Palm Beach Reef is the largest reef system on the Gold Coast and the centrepiece of southern Gold Coast boat diving. It lies 800-1,000 m off Palm Beach, measures about 950 m by 500 m, and spans depths from around 5 m to 25 m, with roughly ten named dive sites across it. Divernet describes it as rocky reef covered with hard and soft corals and sponges, and says it usually has the best visibility of any dive site in the area.

The reef is made of rocky outcrops and large bommies separated by sand and gutters, overgrown with sponges, soft corals, anemones and a surprising amount of hard coral for a surf-coast reef. Its size means it suits every level: shallow sections such as The Gutters (5-12 m) and The Nursery (7-14 m) are ideal for newer divers, mid-depth sites like The Zoo, Clown City, Southern Comfort and Turtle Point offer classic reef diving, and Moray Reef reaches 19 m and the deeper edges 25 m. Marine life is abundant: schools of Australian stripeys, parrotfish and blue wrasse, anemonefish in their anemones, wobbegong and bamboo sharks under ledges, large octopus and stingrays, and turtles.

In summer, leopard sharks gather on the sand around the reef, and grey nurse sharks and bronze whalers occasionally appear in the deeper gutters. Gold Coast Dive Adventures runs it as a double dive, taking in two sub-sites in one trip. It is the obvious next step after the Seaway and the Scottish Prince, and on a clear summer day with leopard sharks on the sand it is one of the best dives in South East Queensland.

Boat access only. Gold Coast Dive Adventures runs Palm Beach Reef trips from Runaway Bay Marina, out through the Gold Coast Seaway and south along the coast – about 25-30 minutes. Private boats usually launch at the Tallebudgera Creek or Currumbin Creek ramps (creek bars can be dangerous in swell) and run 800-1,000 m offshore from Palm Beach.

The reef is large (about 950 x 500 m) with around ten named sites; use operator marks or GPS for the sub-site.

Palm Beach Reef sits 800-1,000 m off an open surf beach and is limited by swell: easterly or south-easterly swell over about 1.5 m, and south-east winds over 15-20 knots, make it rough and surgy, especially on the shallower sections. Summer north-easterly sea breezes build in the afternoon. It usually has the best visibility of the Gold Coast sites (often 10-20 m+), best after southerly or westerly winds and in winter, and poorest after heavy rain when the creeks and Tweed run dirty.

Currents are usually mild.

Operators choose a sub-site to suit the group – shallow Gutters and Nursery for new divers, The Zoo, Clown City or Turtle Point for general reef diving, Moray Reef for deeper divers. Descend the line, follow the guide's circuit of bommies and gutters and return to the line for a safety stop.

Gold Coast Dive Adventures (Runaway Bay) – regular Palm Beach Reef double dives; other Gold Coast dive shops occasionally.