Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 8 Nov 2026
Pine Point Jetty
Yorke Peninsula, South Australia · near Pine Point / Ardrossan
| Depth | 0.5–3 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Snorkel/Any |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Shore |
| Entry | Walk in from the beach or use the jetty steps at high tide |
| Current | None |
| Visibility | 2-5 m |
| Water | summer 19-23 °C, winter 12-14 °C |
| Suit | 5-7 mm full wetsuit with hood in summer/autumn; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit in winter |
| Best season | Summer high tides with light westerly winds |
| Bottom time | 40 min |
| Position | -34.57000, 137.88000 (approximate) |
| Permit | None required |
| Nearest chamber | Royal Adelaide Hospital hyperbaric medicine unit (Adelaide) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
Pine Point Jetty
A shallow, calm high-tide snorkel over seagrass flats full of blue swimmer crabs – not a scuba destination.
Near Pine Point / Ardrossan · Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
- Depth
- 0.5–3 m
- Minimum level
- Snorkel/Any
- Access
- Shore
- Boat ride
- Shore entry
- Water
- 19-23 °C
- Visibility
- 2-5 m
Pine Point Jetty0.5–3 m · Snorkel/Any · Shore
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, December.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 0.5–3 m
- Typical depth
- 2 m
- Certification
- Snorkel/Any
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Easy (0–10 m)
- Access
- Shore
- Dive centre needed
- No – independently diveable
- Shore / independent
- Yes
- Current
- None
- Visibility
- 2-5 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 19-23 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 12-14 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 40 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- Yes
Exposure suit
5-7 mm full wetsuit with hood in summer/autumn; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit in winter
Location
Pine Point · Yorke Peninsula – East Coast (Gulf St Vincent)
-34.57000, 137.88000
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: visityorkepeninsula.com.auMarine park & permits
None required
Nearest recompression chamber
Royal Adelaide Hospital hyperbaric medicine unit (Adelaide)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around Pine Point Jetty →
A day-by-day plan for Yorke Peninsula 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
Pine Point Jetty is a jetty / pier shore dive you can do independently in Yorke Peninsula, SA, 0.5–3 m, suitable for snorkellers and first-time divers.
Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note cold water.
Why dive here
- A shallow, calm high-tide snorkel over seagrass flats full of blue swimmer crabs – not a scuba destination.
- Snorkel-friendly, so non-diving companions can join at the surface.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
About Pine Point Jetty
Pine Point is a small holiday village on the upper east coast of Yorke Peninsula, and its jetty is best known to anglers and crabbers. It appears in this database because the regional brief names it, but it is not a recognised scuba site: there is no SDFSA or dive-shop listing, and the water is very shallow over broad sand and seagrass flats that dry extensively at low tide. At high tide the jetty offers a pleasant snorkel over seagrass beds that are productive nursery grounds.
Blue swimmer crabs are the headline animal in summer (this coast is a major crabbing area), and juvenile King George whiting, garfish, tommy ruff, small flathead and stingarees are common. The piles host algae, small sponges and ascidians, with crabs, shrimp and occasional pipefish or seahorses among them. Southern calamari visit at dusk.
For scuba divers, depths of 2-3 m even at high tide make it marginal, and visibility in the upper gulf is often poor. It is a site for families and snorkellers on a still summer day rather than a dive destination. Divers staying in the area are better served by the Ardrossan jetties to the north or by driving an hour south to Edithburgh and Wool Bay.
Getting there & entry
Short jetty at the coastal village of Pine Point, about 25 km south of Ardrossan, over very shallow sand and seagrass flats.
Pine Point is on the coast road about 25 km south of Ardrossan (roughly 175 km from Adelaide). Turn off to the foreshore in the village; park near the jetty and caravan park. The tide retreats a long way on these flats, so time any snorkel or dive for high water and enter from the jetty steps or the beach beside it.
Entry: Walk in from the beach or use the jetty steps at high tide
Facilities: Foreshore parking, caravan park, toilets; services in Ardrossan.
