Marley Point is one of the gems of the Royal National Park coast, about 5.5 km south of Port Hacking off the headland between Marley Beach and Little Marley. Because it can only be reached by boat in relatively calm seas, it is dived far less often than it deserves. The reef slopes from shallow rock platforms at 5–8 m to the sand at 20–22 m, without a distinct wall but with some sections of low wall along the way, and it gives good anchor holding near the sand edge.

The standout feature is a field of massive boulders forming swim-throughs and caves; one huge boulder in particular offers several passages and is the focal point of most dives. The fish life is prolific: yellowtail and silver sweep in huge numbers in the shallows, ladder-finned pomfret, one-spot pullers and seapike around the boulders, and many wrasse, leatherjackets (especially black reef leatherjackets) and bream deeper down. Grey nurse sharks are seen regularly and seals sometimes, and McFadyen has recorded a fiddler ray and an angelshark on the sand.

The boat ride itself can be memorable, with pilot whales and humpback whales often seen along this coast during the migration. When conditions line up – westerly or north-westerly winds – the sea here can be millpond flat and visibility 20–25 m. The limits are clear: southerly winds make it impossible to anchor, and a strong north-easter makes the trip back to Port Hacking rough.

Its neighbour Marley Point North is also worth a dive. The site suits Open Water divers with boat experience who enjoy swim-throughs and fish life, and it is a highlight of any Royal National Park trip.

Boat only. Launch in Port Hacking at Tonkin Park/Gunnamatta Bay (Cronulla), Lilli Pilli, Grays Point or Bundeena ramps and run out through the entrance past Jibbon Point, then south along the Royal National Park cliffs. Marley Point is about 5.5 km south of the Port Hacking entrance, 15–20 minutes by boat.

McFadyen's GPS is 34° 06.9383' S 151° 09.0691' E. Anchor close to shore near the sand edge where the sloping reef gives good holding. The site needs calm seas both to get there and to anchor close in.

Walkers reach Marley Beach on the Coast Track, but there is no practical shore dive.

The Royal National Park coast faces east to south-east and is open to swell from the north-east round to the south. It is only dived in relatively calm conditions – seas under about 1.5 m – and is at its best in westerly and north-westerly winds, which flatten the sea against the cliffs. A strong north-easter makes the run back to Port Hacking rough and wet, and southerlies make close-in anchorages untenable.

The Port Hacking bar can break in big southerly swell. In the right conditions it is very protected – McFadyen describes the sea as calm or even millpond – and visibility of 20–25 m is recorded. Southerly winds make anchoring impossible; a strong north-easter makes the return dangerous.

From the anchor head east along the reef edge near the sand; after 10–15 m the reef turns south – follow it 20–25 m to the huge boulder and explore its caves and swim-throughs. Return north-east through the shallows, then head south-west to the deeper section (12 m after about 20 minutes) and back to the rock platform area at 8 m before returning to the anchor.

No regular charter – private boat or dive-club (St George Scuba Club) only; no charter currently operates out of Port Hacking.