Luther Point is a small fringing reef near Spring Beach, rated 4.5 out of 10 by the Marine Life Network guide. Depths are only 2-4 m, but the guide recommends it as a site that works in poor easterly conditions, making it a useful fallback on the lower east coast.

Rosy wrasse, senator wrasse and a variety of reef fish live in the weed, and the shallow water allows long dives or snorkels. It is essentially a snorkelling site for most people, and a place to fill in a day when the headlands are rough.

The coast between Orford and Swansea is sheltered from the prevailing westerlies and faces Mercury Passage or Great Oyster Bay rather than the open ocean, so it offers easy, shallow diving within 1-2 hours of Hobart. The reefs are dolerite, sandstone and granite fringing rock with weed beds rather than the dramatic walls of Bicheno, and they are best treated as relaxed shore dives, snorkels and training sites.

Practical points apply to all of these shore sites. There is no dive shop, air station or hire between Hobart and Bicheno, so divers bring filled cylinders and all equipment. Mobile coverage is generally good along the highway but patchy at the water's edge, and the nearest hyperbaric chamber is the Royal Hobart Hospital, one to two hours' drive away, so conservative profiles and oxygen in the car are sensible. Water temperatures range from about 11 °C in winter to 17-18 °C in late summer, so a 7 mm wetsuit with hood or a drysuit is standard year-round.

Luther Point is at the southern end of Spring Beach, about 5 km south of Orford via Rheban Road (1 hr from Hobart). Park at the Spring Beach or Rheban Road pull-offs and walk a short distance to the point; enter from the rocks on the sheltered side. From Hobart the route is the Tasman Highway (A3) via Sorell and Buckland; allow extra time on weekends when the road is busy with holiday traffic.

Kit up at the car and check the entry and exit before committing, since the rocks are slippery at low tide.

The Orford coast faces east across Mercury Passage, sheltered by Maria Island from most ocean swell, but north-easterly and easterly winds blow onshore and southerly swell can wrap in. Westerly winds blow offshore and give the calmest water. Visibility drops after rain when the Prosser River discharges.

The regional guide notes that Luther Point is at its best in poor easterly conditions, when its orientation gives shelter. Mornings are usually calmest in summer, before the north-easterly sea breeze builds, and a day or two of westerly weather gives the clearest water. Visibility of 5-10 m is normal.

Snorkel or dive along the fringing reef at 2-4 m, following the shoreline in one direction and returning. Turn at a third of gas to allow for the swim back and a possibly harder exit, finish with a 3-minute safety stop at about 5 m if the depth allows, and exit where you entered unless an alternative exit has been checked beforehand.

No regular operator. Shore dives used by Hobart clubs (Tasmanian Scuba Diving Club, Tas Uni Dive Club) and self-sufficient divers; Hobart shops occasionally run east-coast weekends.