Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 7 Nov 2026
South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie
Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands, New South Wales · near Coffs Harbour
| Depth | 10–20 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Advanced Open Water |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Boat (day trip) |
| Entry | Giant stride from a Jetty Dive Centre RIB onto the bommie mooring |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 10-25 m |
| Water | summer 24-26 °C, winter 18-19 °C |
| Suit | 3 mm shorty/full suit summer, 5-7 mm winter |
| Best season | Year-round; a reliably sheltered site given its western aspect |
| Bottom time | 50 min |
| Position | -30.20850, 153.26450 (approximate) |
| Permit | Solitary Islands Marine Park – South Solitary Island Sanctuary Zone, no take |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie
A sheltered bommie below South Solitary Island's historic 1880 lighthouse, a reliable easy dive on the island's lee side.
Near Coffs Harbour · Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands, New South Wales
- Depth
- 10–20 m
- Minimum level
- Advanced Open Water
- Access
- Boat (day trip)
- Boat ride
- ~35 min
- Water
- 24-26 °C
- Visibility
- 10-25 m
South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie10–20 m · Advanced Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Year-round; a reliably sheltered site given its western aspect
- Best months
- Now (November)
- Stinger suit Nov–May
Dive facts
- Depth
- 10–20 m
- Typical depth
- 15 m
- Certification
- Advanced Open Water
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Advanced Open Water (18–30 m)
- Access
- Boat (day trip)
- Offshore
- 8 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~35 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 10-25 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 24-26 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 18-19 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Bottom time
- 50 min
- Dive traffic
- Moderate (occasional charters/club dives)
- Night dive
- Possible
- Snorkel friendly
- Partial
Exposure suit
3 mm shorty/full suit summer, 5-7 mm winter
Location
South Solitary Island · NSW Mid North Coast – Coffs Harbour / Solitary Islands
-30.20850, 153.26450
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsDive site map (external) →Primary source: jettydive.com.auMarine park & permits
Solitary Islands Marine Park – South Solitary Island Sanctuary Zone, no take
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney)
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie →
A day-by-day plan for Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands 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
South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie is a pinnacle / bommie boat dive in Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands, NSW, 10–20 m, suited to Advanced Open Water divers, about 35 minutes by boat.
Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note depth beyond 18 m and boat traffic overhead.
Why dive here
- A sheltered bommie below South Solitary Island's historic 1880 lighthouse, a reliable easy dive on the island's lee side.
- Visibility often reaches 10-25 m.
About South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie
Lighthouse Bommie sits on the sheltered western side of South Solitary Island, directly below the island's landmark lighthouse — first lit in 1880 and one of the more remote and historically evocative lighthouse stations on the NSW coast — and close to the collapsed gantry wreckage found a short distance away. Like the Gantry and the nearby Boulder Walls, its position on the lee side of the island keeps it reliably diveable even when swell has closed the more exposed north-eastern moorings such as Manta Arch. The bommie itself rises from the surrounding sand and reef to within about 10 m of the surface, dropping to 18-20 m at its base, and supports a solid population of resident reef fish, turtles resting in its lee, and the same rich sponge and coral growth typical of this side of South Solitary Island.
It lacks the singular drawcard of a grey nurse shark aggregation or a dramatic swim-through, but its gentle depth range and sheltered position make it a comfortable, reliable dive well suited to Open Water divers and to pairing with a visit to the historic Gantry wreckage close by. For visitors keen to combine a good, easy reef dive with a sense of South Solitary Island's maritime history, Lighthouse Bommie is a natural complement to a day otherwise built around the more demanding grey nurse shark sites on the island's exposed side, and Jetty Dive Centre will often use it as a calmer second or third dive once the main objectives for the day have been achieved.
Getting there & entry
A bommie off the western side of South Solitary Island, below the historic 1880 lighthouse, near the Gantry wreckage site, on the more sheltered side of the island.
