Rippleside Jetty is the smaller of the two structures in Rippleside Park, a short timber jetty at the corner of Bell Parade and The Esplanade that is one of Geelong's most popular land-based fishing spots. It is a very modest dive, 1-5 m over fine mud and shell, and it is listed separately from Rippleside Pier by The Scuba Doctor mainly because it is a distinct structure with its own entry a couple of hundred metres away. The piles carry the same growth as the pier (mussels, sea squirts, sponges, algae) and the same tenants: Tasmanian blennies, cardinalfish, gobies, small leatherjackets, toadfish, decorator crabs, sea stars and the ubiquitous introduced Northern Pacific seastar, with seahorses and pipefish possible on the weedier piles, octopus under the inevitable dropped tackle and debris, and stingarees and fiddler rays on the surrounding mud.

Because it is so heavily fished the bottom under the deck is littered with line, hooks and sinkers, which is both a hazard and, for the patient, a habitat, since octopus and small fish take up residence in the junk. It is a site for a quick local dive, a snorkel, a gear check or a night dive when the jetty is quiet, and its value to Geelong divers is proximity and shelter rather than any particular feature. A pleasant way to use it is as the second half of a Rippleside double: dive the pier, walk back through the park, and finish under the jetty.

The park has free parking, toilets and a playground within metres of the water.

Follow The Esplanade north from central Geelong to Rippleside Park at Bell Parade (5 minutes from the CBD). Park in the Rippleside Park car park (free) beside the jetty; the carry is under 50 m. Enter from the sand beside the jetty root and follow the piles out.

The jetty is heavily used by anglers, especially at weekends and evenings, so choose a quiet time and let people on the deck know you are going in. Exit on the same beach. Rippleside Pier is a short walk north for a second dive.

Sheltered from the west and south-west in the inner harbour; uncomfortable only in fresh easterly or north-easterly winds. Best at high tide; visibility 2-5 m over mud, best in winter and after dry weather, poor after rain. No swell.

Fishing lines are the main issue, so carry a cutter and avoid busy fishing periods.

Enter beside the root, descend to 2 m and follow the piles out to the end at about 5 m, spend time on the outer piles, cross under and return along the other side above the mud, surfacing at the beach. Turn at half gas.

No regular commercial operator – dived independently and by Geelong clubs; Bay City Scuba in East Geelong is the local shop and dive club and uses the Corio Bay and Bellarine shore sites for training and club nights.