The Sticks is one of the drift sites on Bougainville Reef.

The name may refer to sea whips, the long, stick-like gorgonians that grow straight out from steep walls in current, or to the remains of a navigation structure; Bougainville carries a navigation light. Neither explanation is confirmed in the sources consulted. What is clear is that it is a wall drift in the clear oceanic water that makes Bougainville special; visibility of 20–40 m is typical, and on the best days it is more.

The wall falls away from the reef edge into deep water. As at other Bougainville wall sites, divers can expect grey reef and whitetip sharks along the drop-off, rays passing, and schools of trevally, snapper and unicornfish. Soft corals and sea fans grow on the face, with anthias and butterflyfish around them. Dogtooth tuna and barracuda may appear from the blue.

The Sticks suits intermediate divers comfortable with drift technique and open-water ascents. As Bougainville usually gets only a day on a Coral Sea itinerary, it is dived occasionally, and the crew will choose between the drift sites depending on the direction and strength of the current. Precise location and depth range are not published.

Liveaboard only. Mike Ball's Spoilsport visits Bougainville on its 4-night Osprey fly-dive (Cairns departure Thursday evening, return by flight from Lizard Island), 5-night Coral Sea & Cod Hole and 7-night Coral Sea expeditions; the overnight run from Cairns is roughly 230 km of open ocean. Bougainville is not guaranteed on every itinerary and is usually allocated one day.

The Sticks is run as a drift from a tender when the crew judges the current suitable.

Bougainville is a small, isolated Coral Sea reef about 230 km north-east of Cairns and 150 km south of Osprey, with no land to shelter behind, so the surface can be choppy in any SE trade wind over about 20 knots, common June to August. Conditions broadly follow Osprey's, though Bougainville is sometimes calmer when Osprey is windy. Currents are generally mild but can pick up on the corners and walls.

September to December usually gives the calmest seas and best visibility (20–40 m); December to April is cyclone season.

Drop from the tender up-current, descend to about 20 m and drift along the wall, watching for sharks, rays and schooling fish. Ascend gradually along the wall, deploy an SMB and complete the safety stop for pick-up.

Coral Sea liveaboards visiting Bougainville (Mike Ball Dive Expeditions) – occasional.