Jetty Dive Centre departs from the public floating pontoon wharf in Coffs Harbour boat harbour, opposite the Attitude Burgers building. It is roughly a 30-40 minute run out to South Solitary Island, 8 km offshore.
Entry: Giant stride from a Jetty Dive Centre RIB onto the bommie mooring
Weather, swell & tides
South Solitary Island sits in open water 8 km off Coffs Harbour; trips need under about 1.5-2 m swell. Visibility here is usually the best in the marine park given the distance from any river mouth. Winter (May-Oct) is the peak grey nurse shark season; summer (Nov-Apr) brings tropical fish, manta rays and leopard sharks.
Best season: Year-round; a reliably sheltered site given its western aspect
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie doesn't.
- Mutton Bird Island (Coffs Harbour) · 15 km · Max 15 m
- Diggers Beach (Coffs Harbour) · 13 km · Max 6 m
How the dive is usually run
Descend the mooring onto the bommie at 10-12 m, circle the structure down to 18-20 m looking for turtles and schooling reef fish, and finish shallow near the top of the bommie for the ascent.
Marine life
- Turtles →
- schooling reef fish
- wobbegongs →
- sponges and soft corals
- nudibranchs →
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Beyond 18 m an Advanced certification (which includes a deep dive to 30 m) is the accepted minimum. Anything past 25 m is a deep dive in practice.
Open Water divers can dive the shallower section (typical depth 15 m); the full site to 20 m needs Advanced Open Water. Operators often quote Open Water.
Operators' own listing: Open Water.
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
Generally low risk given the sheltered aspect; boat traffic at the mooring.
Dive centres that go here
Jetty Dive Centre includes Lighthouse Bommie as one of the sheltered western-side options at South Solitary Island, often paired with a visit to the nearby Gantry.
Operators recorded for South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie
Other dive centres in Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views



South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie: frequently asked questions
How deep is South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie?
South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie reaches a maximum depth of 20 m, with the shallowest part at about 10 m; most of the dive is spent around 15 m.
What certification do I need to dive South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie?
Advanced Open Water is the recommended minimum. Open Water divers can dive the shallower section (typical depth 15 m); the full site to 20 m needs Advanced Open Water. Operators often quote Open Water. Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note depth beyond 18 m and boat traffic overhead.
Can I shore dive South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie?
No, it is reached by boat (about 35 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie?
Year-round; a reliably sheltered site given its western aspect.
What marine life will I see at South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie?
Regularly recorded: Turtles, schooling reef fish, wobbegongs, sponges and soft corals, nudibranchs.
What wetsuit do I need at South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie?
3 mm shorty/full suit summer, 5-7 mm winter.
How cold is the water at South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie?
Typically 24-26 °C in summer and 18-19 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie?
Generally low risk given the sheltered aspect; boat traffic at the mooring. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to South Solitary Island – Lighthouse Bommie?
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands
The Solitary Islands Marine Park is where the tropics meet the temperate zone: hard corals grow alongside kelp, anemonefish share ledges with blue gropers, and grey nurse sharks, turtles, mantas and leopard sharks all pass through. North Solitary's Anemone Bay has the densest carpet of anemones and clownfish in the country; South Solitary has the lighthouse, Manta Arch and Buchanan's Wall. Split Solitary and North West Solitary are closer in and quieter.
Getting there: Coffs Harbour is a six-hour drive or a one-hour flight from Sydney. Charters leave from Coffs Harbour marina; North Solitary trips run from Wooli or Coffs and take 40–60 minutes each way.
All Coffs Harbour & Solitary Islands dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
- jettydive.com.au/dive-sites-solitary-islands-marine-park
- divernet.com/world-dives/coffs-harbour-the-south-solitary-islands
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Named as 'Lighthouse Bommie' per regional task brief; exact position and whether it has a dedicated mooring distinct from the Gantry need confirmation with Jetty Dive Centre.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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