Pro Dive describes Phillip Rock in a single, emphatic line: a pinnacle that 'rises directly from the bottom in 37 metres to within 2 metres of the surface', with large schools of kingfish and trevally, and 'a breathtaking dive'. It belongs to the stretch of coast between North Head and Fishy Point, which Pro Dive groups together as the North Head to Fishy Point dive area with depths from 2 to 37 m, volcanic rock formations and ocean caves.

A pinnacle with that much vertical relief works like a fish magnet. The upper sections are washed by current and swell and attract the schooling fish; kingfish at Lord Howe grow large because the whole island is a marine park, and Pro Dive notes large schools of trevally as well. The flanks are volcanic rock covered in encrusting corals, and the deeper sections drop into the 30s, where the rock is more sparsely covered and the chance of pelagic visitors increases.

The beauty of the site is its flexibility. Divers can spend the dive between 15 and 25 m circling the pinnacle, or advanced divers can drop deeper, and everyone finishes with a relaxed safety stop on the top, which comes to within 2 m of the surface. That shallow top also means the site can be rough in swell.

The north coast is sheltered from the prevailing south-east trades, so Phillip Rock is dived in most weather except northerlies. It suits Advanced divers best because of the depth available, but Open Water divers can do the upper half with a guide. Its exact position and the current operator's use of it should be confirmed with Dive Lord Howe.

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 the anchor line to about 20–25 m on the pinnacle's flank. Circle the pinnacle, going deeper only as far as your certification and no-decompression time allow, and watch for kingfish and trevally schools in the blue. Spiral up the pinnacle in the second half of the dive to its 2 m top and do the safety stop on the rock.

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.