Sunderland Bay is a small, shallow shore dive on Phillip Island's south coast that Ian Lewis included in Shore Dives of Victoria and that Scuba Doctor lists at 1–5 m. It is not a destination dive but a pleasant one for a calm morning, a snorkel, or an introduction to the basalt reef of this coast for a new diver. The beach is a 300 m strip of sand and basalt cobbles set in a 200 m gap in the bluffs, steep and narrow at high tide, with reef running out from both headlands and no sand bar offshore.

Scuba Doctor's summary is that there are interesting reefs to dive to and explore off the beach, and that is the character: a series of shallow rock gutters, ledges and kelp-covered platforms within 100 m of the sand, with sandy channels between them. The life is the typical inshore Bass Strait community – kelp and coralline turf, encrusting sponges under the ledges, sea stars, abalone, crabs and shrimp in the cracks, wrasse, leatherjackets, zebrafish and juvenile morwong over the reef, and rays on the sand patches. Because the water is so shallow, light and colour are good and the site photographs better than its depth suggests.

Its main use for divers is as an easy, close-to-the-car option when the more exposed sites nearby (Smiths Beach, YCW, Surfies Point) are marginal, or as a family snorkel while others dive elsewhere. The swell reduction from the offshore reef is real but not complete, and the beach can still produce dumping waves on the cobbles, so even here the rule of the south coast applies: northerly wind, small swell, morning. Sunderland Bay is low-key and lightly dived, which is part of its appeal.

Turn south off the Phillip Island Tourist Road into Sunderland Bay Road (about 7 km from the bridge) and follow it through the small settlement to the gravel road that drops to beach parking on the eastern bluffs or behind the beach. The carry is short, under 100 m, but the beach is steep and cobbled at the top. Enter off the sand in the centre of the 200 m gap in the bluffs and swim out to the reefs on either side; there is no offshore sand bar, so the bottom shelves quickly to rock.

Surfies Point is 1 km east along The Esplanade.

South-facing on the open Bass Strait coast; the reefs offshore reduce the swell to about 0.5 m at the beach in average conditions but anything above a metre of south-westerly swell produces breaking waves across the whole gap and makes the shallow reef a washing machine. Dive only on a northerly wind with small swell and preferably around high tide for depth over the reef. Early morning is calmest.

Visibility drops for days after a blow. Suitable year-round in the right window; autumn northerlies are the most dependable.

Enter mid-beach, swim out over the rock to the reef on the eastern side of the gap and explore the gutters and ledges at 3–5 m, keeping the shore on your right. Turn at half gas, cross back to the western reef and work it towards the beach, exiting where you entered. Keep the dive inside the line of the bluffs; the outer reef breaks.

No dive shop or dedicated dive charter is based on Phillip Island. Sites are dived by Melbourne clubs (VSAG, Melbourne University Underwater Club, Frankston/Peninsula clubs) and private boats launched at Newhaven or Rhyll; Mornington Peninsula shops (Dive Victoria Group, Portsea; The Scuba Doctor, Rye) run occasional Phillip Island days. Ocean Adventures Phillip Island (Cowes) runs seal-snorkel tours only.