Port Macquarie's Town Beach breakwall is the town's default easy shore dive, sitting at the mouth of the Hastings River in the heart of Port Macquarie with car parking, a surf club and cafes immediately on hand. The rock wall itself provides the reef structure, dropping gently to under ten metres, and the site's main appeal is its convenience and shelter rather than any dramatic topography: it is sheltered from ocean swell by the breakwall's bulk, though tidal flow in and out of the river mouth needs to be respected, with a slack or making tide giving both an easier and clearer dive than an outgoing tide pushing river water and sediment out to sea. As with most river-mouth breakwall dives on this coast, the marine life reflects an estuarine-influenced mix — small reef fish sheltering in the rock crevices, occasional rays on the sandy margins, and enough general interest to make a worthwhile training or refresher dive without needing a boat.

Local operators use the site for open-water check-out dives and for divers wanting a low-key warm-up before heading out to Cod Grounds or the offshore pinnacles. It is not a destination dive in its own right, and visibility is often modest given the constant influence of river outflow, but its ease of access, complete shelter from ocean conditions on all but the roughest days, and central location make it a genuinely useful part of the Port Macquarie diving scene rather than a site to specifically travel for. Visiting divers should not expect any dramatic scenery, but as a zero-cost, zero-risk way to get wet on any day of the year in Port Macquarie, it earns its place on the local dive map.

Town Beach sits at the end of Horton Street in central Port Macquarie, with car parking, a surf club and cafes right on the foreshore. Carry gear a short distance from the car park to the sand beside the breakwall and enter alongside the rock wall, timing entry around the tide to avoid strong outgoing river current at the river mouth itself.

Sheltered by the breakwall from ocean swell but affected by tidal flow at the Hastings River mouth — dive on a slack or making tide to avoid the stronger outgoing current, and expect reduced visibility after rain due to river outflow.

Enter beside the breakwall at low or slack tide and follow the rock face, staying shallow and clear of the main river channel; a simple out-and-back dive along the wall structure rather than a set circuit.

Scuba Haven (Port Macquarie) uses this site for training and check-out dives; independently diveable by certified divers in calm conditions.