The south-east point of West Cove is rated 7 out of 10 by the Marine Life Network guide as a colourful dive that appeals to all types of diver. A moderately exposed, steeply sloping bottom provides caves and crevices; crayweed (0-5 m) gives way to strapweed, red algae and then sponges at depth, with sand and paddleweed at 35 m. Butterfly perch and barber perch hang deeper; leatherjackets, wrasse, magpie perch, white-ear, sweep, southern hulafish, long-finned pike, herring cale and schools of trumpeter fill the shallows. Bryozoans, red-mouthed ascidians, gorgonians, hydroids, tube worms and sea daisies are abundant. The guide describes it as a colourful dive for every kind of diver, from photographers to naturalists. The Marine Life Network guide's descriptions are the only detailed published account, so expect some changes in the decades since and plan to explore.

The Kent Group is one of the most isolated island groups in Australian waters, protected as the Kent Group National Park on land, with the surrounding waters managed as a marine reserve. It sits in the middle of Bass Strait where warm and cool currents mix, and its granite walls and clear water support rich invertebrate growth rarely seen by divers. The historic Deal Island lighthouse (1848), once the highest in the southern hemisphere, overlooks the anchorages.

With no facilities beyond the caretakers' station and a long passage back to the mainland or Flinders Island, any diving injury is a serious emergency requiring aeromedical evacuation, most likely to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital. Diving here is for experienced, completely self-sufficient expedition divers.

The Kent Group (Deal, Erith and Dover islands and outliers) lies in central Bass Strait about 55 km north-west of Flinders Island and roughly 90 km south of Wilsons Promontory. There is no scheduled transport: divers arrive on private yachts or expedition charters from Port Welshpool (Victoria), Flinders Island or north-east Tasmania, a passage of 6-12 hours depending on departure point. Murray Pass, the channel between Deal and Erith islands, offers the main anchorages (West Cove, East Cove); volunteer caretakers live on Deal Island, and landing and camping are managed by the Parks and Wildlife Service.

West Cove is on the western side of Murray Pass; the south-east point is a short tender ride from the West Cove anchorage.

Central Bass Strait is notorious for sudden gales: westerly and south-westerly fronts and strong easterlies can arrive with little warning, and Murray Pass runs a strong tidal current that sweeps the headlands of West and East coves. January-April offers the most settled weather; after a gale, strong surface currents persist through the strait. Anchorages in Murray Pass give shelter from most directions except along the pass.

Moderately exposed; best in light winds.

Descend the steep slope through the crayweed (0-5 m), strapweed and red algae into the sponge zone at 15-20 m, explore caves and crevices, and ascend slowly through the zones. Turn the dive at half gas (thirds where current or overhead sections are involved), deploy an SMB before surfacing for the live-boat pick-up, and complete a 3-minute safety stop at about 5 m where depth allows.

No operator. Visited only by private yachts and occasional expedition charters (typically from Port Welshpool in Victoria or from Flinders Island); full self-sufficiency required, including compressor or ample cylinders.