The Needle is a steep pinnacle rising close to the surface beside the Hippolyte Rocks, and it is one of the most historically significant rocks on the Tasmanian coast. The steamer Tasman struck it in 1883, and the ABC report on diving the Hippolytes describes the Needle as rising from about 65 m at its base. Go Dive Tasmania lists it at 5-40 m or more, describing a sponge-covered pinnacle with schooling fish and frequent currents.

The walls are blanketed with sponges, sea whips and other filter feeders that thrive in the constant current, while butterfly perch and real bastard trumpeter school in huge numbers off the rock. Fur seals from the nearby colony hunt around the pinnacle, and pelagic fish such as tuna are occasionally seen. For recreational divers the Needle is a deep, current-swept pinnacle dive where the aim is to reach the richest growth at 30-40 m and return with plenty of gas.

For technical divers it is the approach to the wreck of the Tasman, which lies at around 70 m at its foot. Conditions dictate everything: the current can be ferocious, the site is exposed to every southerly and easterly swell, and good days are rare. When it is on, it is a spectacular dive, with the sense of a blue-water pinnacle combined with the dense colour of the Tasman Peninsula's deep reefs.

Plan it as a dive with a dedicated boat cover: a skipper who can follow a drifting SMB is essential, since divers who lose the pinnacle in current may surface a long way from it. Many groups combine the Needle with a shallower dive in the kelp on the lee side of the main Hippolyte rock, where seals are more playful and the current is gentler. Nitrox is useful for the recreational profile, and a reel and delayed SMB should be standard.

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.

Drop up-current of the pinnacle on a shot or live, descend the face to the planned depth (30-40 m for recreational divers), circle the sponge-covered walls and ascend on the pinnacle's lee side. Deploy an SMB early – current can carry divers away from the rock quickly.

Base at about 65 m; the Tasman wreck lies near 70 m. Beyond 40 m requires trimix and decompression planning; recreational divers should cap at 30-40 m.

Go Dive Tasmania – The Needle (Hippolyte) (5-40 m+, Advanced/Deep) in rare calm windows; technical diving groups from Fortescue Bay.