
| Suit | 3 mm full suit in summer; 5-7 mm full suit and hood June-September |
| Best season | May-October |
| Bottom time | 45 min |
| Position | -26.35570, 153.08380 (approximate) |
| Permit | Outside Great Sandy and Moreton Bay marine parks; no dive permit required (fisheries rules apply). |
| Nearest chamber | Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital hyperbaric unit (Herston, Brisbane) — nearest chamber; Wesley Hospital hyperbaric unit (Auchenflower, Brisbane) is the alternative. Divers Emergency Service 1800 088 200. |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Little Halls Reef
Also known as Little Hall's Reef
A small Laguna Bay reef minutes from the Noosa bar – a convenient but rarely dived fishing mark.
Near Noosa Heads · Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Depth
- Depth not published
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~8 min
- Water
- 25-27 °C
- Visibility
- 5-12 m
Little Halls ReefDepth not published · Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: May, June, July, August, September, October.
Dive facts
- Depth
- Depth not published
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 1.5 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~8 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 5-12 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 25-27 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 19-21 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Bottom time
- 45 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
3 mm full suit in summer; 5-7 mm full suit and hood June-September
Location
Laguna Bay / Noosa offshore reefs · Sunshine Coast – Noosa
-26.35570, 153.08380
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: noosayakkers.blogspot.comMarine park & permits
Outside Great Sandy and Moreton Bay marine parks; no dive permit required (fisheries rules apply).
Nearest recompression chamber
Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital hyperbaric unit (Herston, Brisbane) — nearest chamber; Wesley Hospital hyperbaric unit (Auchenflower, Brisbane) is the alternative. Divers Emergency Service 1800 088 200.
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Little Halls Reef →
A day-by-day plan for Sunshine Coast 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
Little Halls Reef is a reef boat dive in Sunshine Coast, QLD, suited to Open Water divers, about 8 minutes by boat.
Rated intermediate because of boat traffic overhead.
Why dive here
- A small Laguna Bay reef minutes from the Noosa bar – a convenient but rarely dived fishing mark.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
Conditions to avoid
- Strong southerly or south-east swell and wind
- Afternoon north-easterlies
- Strong northerlies
- Outgoing tide or run-off after rain (poor visibility)
About Little Halls Reef
Little Halls is a small reef just inside Laguna Bay near the Noosa River mouth. The Noosa kayak-fishing community lists its mark as 26°21.341'S 153°05.026'E, and Deep Sea Fishing Co groups it with Halls Reef, noting depths of about 15-20 m for the Halls reefs and the benefit of bait flushed from the river.
No dive-specific description has been published. It is best thought of as a small, low-profile rocky reef used mostly by fishers, with the subtropical reef fish, soft corals and sponges typical of Laguna Bay. Its position close to the river mouth means visibility is closely tied to tide and rainfall: after heavy rain the Noosa River plume can reduce it to a few metres, while a flood tide on a dry, calm day brings clearer ocean water in.
The depth is not documented for this reef specifically. As with Halls Reef, it may be one of the unnamed 'other local reefs' that SubSurface Scuba includes on its Noosa triple-dive trips.
Its main attraction is convenience: it is minutes from the bar for anyone with their own boat or kayak. Watch out for boat traffic around the river mouth and the Noosa bar, and expect anglers on the reef. Divers who want to try it should sound the reef first to establish its depth and extent, and treat the first visit as an exploratory dive.
Getting there & entry
Small rocky reef in Laguna Bay about 3 km west of Jew Shoal, close to the Noosa North Shore and the river mouth.
Noosa's reefs are reached by boat. SubSurface Scuba runs Jew Shoal double and triple dives (about 20 minutes' boat ride to the shoal). Private boats launch at the Noosa River ramps (Noosaville/Munna Point or Tewantin) and must cross the Noosa River bar at the river mouth beside Noosa Heads – a shallow, shifting bar that is hazardous in any swell and best crossed on a rising tide in daylight.
