Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 8 Nov 2026
The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)
Rainbow Beach, Queensland · near Rainbow Beach
| Depth | Depth not published |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Advanced Open Water |
| Difficulty | Advanced |
| Access | Boat (day trip) |
| Entry | Giant stride or backward roll from boat; descend a mooring or shot line |
| Current | Moderate |
| Visibility | 5-20 m |
| Water | summer 25-27 °C, winter 19-22 °C |
| Suit | 3-5 mm full suit in summer; 5-7 mm full suit and hood in winter |
| Best season | Winter mornings with westerly winds |
| Position | not published |
| Permit | Great Sandy Marine Park – Wolf Rock is a Marine National Park (green) zone overlaid by a Grey Nurse Shark designated area in which activities, including diving, are regulated to protect grey nurse sharks and their habitat. The green zone was expanded in May 2024 (6.4 km² to 18 km²) to include Round Rock, The Pinnacles and reef at the base of Double Island Point. No fishing or anchoring on the reef; mooring use authorised only. |
| Nearest chamber | Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital hyperbaric unit (Herston, Brisbane) — nearest chamber; Wesley Hospital hyperbaric unit (Auchenflower, Brisbane) is the alternative. Divers Emergency Service 1800 088 200. |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)
Also known as Double Island Point Pinnacles
A named rocky reef in the 2024 Wolf Rock Marine National Park expansion – protected grey nurse shark habitat, not yet documented as a dive.
Near Rainbow Beach · Rainbow Beach, Queensland
- Depth
- Depth not published
- Minimum level
- Advanced Open Water
- Access
- Boat (day trip)
- Boat ride
- —
- Water
- 25-27 °C
- Visibility
- 5-20 m
The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)Depth not published · Advanced Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: June, July, August.
Winter mornings with westerly winds
- Best months
- Now (November)
- Stinger suit Nov–May
Dive facts
- Depth
- Depth not published
- Certification
- Advanced Open Water
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Access
- Boat (day trip)
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Current
- Moderate
- Visibility
- 5-20 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 25-27 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 19-22 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
3-5 mm full suit in summer; 5-7 mm full suit and hood in winter
Location
Double Island Point · Rainbow Beach & Cooloola Coast
No published coordinates. The map above shows the general area, estimated from other documented sites near Rainbow Beach.
Primary source: parks.qld.gov.auMarine park & permits
Great Sandy Marine Park – Wolf Rock is a Marine National Park (green) zone overlaid by a Grey Nurse Shark designated area in which activities, including diving, are regulated to protect grey nurse sharks and their habitat. The green zone was expanded in May 2024 (6.4 km² to 18 km²) to include Round Rock, The Pinnacles and reef at the base of Double Island Point. No fishing or anchoring on the reef; mooring use authorised only.
Nearest recompression chamber
Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital hyperbaric unit (Herston, Brisbane) — nearest chamber; Wesley Hospital hyperbaric unit (Auchenflower, Brisbane) is the alternative. Divers Emergency Service 1800 088 200.
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around The Pinnacles (Double Island Point) →
A day-by-day plan for Rainbow Beach 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
The Pinnacles (Double Island Point) is a pinnacle / bommie boat dive in Rainbow Beach, QLD, suited to Advanced Open Water divers, moderate current.
Rated advanced because of surge on the entry or in the shallows.
Why dive here
- A named rocky reef in the 2024 Wolf Rock Marine National Park expansion – protected grey nurse shark habitat, not yet documented as a dive.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
- Visibility often reaches 5-20 m.
Conditions to avoid
- Wind over about 20 knots
- Strong southerly or south-east swell and wind
About The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)
The Pinnacles is one of three features – with Round Rock and the base of Double Island Point – that the Queensland Government added to the Wolf Rock Marine National Park zone in May 2024. Queensland Parks explains that the zone was expanded from 6.4 km² to 18 km² to take in adjacent rocky-reef habitat, because grey nurse sharks use more of the Double Island Point reef system than the original sanctuary around Wolf Rock covered.
Beyond that, almost nothing has been published about The Pinnacles as a dive. It is not described on Wolf Rock Dive's site list, no depth or position is given, and no guide book or dive directory covers it. Its inclusion in the protected zone suggests rocky-reef structure similar to Wolf Rock and Round Rock, and the name implies pinnacle topography, but divers should treat both assumptions with caution until the operator confirms.
The site matters for conservation more than for recreation. The east coast grey nurse shark population is critically endangered, with roughly 400 breeding individuals, and the Double Island Point area – with Wolf Rock as the only known gestation site on the east coast – is central to its recovery. Any diving here would fall under the same Marine National Park rules as Wolf Rock: no fishing, no collecting, and no interference with the sharks.
