Sandstone Bluff is one of the sheltered sites on Schouten Island. The Marine Life Network guide rates it 6 out of 10 and describes a reef sheltered by cliffs where delicate seaweeds support reef fish and crayfish, a large swim-through at 10 m and undercut ledges at 12 m that are covered in invertebrates.

The sandstone gives the site a different character from the granite that dominates the rest of the island: layered ledges, undercuts and softer rock that erodes into overhangs. Sponges, ascidians and bryozoans grow in the shaded undercuts, and wrasse, leatherjackets and banded morwong work the reef. The guide notes that newer divers on this remote site need supervision.

Sandstone Bluff is a good shallow dive to pair with a deeper site such as Cape Sonnerat.

Schouten Island is part of Freycinet National Park. Its granite and dolerite peaks rise to over 400 m, and the island has no permanent residents, jetty or facilities apart from a Parks hut and campsite at Moreys Bay, so divers visit with self-contained boats. The island's sites were described in detail in the Marine Life Network regional guide, but few have been documented since; with no operator currently running trips, they are among the least-dived good sites in Tasmania.

A typical Schouten day combines one deeper dive on the exposed eastern or southern side with a shallow second dive in a sheltered bay, choosing sides according to the swell. Because the island is at least 45 minutes from the Coles Bay ramp and more than four hours by road and boat from the Royal Hobart Hospital chamber, conservative profiles, oxygen on board and a reliable weather window are essential.

Coles Bay is 30 minutes south of the Tasman Highway via the C302 (turn off 12 km south of Bicheno), about 2 hr 45 min from Hobart and 2 hr 30 min from Launceston. The main public boat ramp is at Coles Bay township; boats reaching the ocean side of the peninsula or Schouten Island need a seaworthy vessel, as the run around Cape Degerando or through Schouten Passage is exposed. Schouten Island lies across Schouten Passage from the southern tip of the Freycinet Peninsula, roughly 25-30 km (about 45-60 minutes in a fast boat) from the Coles Bay ramp via Promise Bay and the western shore of the peninsula.

Swansea's ramp on the western side of Great Oyster Bay is an alternative. Schouten Passage can run hard with wind against tide. Sandstone Bluff is on the island's shoreline below the cliffs; the skipper drops divers at the base of the bluff.

The cliffs of Sandstone Bluff shelter the site from the prevailing wind, but the whole island is exposed to large swell from the south and east. Choose the side of the island in the lee of the day's swell. Rain washes tannin-stained runoff into Great Oyster Bay, and summer afternoons commonly bring a fresh north-easterly sea breeze, so plan dives for the morning.

Descend along the cliff base, find the large swim-through at about 10 m and pass through it, then explore the undercut ledges at 12 m, which carry the best invertebrate life. Return along the cliff at 5-8 m. Turn the dive at half gas (thirds where current or overhead sections are involved), deploy an SMB before surfacing for the live-boat pick-up, and complete a 3-minute safety stop at about 5 m where depth allows.

No dedicated dive operator at Coles Bay or Freycinet. Sites are dived from private boats and occasional club expeditions (Tas Uni Dive Club, TSDC, Launceston clubs); the Marine Life Network guide notes that Coles Bay is the usual starting point for Schouten Island charters. Cruise and kayak operators in Coles Bay do not offer scuba.