Little Halls lies close to the river mouth at 26°21.341'S 153°05.026'E (Noosa kayak fishers' mark) – only a few minutes by boat from the bar. Anchor in sand off the reef.
Entry: Giant stride or backward roll from boat; anchor in sand or descend a shot line
Facilities: Departure: Noosa River ramps
Weather, swell & tides
Laguna Bay faces north and is sheltered by the Noosa headland from south-easterly winds and swell, which is why the inshore Noosa reefs are often diveable when the rest of the Sunshine Coast is blown out. North-easterly and northerly winds and swell, common on summer afternoons, make the bay choppy and surge over the shallow reef. The Noosa River bar closes in moderate swell.
Visibility is typically 8-15 m and drops after rain because of the Noosa River plume, particularly on the ebb tide – dive on the flood. Winter (May-October) brings clearer water and occasional grey nurse sharks and mantas; summer is warmer with leopard sharks.
Best season: May-October
How the dive is usually run
Anchor off the reef, descend and follow the reef edge in a loop back to the anchor. Dive on the flood tide and on calm days.
Marine life
- Reef fish
- baitfish
- soft corals
- sponges
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
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
Boat traffic near the river mouth; Noosa bar; fishing line; visibility varies with tide and rain.
Dive centres that go here
No regular dive operator documented – private boat or kayak divers.
Operators recorded for Little Halls Reef
Other dive centres in Sunshine Coast
Scuba World Mooloolaba
ListedMooloolaba · Sunshine Coast · QLD
A Sunshine Coast business combining training, retail and local boat diving including the ex-HMAS Brisbane.
scubaworld.com.au · (07) 5444 8595
Sunreef Mooloolaba
ListedMooloolaba · Sunshine Coast · QLD
A Mooloolaba operation closely associated with the ex-HMAS Brisbane wreck alongside local reef diving and training.
sunreef.com.au · (07) 5444 5656
Manta Lodge & Scuba Centre
ListedPoint Lookout · North Stradbroke Island · QLD
A North Stradbroke Island operation combining accommodation and diving, which makes it structurally different from a suburban Brisbane training centre.
mantalodge.com.au · (07) 3409 8888
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views


Little Halls Reef: frequently asked questions
What certification do I need to dive Little Halls Reef?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated intermediate because of boat traffic overhead.
Can I shore dive Little Halls Reef?
No, it is reached by boat (about 8 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Little Halls Reef?
May-October.
What marine life will I see at Little Halls Reef?
Regularly recorded: Reef fish, baitfish, soft corals, sponges.
What wetsuit do I need at Little Halls Reef?
3 mm full suit in summer; 5-7 mm full suit and hood June-September.
How cold is the water at Little Halls Reef?
Typically 25-27 °C in summer and 19-21 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Little Halls Reef?
Boat traffic near the river mouth; Noosa bar; fishing line; visibility varies with tide and rain. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Little Halls Reef?
Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital hyperbaric unit (Herston, Brisbane) — nearest chamber; Wesley Hospital hyperbaric unit (Auchenflower, Brisbane) is the alternative. Divers Emergency Service 1800 088 200. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Sunshine Coast
The Sunshine Coast has one of the best wreck dives in Australia, the ex-HMAS Brisbane, scuttled off Mooloolaba in 2005 with access cut into every deck, plus the Gneerings and Murphys reefs with grey nurse sharks in winter and, further north, Wolf Rock's resident pregnant grey nurse sharks and Flinders Reef's coral gardens off Noosa's doorstep.
Getting there: Ninety minutes north of Brisbane. Charters from Mooloolaba run the Brisbane and the local reefs; Wolf Rock is reached from Rainbow Beach.
Sources
- noosayakkers.blogspot.com/2012/01/local-reference-marks-gps.html
- deepseafishingco.com.au/deep-sea-fishing-co-noosa-local-reefs
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Depths unknown; v1 depths (6-12 m) removed as unverified.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction






