The Tasman was a steamer that struck the Needle beside the Hippolyte Rocks in 1883 and sank in deep water at the pinnacle's base. According to the ABC, 27 crew and officers and 29 passengers were on board when she hit the Needle. The wreck was lost for more than a century.

X-Ray Mag reports that it was rediscovered in 1998 at 72 m and that only four successful dives had been documented at the time of writing, while a Wikipedia list gives the rediscovery as about 2004. The ABC puts her depth at about 70 m. The wreck sits in one of the most demanding environments in Australian diving: an exposed offshore site with fierce currents, cold water and a narrow weather window.

Descriptions are scarce, but divers report deep sponges and schooling fish on the remains, which after 140 years are likely to be heavily broken. This is a mixed-gas expedition dive, requiring trimix, staged decompression and a capable support boat. It is included here for completeness and for its historical importance; it is not a recreational dive.

Divers interested in the Tasman should talk to Tasmanian technical diving groups, who have the local knowledge and records of the few successful dives. The Tasman is also a reminder of how dangerous this coast was for nineteenth-century shipping: the Needle lies almost awash and is invisible in any sea, and the same rock group was involved in the loss of the Nord 32 years later. Anyone planning a dive should also consider heritage obligations – the wreck is protected, and any finds or observations should be reported to heritage authorities.

Recreational divers can get a sense of the site by diving the upper Needle to 30-40 m on a calm day.

Boat access only. Most trips use the Fortescue Bay boat ramp (Arthur Highway to Taranna, then 12 km of gravel on Fortescue Road; national park pass required), which is the closest launch to Cape Hauy, the Hippolytes, Munro Bight and Cape Pillar. Eaglehawk Dive Centre and Go Dive Tasmania run from Pirates Bay at Eaglehawk Neck (or Port Arthur for Go Dive), adding 20-30 minutes each way.

There are no moorings on these exposed sites; boats drift or hover and run a live-boat pick-up. Carry full safety gear, a VHF radio and oxygen – the nearest help is at Port Arthur or Eaglehawk Neck and the chamber is in Hobart, about 1.5-2 hours away.

These are the most exposed dive sites on the Tasman Peninsula, facing the Southern Ocean and Tasman Sea with no shelter from southerly or easterly weather. Divers interviewed by the ABC said the Hippolytes need no swell and a westerly wind, and that such windows may occur only a handful of times a year; Easter weekend was noted as one. Anything more than about 1-1.5 m of south-easterly to southerly swell, or easterly winds, makes them undiveable.

Currents are strong and unpredictable, particularly around the Needle, Tasman Island passage and Cape Pillar; plan around neap tides and expect to drift. Late summer and autumn (February-May) offer the best chances; operators confirm on the day.

Shot the wreck, descend the line on trimix directly to the site, conduct a short survey of the main structure, return to the shot and complete staged decompression on the line or a drifting deco station with a support boat following.

Trimix required (e.g. 15/55 or similar for 70 m) with staged deco gases; full team and support boat; drifting deco likely due to current. Documented as dived only a handful of times.

No commercial operator – technical diving expeditions on private boats from Fortescue Bay only.