Lobster Beach is a small, peaceful beach near Wagstaffe, at the mouth of Brisbane Water where it meets Broken Bay. Coasties Magazine lists it among its six places to snorkel on the Central Coast, noting the short hike from Highview Road, the quiet beach and calm water, and the view across the bays. It is the sort of place locals go when the ocean beaches are rough, since Box Head and the surrounding headlands keep the swell out.

Underwater, the beach is a sheltered estuary-edge environment. Sand slopes gently from the beach, with rocky edges and weed at either end and patches of seagrass. Fish life is typical of the lower Brisbane Water and Broken Bay: bream, luderick, whiting, flathead, leatherjackets, mullet and juvenile snapper, with stingrays on the sand, octopus in rocky crevices and occasional seahorses and pipefish in the weed.

As an estuary mouth site, it can also produce surprises such as schools of baitfish and visiting dolphins. The main attraction is calm, safe water in a beautiful bush setting rather than dramatic diving. Depths are shallow, so it is a snorkel site first, though scuba divers can practise skills or hunt macro in the weed.

Visibility is best around high tide after dry weather; on a run-out tide or after rain it can be poor. With no facilities and a steep track, it suits snorkellers and families comfortable with a short walk. It pairs well with a visit to nearby Maitland Bay in Bouddi National Park and with the Box Head track above.

From Gosford take The Scenic Road or Wards Hill Road to Killcare, then Wagstaffe Avenue/Highview Road toward Wagstaffe. Park on Highview Road near the track head and follow the short, steep bush track down to Lobster Beach (a few minutes' walk). Alternatively, reach it by boat or kayak from Wagstaffe or Ettalong.

Carrying a snorkel kit is easy; a full scuba kit is manageable but the track is steep. Enter from the sand and snorkel along the rocky edges at either end.

Lobster Beach sits inside the entrance to Brisbane Water, sheltered from ocean swell by Box Head and the Broken Bay headlands, so it is calm on most days. The main variables are tide and rain: strong tidal flows run through the Brisbane Water channel nearby, and visibility is best on the flooding and high tide when clean Broken Bay water pushes in. After heavy rain the Brisbane Water and Hawkesbury run-off turns the water brown.

Strong southerly or westerly winds can chop up the surface.

Enter at high tide and snorkel along the rocky edges at either end of the beach, staying close to shore and well away from the main Brisbane Water channel and its boat traffic. Return along the sand.

No dive operator; snorkelled independently by locals and visitors.