The Steps is a bommie east of the harbour rocks at Bicheno. Its top is at about 6 m and, as the name suggests, the reef drops in a series of steps from the shallows down to sand at about 32 m. A chimney connects the reef to the deeper sections, giving the dive a vertical element that is unusual among the Bicheno inshore sites.

Michael McFadyen recorded kelp in the shallows, then sponges, small gorgonians, yellow sea spiders, starfish and long-snouted boarfish on the deeper steps, as well as large crayfish. He also noted small jellyfish with medium-length tentacles in the deeper water on his dive. Butterfly perch and banded morwong, common throughout Bicheno, are also likely.

The stepped structure makes The Steps a flexible dive. Experienced divers can go to the sand and spiral upward, while those wanting a shallower dive can stay on the upper steps and still see most of the life. The shallow top also makes a comfortable place for a long safety stop.

The Steps is exposed to southerly swell, and visibility can vary enormously: normally excellent, it can drop below 2 m after a blow. It suits Advanced Open Water divers. It is not generally considered part of the Governor Island Marine Reserve, which covers only the waters within a 400 m semicircle off the island's eastern shore, so check the reserve boundary if you intend to fish. Because it lies close to the harbour entrance, surfacing divers should always deploy an SMB so that fishing boats leaving the Gulch can see them.

Bicheno is on the Tasman Highway (A3), about 2 hr 15 min (180 km) from Hobart and 2 hr (160 km) from Launceston. Boats launch from the small ramp at The Gulch (Waubs Gulch), the narrow channel between Governor Island and the town foreshore off Esplanade; there is trailer parking beside the ramp and fishing co-op. The Governor Island sites are only 2-5 minutes' run out of the Gulch.

Tasmanian boat diving is almost always done as a live-boat drop and pick-up rather than at anchor. The Steps is east of the harbour rocks, 3-4 minutes from the ramp (McFadyen: 41 52 27.3 S, 148 19 00.3 E). It is dived as a live drop and pick-up, with no anchoring.

The Governor Island sites face east into the Tasman Sea, so easterly and north-easterly swell over about 1.5 m, or a fresh easterly/north-easterly sea breeze, makes them rough and surgy and can close the Gulch entrance. Westerly and north-westerly winds blow offshore and give the flattest seas; southerly swell wraps in and stirs the bottom, and a big southerly can drop visibility under 2 m for days. Winter (June-September) usually brings the clearest water (20-30 m) and most settled westerly weather; summer afternoons are often spoiled by the NE sea breeze, so dive mornings.

McFadyen's dive here had under 2 m visibility after strong winds and a southerly swell, even though the sea surface was smooth; rolling swell was felt at 30 m.

Descend to the bommie top at about 6 m and work down the steps to the sand at around 32 m, using the chimney that links the reef to the deeper sections. Then circle upwards around the bommie, completing a safety stop (or short decompression if planned) on the top.

No confirmed full-time commercial dive operator in Bicheno as of 2026: the long-running Bicheno Dive Centre was reported closed (Michael McFadyen) although some tourism pages still list it - verify before travelling. Sites are dived by club boats (Tas Uni Dive Club, Tasmanian Scuba Diving Club, Leven Scuba Club), the annual Combined Clubs Weekend each June, and occasional trips from Launceston (Tasmanian Divers) and Hobart (Go Dive Tasmania) shops.