Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
The Wall (Port Macquarie)
Port Macquarie & Camden Haven, New South Wales · near Port Macquarie
| Depth | 10–25 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Advanced Open Water |
| Difficulty | Intermediate |
| Access | Boat |
| Entry | Giant stride from charter boat onto a mooring |
| Current | Mild |
| Visibility | 8-20 m |
| Water | summer 22-25 °C, winter 17-20 °C |
| Suit | 3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter |
| Best season | Autumn–winter for clearest water |
| Bottom time | 40 min |
| Position | not published |
| Permit | None required |
| Nearest chamber | Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber |
| Emergency | 000 · DAN Asia-Pacific diving emergency 1800 088 200 |
The Wall (Port Macquarie)
A varied rock wall known locally for spectacular growth and different marine life on almost every visit.
Near Port Macquarie · Port Macquarie & Camden Haven, New South Wales
- Depth
- 10–25 m
- Minimum level
- Advanced Open Water
- Access
- Boat
- Boat ride
- ~18 min
- Water
- 22-25 °C
- Visibility
- 8-20 m
The Wall (Port Macquarie)10–25 m · Advanced Open Water
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: March, April, May, June, July, August.
Autumn–winter for clearest water
- Best months
- Now (November)
- Stinger suit Nov–May
Dive facts
- Depth
- 10–25 m
- Typical depth
- 18 m
- Certification
- Advanced Open Water
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Depth tier
- Advanced Open Water (18–30 m)
- Access
- Boat
- Offshore
- 3 km
- Dive centre needed
- Yes – boat access only
- Shore / independent
- No
- Boat ride
- ~18 min
- Current
- Mild
- Visibility
- 8-20 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 22-25 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 17-20 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Bottom time
- 40 min
- Dive traffic
- Moderate (occasional charters/club dives)
- Night dive
- Possible
- Snorkel friendly
- No
Exposure suit
3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter
Location
Port Macquarie · NSW Mid North Coast — Port Macquarie & Camden Haven
No published coordinates. The map above shows the general area, estimated from other documented sites near Port Macquarie.
Primary source: mudgeediveandtravel.comMarine park & permits
None required
Nearest recompression chamber
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber
Diving emergency: call 000, then DAN AP 1800 088 200.
Trip planner
Build a trip around The Wall (Port Macquarie) →
A day-by-day plan for Port Macquarie & Camden Haven 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 Wall (Port Macquarie) is a wall boat dive in Port Macquarie & Camden Haven, NSW, 10–25 m, suited to Advanced Open Water divers, about 18 minutes by boat.
Rated intermediate because of depth beyond 18 m.
Why dive here
- A varied rock wall known locally for spectacular growth and different marine life on almost every visit.
- Visibility often reaches 8-20 m.
About The Wall (Port Macquarie)
The Wall is described by local Port Macquarie divers in genuinely enthusiastic terms — spectacular rock growth and one of the best dive sites in the area — and its appeal rests on a combination of varied, interesting topography and a habit of revealing something different on almost every dive, whether that is a pelagic fish passing through open water off the face or a nudibranch species not previously logged in the crevices. Rather than a single fixed circuit, the Wall rewards repeated visits and an exploratory approach, with different sections of the formation offering different depth and structure combinations across a general range of ten to twenty-five metres. Pelagic fish are a notable feature of dives here, using the wall's structure and the deeper water off its face as a travel corridor, while the rock itself carries a strong covering of growth that supports nudibranchs and other macro life for divers who prefer a slower, close-focus approach.
This variability — different marine life on different days — is precisely what keeps the Wall in Scuba Haven's regular rotation as a site suited to repeat visitors who have already covered the area's other named dives and want a location that continues to offer something new. Its intermediate-to-advanced depth range and genuine wall profile make it a step up from the area's easier sites like Bird Rock, while remaining comfortably within recreational limits for divers with reasonable experience. Divers planning a multi-day Port Macquarie trip would do well to include it more than once, since no single visit is likely to show everything it has to offer.
Getting there & entry
A rock wall off Port Macquarie with spectacular growth and varied topography, rated locally as one of the area's best dives thanks to the different marine life found on repeated visits.
Boat departing Port Macquarie's Town Wharf, run time variable depending on the exact section of wall dived.
Entry: Giant stride from charter boat onto a mooring
Weather, swell & tides
This stretch of coast is exposed to easterly and south-easterly swell with limited natural shelter; charters want under about 1.5 m swell and moderate wind to run safely. Visibility is best in autumn and early winter after a run of settled weather and drops noticeably after East Coast Lows and river flood outflows.
Best season: Autumn–winter for clearest water
How the dive is usually run
Descend onto the wall and work along its face at 10-25 m, taking an unhurried pace to appreciate the rock growth and varied topography, since local divers report finding something different on almost every visit rather than a fixed set of landmarks.
Marine life
- Pelagic fish
- nudibranchs →
- varied rock-growth-associated invertebrates
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Beyond 18 m an Advanced certification (which includes a deep dive to 30 m) is the accepted minimum. Anything past 25 m is a deep dive in practice.
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
Standard boat-diving precautions; depth range requires reasonable experience beyond a first open-water dive.
Dive centres that go here
Scuba Haven (Port Macquarie) — regular boat dives, year-round, weather permitting.
Operators recorded for The Wall (Port Macquarie)
General area
No position has been published for The Wall (Port Macquarie). The circle shows where it is likely to be, worked out from other documented sites near Port Macquarie. Ask a local operator for the exact site.
Dashed circle: general area (about 4 km), from other documented sites near Port Macquarie. 6 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
The Wall (Port Macquarie): frequently asked questions
How deep is The Wall (Port Macquarie)?
The Wall (Port Macquarie) reaches a maximum depth of 25 m, with the shallowest part at about 10 m; most of the dive is spent around 18 m.
What certification do I need to dive The Wall (Port Macquarie)?
Advanced Open Water is the recommended minimum. Rated intermediate because of depth beyond 18 m.
Can I shore dive The Wall (Port Macquarie)?
No, it is reached by boat (about 18 minutes). A dive centre is required: boat access only.
When is the best time to dive The Wall (Port Macquarie)?
Autumn–winter for clearest water.
What marine life will I see at The Wall (Port Macquarie)?
Regularly recorded: Pelagic fish, nudibranchs, varied rock-growth-associated invertebrates.
What wetsuit do I need at The Wall (Port Macquarie)?
3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter.
How cold is the water at The Wall (Port Macquarie)?
Typically 22-25 °C in summer and 17-20 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at The Wall (Port Macquarie)?
Standard boat-diving precautions; depth range requires reasonable experience beyond a first open-water dive. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to The Wall (Port Macquarie)?
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber. In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Diving in Port Macquarie & Camden Haven
Port Macquarie's reefs are a step down in fame from Fish Rock and Forster but not in quality. The Cod Hole and the Pinnacle off Tacking Point have grey nurse sharks and big schools of fish; the Coral Reef off Camden Haven is a genuine subtropical hard-coral patch; and the Wreck of the Ellenborough, a 1901 collier in 46 m, suits deep divers.
Getting there: Four hours north of Sydney or a one-hour flight. Charters run from Port Macquarie's marina; Flynns and Shelly beaches are sheltered shore snorkels.
All Port Macquarie & Camden Haven dive sites and a suggested itinerary →
Sources
Data confidence: Low · Being verified: Not present in v1 input — added from operator source; limited independent detail, GPS unavailable — recommend verifying with Scuba Haven Port Macquarie.. Last updated September 2026. Know this site better? How to send a correction
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