Dive slate · divesites.com.au · printed 9 Nov 2026
Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites
Port Stephens, New South Wales · near Port Stephens (Shoal Bay to Anna Bay)
| Depth | 2–10 m |
|---|---|
| Minimum level | Snorkel/Any |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Access | Shore |
| Entry | Sand entry at each beach; rock entry at Boat Harbour and around Tomaree Head headland in calm conditions |
| Current | Variable/Tidal |
| Visibility | 4-12 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 | Summer for warmest water and calmest surf |
| Bottom time | 35 min |
| Position | -32.72000, 152.17000 (approximate) |
| 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 |
Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites
Also known as Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile Beach, Birubi Point, Anna Bay
Scenic Tomaree Peninsula beaches and headlands, valued for swimming, walking and surfing rather than as dedicated dive sites; Boat Harbour's sheltered cove is the most realistic calm-day snorkel option.
Near Port Stephens (Shoal Bay to Anna Bay) · Port Stephens, New South Wales
- Depth
- 2–10 m
- Minimum level
- Snorkel/Any
- Access
- Shore
- Boat ride
- —
- Water
- 22-25 °C
- Visibility
- 4-12 m
Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites2–10 m · Snorkel/Any · Shore
Dive factsDepths, conditions, location & safety
Season
Off-peak nowBest months: January, February, December.
Summer for warmest water and calmest surf
- Best months
- Now (November)
- Stinger suit Nov–May
Dive facts
- Depth
- 2–10 m
- Typical depth
- 6 m
- Certification
- Snorkel/Any
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Depth tier
- Easy (0–10 m)
- Access
- Shore
- Offshore
- 0.1 km
- Dive centre needed
- No – independently diveable
- Shore / independent
- Possible (experienced only)
- Current
- Variable/Tidal
- Visibility
- 4-12 m
- Water temp (summer)
- 22-25 °C
- Water temp (winter)
- 17-20 °C
- Water
- Subtropical
- Bottom time
- 35 min
- Dive traffic
- Rarely dived (private boat/club only)
- Night dive
- No
- Snorkel friendly
- Partial
Exposure suit
3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter
Location
Port Stephens ocean beaches · Hunter — Port Stephens/Nelson Bay
-32.72000, 152.17000
Approximate position — not for navigation.
Open in Google MapsMarine 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 Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites →
A day-by-day plan for Port Stephens 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
Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites is a shore / rock platform shore dive for experienced divers in Port Stephens, NSW, 2–10 m, suitable for snorkellers and first-time divers, variable/tidal current.
Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note tidal current that must be timed.
Why dive here
- Scenic Tomaree Peninsula beaches and headlands, valued for swimming, walking and surfing rather than as dedicated dive sites; Boat Harbour's sheltered cove is the most realistic calm-day snorkel option.
- Rarely dived: expect to have the site to yourself, and plan your own logistics.
About Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites
Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile Beach and Birubi Point together make up the scenic ocean-facing string of beaches and headlands along the Tomaree Peninsula and toward Anna Bay at the southern entrance to Port Stephens, and while they are firmly part of the area's tourism and outdoor recreation identity, none of them functions as a dedicated scuba diving destination in published dive guides. Tomaree Head, with its well-known summit walking track and sweeping coastal views, has rocky platforms at its base that offer occasional calm-day snorkelling, while Boat Harbour is a small, genuinely sheltered cove that is the most consistently calm and swimmable of the group, making it the most realistic option for an easy shore snorkel or shallow dive among this cluster. One Mile Beach and Birubi Point, by contrast, are open surf beaches — beautiful and popular for swimming, surfing and, at Birubi, sandboarding on the adjacent Stockton sand dunes, but generally unsuitable for diving given their exposure and the genuine rip current risk in typical surf conditions.
Marine life at any of these spots, where diveable, reflects the general open-coast, low-relief sand-and-rock habitat typical of exposed ocean beaches rather than anything distinctive enough to draw dedicated dive traffic. This cluster is best understood as part of the broader Port Stephens tourism landscape — beaches to visit, walk and swim at — rather than as scuba dive sites in their own right, and visiting divers should direct their diving time to the area's genuine dive destinations (Fly Point, Halifax Park, the Port Stephens islands and Broughton Island) rather than expecting a serious dive experience here.
Getting there & entry
A string of ocean beaches and headlands along the seaward side of the Tomaree Peninsula and toward Anna Bay — Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile Beach and Birubi Point — offering scenic snorkelling and occasional calm-day shore diving rather than dedicated scuba destinations.
These sites run along Tomaree Peninsula's ocean side, on Shoal Bay Road and Gan Gan Road toward Anna Bay, all with beachfront or headland car parks. Tomaree Head has a formed walking track to its summit and rock platforms at its base; Boat Harbour is a small, sheltered cove with easy sand access; One Mile Beach and Birubi Point (near Anna Bay, at the start of the Stockton sand dunes) are open surf beaches best entered at their more sheltered northern or headland ends in calm conditions.