The row is included so the directory reflects every named protected reef in the Rainbow Beach area. Visiting divers should book Wolf Rock or Round Rock through Wolf Rock Dive Centre and ask about The Pinnacles if conditions allow.
Getting there & entry
Rocky reef pinnacles near Double Island Point included in the Wolf Rock Marine National Park zone expansion of May 2024 to protect grey nurse shark habitat.
Rainbow Beach is about 2.5 hours' drive north of Brisbane (via the Bruce Highway and Gympie, then the Rainbow Beach Road). Wolf Rock Dive Centre's trips meet at the shop in Rainbow Beach at 8 am; boats launch from the Carlo Point boat ramp on Tin Can Bay inlet, a few minutes' drive north-west of town, and cross the Wide Bay Bar before running south-east along the coast to Double Island Point – about 40 minutes to Wolf Rock. Trips return around 2-2.30 pm.
No public position or operator trip is published for The Pinnacles; it lies within the Double Island Point reef complex near Wolf Rock and Round Rock. Ask Wolf Rock Dive whether it is dived.
Entry: Giant stride or backward roll from boat; descend a mooring or shot line
Facilities: Departure: Carlo Point boat ramp
Weather, swell & tides
The Rainbow Beach sites sit off the exposed Cooloola coast with no shelter from south-easterly trade winds or easterly swell, and every trip must also cross the Wide Bay Bar, one of the most dangerous bar crossings in Queensland. Wolf Rock Dive cancels when waves exceed about 1.8 m or winds exceed about 20 knots. North-westerly and westerly winds (common on winter mornings) produce the flattest seas.
Currents are strongest in summer and can run hard over the pinnacles; visibility is highly unpredictable (5-50 m, averaging 10-15 m) and drops after easterly blows. Water ranges from about 27°C in February to 19°C in August. Humpback whales pass June-October.
Best season: Winter mornings with westerly winds
How the dive is usually run
No published dive plan. If visited with the local operator, follow the guide's brief; observe Marine National Park and grey nurse shark rules.
Marine life
- Not documented; likely grey nurse sharks →
- rays and subtropical reef fish as at nearby Wolf Rock and Round Rock
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
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
Exposed offshore reef; current and surge; Wide Bay Bar crossing; Marine National Park zone rules; position unpublished.
Dive centres that go here
No documented operator trips; Wolf Rock Dive Centre is the only local operator.
Operators recorded for The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)
General area
No position has been published for The Pinnacles (Double Island Point). The circle shows where it is likely to be, worked out from other documented sites near Rainbow Beach. Ask a local operator for the exact site.
Dashed circle: general area (about 3 km), from other documented sites near Rainbow Beach. 6 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
The Pinnacles (Double Island Point): frequently asked questions
What certification do I need to dive The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)?
Advanced Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated advanced because of surge on the entry or in the shallows.
Can I shore dive The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)?
No, it is reached by boat. A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)?
Winter mornings with westerly winds.
What marine life will I see at The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)?
Regularly recorded: Not documented; likely grey nurse sharks, rays and subtropical reef fish as at nearby Wolf Rock and Round Rock.
What wetsuit do I need at The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)?
3-5 mm full suit in summer; 5-7 mm full suit and hood in winter.
How cold is the water at The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)?
Typically 25-27 °C in summer and 19-22 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)?
Exposed offshore reef; current and surge; Wide Bay Bar crossing; Marine National Park zone rules; position unpublished. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to The Pinnacles (Double Island Point)?
Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital hyperbaric unit (Herston, Brisbane) — nearest chamber; Wesley Hospital hyperbaric unit (Auchenflower, Brisbane) is the alternative. Divers Emergency Service 1800 088 200. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Rainbow Beach
Rainbow Beach exists on the dive map for one reason: Wolf Rock, four volcanic pinnacles off Double Island Point that are the only known gestation site for grey nurse sharks on the east coast, with pregnant females present year-round, plus eagle rays, bull rays and wobbegongs in strong current.
Getting there: Three hours north of Brisbane. One dive operator launches from Rainbow Beach; the crossing to Wolf Rock takes about 20 minutes.
Sources
- parks.qld.gov.au/parks/great-sandy-marine/about/culture/grey-nurse-sharks
- parks.qld.gov.au/parks/great-sandy-marine/management-and-zoning/zones-and-designated-areas
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Depth, position and dive activity all unknown; confirm with Wolf Rock Dive Centre.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
