Wattamolla Point is, in McFadyen's words, a very, very good dive site – a deep sponge garden off the northern headland of Wattamolla Cove, one of the most photographed spots in Royal National Park. The cove itself, about 500 m long and 150 m wide with a lagoon and waterfall at its head, is a busy picnic spot, but the diving is out on the headland and only by boat, about 20–25 minutes south of Port Hacking. At the recommended anchor point the depth is 25–26 m, dropping to over 27 m to the east, while to the west the reef rises gradually to 18–20 m with sandy areas at 22–23 m.

A very large rock sits about 15 m off the wall, where McFadyen has seen stargazers buried in the sand. The reef is cut by gutters that divers can follow, and the whole structure is covered in a mass of sponges, sea squirts, gorgonians and giant jelly ascidians, making it one of the most colourful reefs south of Sydney. The fish life is equally dense: thousands of silver sweep to the east of the anchor, dozens of bastard trumpeter to the west, and thousands of small nannygai, along with weedy sea dragons, serpent eels, rays and eagle rays, wobbegongs, Port Jackson sharks, cuttlefish and luderick.

A circuit – east through the gutters, north for 50–75 m, west and back south to the main wall – suits experienced divers; others can simply follow the wall one way and return. Bottom time on air is 34–36 minutes before decompression, or 20–25 minutes if you explore the deeper eastern point. It suits Advanced divers on nitrox who want a spectacular sponge-garden dive on a calm day.

Boat only. Launch in Port Hacking at Tonkin Park/Gunnamatta Bay (Cronulla), Lilli Pilli, Grays Point or Bundeena ramps and run out through the entrance past Jibbon Point, then south along the Royal National Park cliffs. Wattamolla is about 8.5 km south of the Port Hacking entrance, roughly a third of the way down the park's coast – 20–25 minutes by boat.

Position south of the cove and head due north towards the water off the northern headland; McFadyen's recommended anchor point is 34° 08.3410' S 151° 07.6352' E in 25–26 m. The cove itself (500 m long, 150 m wide) is a popular picnic area reached by road, but the dive site is boat-only.

The Royal National Park coast faces east to south-east and is open to swell from the north-east round to the south. It is only dived in relatively calm conditions – seas under about 1.5 m – and is at its best in westerly and north-westerly winds, which flatten the sea against the cliffs. A strong north-easter makes the run back to Port Hacking rough and wet, and southerlies make close-in anchorages untenable.

The Port Hacking bar can break in big southerly swell. At 18–27 m the reef is below most surge once you are down, but anchoring and recovery need small seas. Wattamolla Creek can discolour the cove after heavy rain, though the headland site is usually clearer.

From the anchor at 25–26 m, experienced divers head east through the gutters, follow the reef north for 50–75 m, then west and back south to the main wall. A simpler plan is to go one way along the wall and return. Expect 34–36 minutes before decompression on the main site, or 20–25 minutes if you explore the deeper eastern point.

Nitrox (EAN28–32) recommended.

No regular charter – private boat or dive-club (St George Scuba Club) only; no charter currently operates out of Port Hacking.