Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)
Central Coast, New South Wales · near Norah Head
| Depth | 8–10 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Open Water |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Back-roll from boat |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 6-12 m |
| Water | summer 20-23 °C, winter 14-17 °C |
| Suit | 5 mm steamer/full suit in summer; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June-October |
| Best season | Settled weather |
| Bottom time | 35 min |
| Position | -33.27800, 151.56700 (approximate) |
| Permit | None required |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)
An easily accessible 1951 wooden-steamer wreck close to the Norah Head boat ramp, in a shallow 8-10 m.
Near Norah Head · Central Coast, New South Wales
- Depth
- 8–10 m
- Minimum level
- Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~8 min
- Water
- 20-23 °C
- Visibility
- 6-12 m
SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)8–10 m · Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
In season nowBest months: year-round.
Dive facts
- Depth
- 8–10 m
- Typical depth
- 9 m
- Certification
- Open Water
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Easy (0–10 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 0.5 km
- Dive centre needed
- Recommended
- Shore / independent
- Possible (experienced only)
- Boat ride
- ~8 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 6-12 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 20-23 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 14-17 °C
- Water
- Temperate
- Bottom time
- 35 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- Possible
- Snorkel friendly
- Partial
Exposure suit
5 mm steamer/full suit in summer; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June-October
Location
Norah Head · Munmorah / Norah Head
-33.27800, 151.56700
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsPrimary source: centralcoastdivers.com.auMarine park & permits
None required
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 SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area) →
A day-by-day plan for Central Coast 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
SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area) is a wreck shore dive for experienced divers in Central Coast, NSW, 8–10 m, suited to Open Water divers, about 8 minutes by boat.
Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note cold water.
Why dive here
- An easily accessible 1951 wooden-steamer wreck close to the Norah Head boat ramp, in a shallow 8-10 m.
- Sunk in 1951 (148-foot wooden steamer); protected as underwater cultural heritage, so look but do not touch.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
About SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)
The SS Paterson was a 148-foot wooden steamer lost close to Cabbage Tree Bay near the Norah Head boat ramp on 11 June 1951, and today its remains lie scattered in a shallow, easily accessible 8-10 m within a short boat ride of the ramp. As a wooden-hulled vessel of this era, little of the original superstructure survives, and divers should expect a low-relief debris field of iron fittings, machinery components and scattered structural remains rather than an intact or even semi-intact hull — the kind of wreck that rewards a slow, careful search rather than a single obvious swim-through.The wreck's shallow depth and proximity to the ramp make it a straightforward, low-commitment dive, well suited to divers who want a taste of local wreck history without the depth and planning demands of the area's deeper colliers and steamers further offshore. Marine life uses the scattered structure much as it would any other patch of hard substrate on an otherwise sandy seabed, providing shelter for small reef fish and invertebrates.
Because it sits so close to shore and to the boat ramp, it's an easy site to add as a short second dive after a morning spent on the deeper Norah Head bommies or Central Coast wrecks, rounding out a day trip without demanding much in the way of additional bottom-time budget. Its shallow profile also makes it a sensible venue for practising wreck-search and navigation techniques before attempting the area's deeper, more demanding wrecks.
Wreck details
148-foot wooden steamer · Sunk 1951 · Protected historic shipwreck
Era: post-war. Oldest wrecks · Wartime wrecks · Scuttled warships
Other wrecks of the same era
- SS Kiama wreck · Max 47 m · Central Coast
- SS Empire Gladstone · Max 12 m · Merimbula
- MV Fairwind wreck · Max 87 m · South West Rocks
- SS Bombo · Max 32 m · Wollongong & Kiama
- LVT-4A amphibious tank (Stockton Beach) · Max 33 m · Newcastle & Lake Macquarie
- Olive Cam · Max 9 m · Eden & Green Cape
Getting there & entry
Wreck of a 148-foot wooden steamer lost on 11 June 1951 near Cabbage Tree Bay/Norah Head boat ramp, lying in 8-10 m.
Reached by a short boat run from the Norah Head boat ramp, near Cabbage Tree Bay.
Entry: Back-roll from boat
Weather, swell & tides
Close inshore near the Norah Head ramp and relatively sheltered by comparison with the offshore reefs, but still exposed enough to need reasonably calm conditions for good visibility over the low-lying wreckage.
