Malabar West is one of the named sites along the Malabar reefs, logged by Nigel Marsh on a trip with Dive Lord Howe. He describes a rocky reef with ledges between 10 and 16 m, which puts it among the shallowest of the regular boat dives and makes it a good choice for a long, relaxed dive.

The ledges are where the life is. Marsh records spiny lobsters and octopus sheltering beneath them, with cardinalfish, bullseyes and soldierfish in the shade. Over the reef there are damsels, sweetlips, lionfish, butterflyfish, wrasses and leatherjackets – the usual busy mix of tropical and subtropical species that Lord Howe's position at the meeting point of several ocean currents produces.

The wider Malabar area is described by Pro Dive as plateaus, swim-throughs and archways with plate and table corals, anemones and nudibranchs, and it is known for macro life. Malabar West fits that pattern on a smaller scale. Because the maximum depth is only 16 m, divers can spend close to an hour here, and the ledges reward slow searching with a torch.

The north coast is sheltered from the south-east trades and southerly swell, so the site is diveable on most days, closing only in northerly weather. It is well suited to Open Water divers, to refreshers and to night dives, which Dive Lord Howe runs as fluorescent night dives on some sites (ask which). Exact position is not published; it lies towards the western end of the Malabar reefs. It is often combined with a deeper site such as the Admiralty Islets on a morning double.

Lord Howe is reached only by air: QantasLink flies from Sydney daily (about 1 h 50 min), with Brisbane and seasonal Port Macquarie services. Accommodation must be booked before flights (visitor numbers are capped at about 400) and the checked-baggage limit is 14 kg, so most divers hire gear on the island. Dive Lord Howe's shop is at 2 Lagoon Road beside the Lagoon Beach boatsheds; most lodges transfer divers or it is a short bike ride.

Divers board the boat, which is moored in the lagoon, and leave the lagoon through North Passage, then turn east along the island's north coast between North Head and Fishy Point (below Malabar Hill). The run takes 10–15 minutes. The boat anchors on sand beside the reef or picks up a mooring where one is available.

Lord Howe sits in the path of the prevailing south-east to east trades and winter westerly fronts. The north coast between North Head and Fishy Point is protected from the prevailing south-east trades and from southerly and south-westerly swell, so it is one of the most reliable parts of the island and is dived in most weather. It is blown out by northerly and north-easterly winds and by north or north-west groundswell, which makes the caves and gutters surgy and pushes white water onto the cliffs.

The caves should be entered only when the swell is small. Visibility is usually 20–40 m. Diving is possible year-round, but the dive shop's main season runs September–June.

Descend to the reef at 10–12 m and follow the ledges along the reef edge to about 16 m, checking under each ledge for spiny lobsters, octopus and soldierfish. Turn at half air and return along the reef top.

Dive Lord Howe (PADI 5-star, 2 Lagoon Road) – morning double boat dives daily in season, afternoon single dives on demand; site chosen on the day by wind and swell. Howea Divers has also advertised dives here.