Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
Old Faithful (Camden Haven)
Port Macquarie & Camden Haven, New South Wales · near Laurieton
| Depth | 10–25 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Advanced Open Water |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Giant stride from charter boat onto a mooring |
| Current | Moderate |
| Visibility | 8-20 m |
| Water | summer 22-25 °C, winter 17-20 °C |
| Suit | 3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter |
| Best season | Calm weather windows |
| Bottom time | 35 min |
| Position | not published |
| Permit | None required |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Old Faithful (Camden Haven)
Also known as Old Faithful
A pinnacle with a large basal cave and sponge garden supporting the rare eastern blue devil fish — one of the better macro dives in the Camden Haven offshore cluster.
Near Laurieton · Port Macquarie & Camden Haven, New South Wales
- Depth
- 10–25 m
- Minimum level
- Advanced Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~28 min
- Water
- 22-25 °C
- Visibility
- 8-20 m
Old Faithful (Camden Haven)10–25 m · Advanced Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 10–25 m
- Typical depth
- 18 m
- Certification
- Advanced Open Water
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Depth tier
- Advanced Open Water (18–30 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 5 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~28 min
- Current
- Moderate
- Visibility
- 8-20 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 22-25 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 17-20 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Bottom time
- 35 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter
Location
Camden Haven · NSW Mid North Coast — Port Macquarie & Camden Haven
No published coordinates. The map above shows the general area, estimated from other documented sites near Laurieton.
Primary source: mudgeediveandtravel.comMarine park & permits
None required
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Old Faithful (Camden Haven) →
A day-by-day plan for Port Macquarie & Camden Haven 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
Old Faithful (Camden Haven) is a pinnacle / bommie boat dive in Port Macquarie & Camden Haven, NSW, 10–25 m, suited to Advanced Open Water divers, moderate current, about 28 minutes by boat.
Rated advanced because of depth beyond 18 m, an overhead environment.
Why dive here
- A pinnacle with a large basal cave and sponge garden supporting the rare eastern blue devil fish — one of the better macro dives in the Camden Haven offshore cluster.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
- Visibility often reaches 8-20 m.
About Old Faithful (Camden Haven)
Old Faithful is a rock wall and pinnacle formation off Camden Haven that has earned its reliable-sounding name through consistent, dependable diving over the years — a large cave at the base of the pinnacle is the site's headline feature, its interior supporting a genuine sponge garden that ranks among the better macro diving spots in the wider Port Macquarie and Camden Haven area. That sponge garden is significant enough to support the rare and much sought-after eastern blue devil fish, a species that draws dedicated fish-spotters and photographers specifically to sites known to hold it, making Old Faithful a worthwhile target for divers building a life list of unusual Australian reef fish. Beyond the cave and its macro life, the site supports jewfish schools moving through the open water around the pinnacle, along with a general scattering of pelagic visitors typical of this offshore reef cluster, and starfish and nudibranchs add further interest for divers with a slower, close-focus diving style.
The site's depth range of ten to twenty-five metres keeps it within solid recreational limits while still offering enough vertical structure to feel like a genuine pinnacle dive rather than a flat reef. As with the neighbouring Yabbies and Mermaid Reef, Old Faithful is a calm-weather, special-trip site rather than a daily fixture, and it rewards patient, detail-focused divers more than those chasing big-animal drama, with the eastern blue devil fish sighting typically the highlight any visiting diver hopes to tick off. Photographers hoping for the blue devil in particular should ask the skipper how recently it was last seen before committing gas and time to a thorough search of the cave.
Getting there & entry
A rock wall/pinnacle formation off Camden Haven, 10-25 m, with a large cave at its base and an excellent macro-diving sponge garden, home to the rare eastern blue devil fish.
Boat only, from the Camden Haven/Laurieton ramp or a Port Macquarie charter, in the same offshore pinnacle cluster as Yabbies and Mermaid Reef.
Entry: Giant stride from charter boat onto a mooring
Weather, swell & tides
This stretch of coast is exposed to easterly and south-easterly swell with limited natural shelter; charters want under about 1.5 m swell and moderate wind to run safely. Visibility is best in autumn and early winter after a run of settled weather and drops noticeably after East Coast Lows and river flood outflows.
Best season: Calm weather windows
How the dive is usually run
Descend onto the pinnacle's upper section around 10 m and work down to the large cave at its base, exploring the sponge garden along the way for the rare eastern blue devil fish and nudibranchs, then check the open water for jewfish schools and passing pelagics before ascending.
Marine life
- Eastern blue devil fish (rare) →
- jewfish schools
- pelagic fish
- nudibranchs →
- starfish
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Beyond 18 m an Advanced certification (which includes a deep dive to 30 m) is the accepted minimum. Anything past 25 m is a deep dive in practice.
Courses that help here
- Cavern Diver – An overhead environment.
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
Moderate current; cave at the base requires basic overhead-environment care; offshore, weather-dependent access.
Dive centres that go here
Scuba Haven (Port Macquarie) — regular boat dives, year-round, weather permitting.
Operators recorded for Old Faithful (Camden Haven)
General area
No position has been published for Old Faithful (Camden Haven). The circle shows where it is likely to be, worked out from other documented sites near Laurieton. Ask a local operator for the exact site.
Dashed circle: general area (about 5 km), from other documented sites near Laurieton. 6 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Old Faithful (Camden Haven): frequently asked questions
How deep is Old Faithful (Camden Haven)?
Old Faithful (Camden Haven) reaches a maximum depth of 25 m, with the shallowest part at about 10 m; most of the dive is spent around 18 m.
What certification do I need to dive Old Faithful (Camden Haven)?
Advanced Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated advanced because of depth beyond 18 m, an overhead environment.
Can I shore dive Old Faithful (Camden Haven)?
No, it is reached by boat (about 28 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive Old Faithful (Camden Haven)?
Calm weather windows.
What marine life will I see at Old Faithful (Camden Haven)?
Regularly recorded: Eastern blue devil fish (rare), jewfish schools, pelagic fish, nudibranchs, starfish.
What wetsuit do I need at Old Faithful (Camden Haven)?
3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter.
How cold is the water at Old Faithful (Camden Haven)?
Typically 22-25 °C in summer and 17-20 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Old Faithful (Camden Haven)?
Moderate current; cave at the base requires basic overhead-environment care; offshore, weather-dependent access. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Old Faithful (Camden Haven)?
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Port Macquarie & Camden Haven
Port Macquarie's reefs are a step down in fame from Fish Rock and Forster but not in quality. The Cod Hole and the Pinnacle off Tacking Point have grey nurse sharks and big schools of fish; the Coral Reef off Camden Haven is a genuine subtropical hard-coral patch; and the Wreck of the Ellenborough, a 1901 collier in 46 m, suits deep divers.
Getting there: Four hours north of Sydney or a one-hour flight. Charters run from Port Macquarie's marina; Flynns and Shelly beaches are sheltered shore snorkels.
All Port Macquarie & Camden Haven dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
Data confidence: Medium · Being verified: Not present in v1 input — added from operator source; GPS unavailable.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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