Best season: Settled weather
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area) doesn't.
- Terrigal Haven · 22 km · Max 15 m
- Cabbage Tree Bay (Norah Head) · 0 km · Max 9 m
- Toowoon Bay (Little Bay) · 11 km · Max 6 m
- Swansea Bridge · 22 km · Max 12 m
How the dive is usually run
Locate the low, scattered wreckage in 8-10 m close to the Norah Head ramp and work along the debris field for macro life and small reef fish sheltering among the timbers and fittings.
Marine life
- Small reef fish and invertebrates sheltering among scattered wreckage
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Shallow enough for snorkellers and for a first dive under supervision. Any certified diver can dive it.
Courses that help here
- Drysuit Diver – Cold water; locals dive dry for much of the year.
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
Scattered low-relief wreckage with sharp iron fittings; limited current documentation of exact remaining structure.
Dive centres that go here
No scheduled charter; occasionally dived by Norah Head Divers Depot and private boats from the adjacent ramp.
Operators recorded for SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)
Other dive centres in Central Coast
Dive Newcastle
ProfiledBeresfield · Port Stephens · NSW
A Beresfield dive superstore teaching RAID courses, with air fills, servicing, rental and a large scuba, freediving and spearfishing range.
neptunesports.com.au · (02) 4966 4900
Central Coast Divers
ProfiledKillarney Vale · Central Coast · NSW
An SSI Instructor Training Facility at Killarney Vale with two full-time Instructor Trainers, onsite servicing for all major brands, and freediving courses.
centralcoastdivers.com.au · +61 2 4389 3483
Terrigal Dive Centre
ProfiledTerrigal · Central Coast · NSW
A dive shop on the waterside at Terrigal Haven, running boat and wreck dives including the ex-HMAS Adelaide, a few minutes offshore.
+61 2 4384 1219
Pro Dive Central Coast
Named by sitesKillarney Vale · Central Coast · NSW
Independent SSI centre (formerly Central Coast Divers), not part of the PRO DIVE Sydney chain.
prodivecentralcoast.com.au · (02) 4389 3483
Terrigal Underwater Group
Named by sitesTerrigal · Central Coast · NSW
Dive club, not a shop.
terrigalunderwatergroup.com · (02) 4324 0064
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views
SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area): frequently asked questions
How deep is SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)?
SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area) reaches a maximum depth of 10 m, with the shallowest part at about 8 m; most of the dive is spent around 9 m.
What certification do I need to dive SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)?
Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note cold water.
Can I shore dive SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)?
Experienced divers do dive SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area) from the shore, but the entry or conditions make it unsuitable for newer divers without local guidance. Entry: Back-roll from boat.
When is the best time to dive SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)?
Settled weather.
What marine life will I see at SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)?
Regularly recorded: Small reef fish and invertebrates sheltering among scattered wreckage.
What wetsuit do I need at SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)?
5 mm steamer/full suit in summer; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit June-October.
How cold is the water at SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)?
Typically 20-23 °C in summer and 14-17 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)?
Scattered low-relief wreckage with sharp iron fittings; limited current documentation of exact remaining structure. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to SS Paterson wreck (Cabbage Tree Bay area)?
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Central Coast
The Central Coast's headline is the ex-HMAS Adelaide, a 138 m frigate scuttled off Avoca in 2011 that is now one of the busiest wreck dives in the country. Around it are the reefs and caves of Terrigal Haven, Foggy's Cave and the Skillion, the shore dive at Terrigal, and the grey nurse gutters at the Pinnacles off Bangalley Head.
Getting there: Ninety minutes north of Sydney. Charters from Terrigal Haven run the Adelaide daily in season; Terrigal Haven itself is a sheltered shore dive with parking on the beachfront.
Sources
- terrigalunderwatergroup.com/dive-sites
- coastmagazine.com.au/explore/shipwrecks-on-our-coast
- centralcoastdivers.com.au/collections/wreck-diving-1
- prodive.com.au/locations/Scubadive/central+coast/view/Dive_Site
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Coast Magazine records a similarly dated 'Ex HMAS Paterson' wreck near Norah Head with slightly different details (45 m length, described as a former minesweeper); confirm whether this is the same vessel.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
