Port Macquarie's artificial reef was placed offshore on an otherwise featureless stretch of sand to give local fish stocks somewhere to aggregate and to give divers and anglers a fixed, known structure to visit without relying on natural reef further afield. Like most modern NSW artificial reef deployments, it uses purpose-built modules designed to maximise surface area and shelter rather than a scuttled vessel, sitting in a moderate depth range that keeps it accessible to open-water-level divers while still holding enough relief to attract a genuine fish population. Over time such structures develop a coating of sponges, ascidians and soft corals, and this reef has become a reliable spot for schooling baitfish, pelagic visitors following the bait, and resident wobbegong sharks using the modules' shelter, in a similar way to how the area's natural bommies function.

Because it sits on sand with no other reef nearby, the artificial reef acts as a fish-aggregation magnet, and local dive operators use it as a dependable option when conditions or logistics rule out the longer runs to Cod Grounds or the sites north around Crowdy Head — it is close enough to Port Macquarie's boat ramp to fit into a single relaxed morning trip. It does not carry the drama or history of a wreck dive, and visibility can be more sediment-affected here than on the rockier natural reefs given its position on an open sand bottom exposed to the Hastings River's influence, but it remains a solid, moderate-depth dive well suited to divers building experience beyond shore diving before tackling the more exposed offshore pinnacles.

Boat access departing Port Macquarie's Town Wharf/breakwall boat ramp on the Hastings River, or from the Camden Haven/Laurieton boat ramp for the Cod Grounds cluster. Port Macquarie sites run 10-25 minutes offshore; Cod Grounds is reached from Laurieton or as a longer run from Port Macquarie, roughly 30-40 minutes by boat given its position off Perpendicular Point south of Camden Haven.

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, and the offshore pinnacle sites (Cod Grounds, Mermaid Reef, Yabbies) are cancelled first in marginal weather given the longer run and lack of lee. Visibility is best in autumn and early winter after a run of settled weather and drops noticeably after East Coast Lows and Hastings/Camden Haven River flood outflows. Grey nurse sharks are present year-round with numbers building through winter.

Descend the shot line directly onto the reef structure, circle its perimeter to get orientated, then work through and around the modules looking for schooling fish and resident wobbegongs before ascending back up the same line.

Scuba Haven (Port Macquarie) — regular boat dives to Cod Grounds, Fish Hatchery, Bird Rock and shore trips; Port Macquarie Dive Centre operators run seasonal charters. Book ahead for Cod Grounds given grey nurse shark permit and mooring limits.