Entry: Sand entry at each beach; rock entry at Boat Harbour and around Tomaree Head headland in calm conditions
Facilities: Beach car parks, toilets, patrolled sections in season at the main beaches; Tomaree Head walking track; Birubi Point sand dune access.
Weather, swell & tides
All of these sites face the open Tasman Sea and are genuine surf beaches — diveable or snorkelable only in calm, low-swell conditions, generally in the more sheltered corners (Boat Harbour's cove, the lee side of Tomaree Head) rather than the open beach faces. Rip currents are a real hazard on One Mile Beach and Birubi Point in typical surf conditions; check patrol flags and local advice before entering.
Best season: Summer for warmest water and calmest surf
If it's blown out
Sheltered or shore sites within 25 km that often work when Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites doesn't.
- Halifax Park (Nelson Bay) · 1 km · Max 26 m
- Fly Point · 2 km · Max 22 m
- Little Beach (Nelson Bay) · 1 km · Max 20 m
- The Pipeline (Nelson Bay) · 2 km · Max 18 m
How the dive is usually run
Choose the most sheltered available spot for the day's swell and wind direction — Boat Harbour's cove is usually the calmest option — and snorkel or shallow-dive the rock and sand margins; these are casual, exploratory outings rather than dives with a fixed plan or route.
Marine life
- General open-coast sand-and-rock fauna where diveable; not otherwise notable for marine life
Linked species have their own page listing every site where they are recorded. All marine life →
Training required
Shallow enough for snorkellers and for a first dive under supervision. Any certified diver can dive it.
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
Genuine surf beach rip current risk at One Mile Beach and Birubi Point — do not attempt to dive or snorkel outside patrolled, sheltered corners in calm conditions.
Dive centres that go here
No dedicated commercial dive trips to these ocean beaches; used informally by snorkellers, surfers and local divers on calm days.
Other dive centres in Port Stephens
Dive Newcastle
ProfiledBeresfield · Port Stephens · NSW
A Beresfield dive superstore teaching RAID courses, with air fills, servicing, rental and a large scuba, freediving and spearfishing range.
neptunesports.com.au · (02) 4966 4900
Grey Nurse Charters
ProfiledNelson Bay · Port Stephens · NSW
A PADI-registered dive boat running charters around Port Stephens, Newcastle and Swansea, with PADI courses to Divemaster and TecRec.
greynurse.com.au · 0408 633 793
Feet First Dive
ProfiledNelson Bay · Port Stephens · NSW
A Nelson Bay SSI centre running Broughton Island boat dives and Port Stephens shore dives, with rebreather and Extended Range training.
feetfirstdive.com.au · (02) 4984 2092
Dive Swansea
ProfiledSwansea · Port Stephens · NSW
An SSI Instructor Training Center 60 metres from the Swansea Bridge shore dive, with boat trips to Moon Island and rebreather and Extended Range training.
diveswansea.com.au · (02) 4972 0940
Let's Go Adventures
Reported closedNelson Bay · Port Stephens · NSW
letsgoadventures.com.au is now a parked domain listed for sale.
All dive centres in New South Wales →
Operators mentioned: No dedicated local operator — use Nelson Bay dive centres for genuine dive sites
Map
7 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
Satellite views


Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites: frequently asked questions
How deep is Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites?
Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites reaches a maximum depth of 10 m, with the shallowest part at about 2 m; most of the dive is spent around 6 m.
What certification do I need to dive Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites?
No certification is needed to snorkel it, and it suits introductory dives. Rated beginner: sheltered, shallow and manageable for a newly certified diver on a normal day, though note tidal current that must be timed.
Can I shore dive Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites?
Experienced divers do dive Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites from the shore, but the entry or conditions make it unsuitable for newer divers without local guidance. Entry: Sand entry at each beach; rock entry at Boat Harbour and around Tomaree Head headland in calm conditions.
When is the best time to dive Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites?
Summer for warmest water and calmest surf.
What marine life will I see at Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites?
Regularly recorded: General open-coast sand-and-rock fauna where diveable; not otherwise notable for marine life.
What wetsuit do I need at Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites?
3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter.
How cold is the water at Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites?
Typically 22-25 °C in summer and 17-20 °C in winter.
What are the main hazards at Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites?
Genuine surf beach rip current risk at One Mile Beach and Birubi Point — do not attempt to dive or snorkel outside patrolled, sheltered corners in calm conditions. See the hazards section above for the full list.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites?
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 Stephens
Port Stephens has two personalities. Inside the port, Fly Point and Halifax Park at Nelson Bay are world-class shore dives on the slack tide, with sponge gardens, frogfish, seahorses and huge schools of fish under a shipping channel. Outside, Broughton Island and Cabbage Tree Island have grey nurse shark gutters, caves and seals.
Getting there: Two and a half hours north of Sydney. Nelson Bay has several dive shops; Fly Point and Halifax have car parks and stair entries. Broughton Island is 40 minutes by boat.