Weather, swell & tides
Pine Point faces east across the upper gulf onto broad tidal flats. Any easterly wind makes the water murky and choppy; westerlies blow offshore and flatten it. With such shallow water, tide height is the critical factor: go within a couple of hours of high tide or there may be nothing to swim in.
Summer is the only really pleasant season for this kind of shallow snorkel.
Best season: Summer high tides with light westerly winds
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Pine Point Jetty doesn't.
- Black Point (Yorke Peninsula) · 5 km · Max 4 m
- Ardrossan Town Jetty · 17 km · Max 6 m
- Ardrossan BHP Jetty · 18 km · Max 15 m
- Port Vincent Jetty · 23 km · Max 5 m
How the dive is usually run
At high tide snorkel out along the jetty, look over the piles and seagrass edge, and return. Scuba is marginal because of the depth.
Marine life
- Blue swimmer crabs
- juvenile King George whiting
- garfish
- tommy ruff
- flathead
- stingarees
- southern calamari
- seagrass fauna
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Shallow enough for snorkellers and for a first dive under supervision. Any certified diver can dive it.
Courses that help here
- Drysuit Diver – Cold water; locals dive dry for much of the year.
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
Very shallow; tide retreats a long way – beware being caught on the flats; crab rakes and nets; stingrays in the shallows (shuffle feet).
Dive centres that go here
No operator; snorkelled occasionally by holidaymakers. Not listed by SDFSA or Adelaide shops as a scuba site.
Other dive centres in Yorke Peninsula
Adelaide Scuba
ListedGlenelg North · Adelaide Metro · SA
An Adelaide business providing training, equipment and local diving support, located near Glenelg.
adelaidescuba.com.au · (08) 8294 7744
Diving Adelaide
ListedMarleston · Adelaide Metro · SA
An Adelaide training and guided diving operation serving local sites and organised trips.
divingadelaide.com.au · (08) 8122 5003
The Dive Shack
ListedGlenelg · Adelaide Metro · SA
An Adelaide business combining retail, servicing and training for South Australian divers.
thediveshack.com.au
All dive centres in South Australia →
Operators mentioned: None
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views
Pine Point Jetty: frequently asked questions
How deep is Pine Point Jetty?
Pine Point Jetty reaches a maximum depth of 3 m, with the shallowest part at about 0.5 m; most of the dive is spent around 2 m.
What certification do I need to dive Pine Point Jetty?
No certification is needed to snorkel it, and it suits introductory dives. Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note cold water.
Can I shore dive Pine Point Jetty?
Yes. Pine Point Jetty is a shore dive that can be done independently: walk in from the beach or use the jetty steps at high tide.
When is the best time to dive Pine Point Jetty?
Summer high tides with light westerly winds.
What marine life will I see at Pine Point Jetty?
Regularly recorded: Blue swimmer crabs, juvenile King George whiting, garfish, tommy ruff, flathead, stingarees, southern calamari, seagrass fauna.
What wetsuit do I need at Pine Point Jetty?
5-7 mm full wetsuit with hood in summer/autumn; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit in winter.
How cold is the water at Pine Point Jetty?
Typically 19-23 °C in summer and 12-14 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Pine Point Jetty?
Very shallow; tide retreats a long way – beware being caught on the flats; crab rakes and nets; stingrays in the shallows (shuffle feet). See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Pine Point Jetty?
Royal Adelaide Hospital hyperbaric medicine unit (Adelaide). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Yorke Peninsula
The Yorke Peninsula is jetty country. Edithburgh, Port Hughes, Wool Bay, Stenhouse Bay and Port Victoria have some of the richest macro diving in Australia under their pylons: blue devils, pyjama squid, seahorses, tasselled anglerfish, leafy seadragons and carpets of sponges in 5–12 m. Marion Bay and Innes National Park at the southern tip add wrecks, sea lions and clearer open-coast water.
Getting there: Two to four hours west of Adelaide. All the jetties are walk-in shore dives with ladders or beach entries; Innes National Park sites need a park pass.
Sources
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Not a documented dive site; coordinates and depths approximate.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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