New South Wales · 22 sites
Port Stephens dive sites
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.
- Sites
- 22
- Wrecks
- 2
- Shore
- 4
- Boat
- 15
- Beginner
- 5
- Deepest
- 42 m
Conditions outlook · Late September – October 2026
Written 27 September 2026Fly Point, Halifax Park and the Pipeline are in their clear season with 17–18 °C water; dive them on slack water, which the local shops publish daily. Broughton Island's grey nurse gutters run when the swell allows; the Looking Glass is worth the wait.
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.
When to go
Year-round. Dive Fly Point and Halifax only on the slack of the tide (about 30 minutes either side of high water is the usual window). Broughton is best in autumn and winter.
Water & suit
Summer 22-25 °C · winter 17-20 °C. 3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter
Nearest chamber: Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney) — John Hunter Hospital Newcastle has no recompression chamber
Most recorded marine life in Port Stephens
- Nudibranchs 4
- Bream 3
- Grey nurse sharks 3
- Moray eels 3
- Numbfish 3
- Cuttlefish 2
- Eagle rays 2
- Eastern blue devil fish (rare 2
- General reef fish 2
- Harlequin ghost pipefish 2
- Occasional grey nurse sharks 2
- Seahorses 2
- Sponges 2
- Wobbegong sharks 2
Plan a dive trip to Port Stephens →Find your diveCompare the top 4 side by sideNew diver? Start here
The most-dived sites in Port Stephens
Suggested trip
A 3-day dive trip to Port Stephens
Built from the sites in this region: an easy start, the signature dives, then something deeper or further. Swap days around the weather; the site pages say which winds and swell close each one.
Build your own Port Stephens plan: pick days, level and must-dive sites →Day 1 · Settle in
Start with Port Stephens's easier shore dives: check your weighting, get used to the water temperature and dive the sheltered side of the coast.
- Fly PointShore/Rock Platform · Max 22 m · Advanced Open Water
- The Pipeline (Nelson Bay)Muck/Sand · Max 18 m · Open Water
Day 2 · The signature dives
A charter day on the sites people travel to Port Stephens for, including the main wreck.
- Broughton Island – Shark GuttersReef · Max 20 m · Advanced Open Water
- Broughton Island – Looking GlassCave/Cavern · Max 18 m · Advanced Open Water
Day 3 · Deeper or further
For divers with the certification and the weather: the deeper walls, pinnacles or less-visited sites of Port Stephens.
- Halifax Park (Nelson Bay)Shore/Rock Platform · Max 26 m · Advanced Open Water
- Cabbage Tree Island (Port Stephens)Island · Max 40 m · Deep/Advanced + experience
Dive centres and charters in Port Stephens
All New South Wales operators →Operators recorded as running sites in this region. Each profile lists the specific sites it goes to.
Dive Newcastle
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
Beresfield · 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
Full serviceTrainingRetailRAID7 services28 sites
Grey Nurse Charters
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
Nelson 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
CharterDestinationPADI9 services23 sites
Feet First Dive
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
Nelson 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
Full serviceTrainingCharterSSI13 services18 sites
Dive Swansea
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
Swansea · 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
Full serviceTrainingTechnicalSSI11 services
Let's Go Adventures
Reported closedNelson Bay · Port Stephens · NSW
letsgoadventures.com.au is now a parked domain listed for sale.
18 sites
Map of Port Stephens dive sites
Click a pin for the site. 3 sites without published coordinates are not shown.
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19 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
All 22 Port Stephens dive sites
All Port Stephens sites at a glance
22 sites in Port Stephens · click a column to sort
| Boondelbah Island | Island | Max 30 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat | Weekly |
| Broughton Island – Cod Rock | Reef | Max 18 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat | Occasional |
| Broughton Island – Looking Glass | Cave/Cavern | Max 18 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat | Daily |
| Broughton Island – Looking Glass Wall | Wall | Max 40 m | Deep/Advanced + experience | Boat | Weekly |
| Broughton Island – North Rock | Reef | Max 22 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat | Daily |
| Broughton Island – Providence, Esmeralda Cove & Coal Shaft Bay | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 15 m | Open Water | Boat | Occasional |
| Broughton Island – Shark Gutters | Reef | Max 20 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat | Daily |
| Broughton Island – Spider Cave & Bubble Cave | Cave/Cavern | Max 14 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat | Weekly |
| Cabbage Tree Island (Port Stephens) | Island | Max 40 m | Deep/Advanced + experience | Boat | Weekly |
| Fingal Island – The Pinnacle & sponge gardens | Island | Max 35 m | Deep/Advanced + experience | Boat | Weekly |
| Fly Point | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 22 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore | Daily |
| Halifax Park (Nelson Bay) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 26 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore | Daily |
| Little Beach (Nelson Bay) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 20 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore | Weekly |
| Little Broughton Island grey nurse shark habitat | Reef | Max 22 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat | Occasional |
| Little Island (Port Stephens) | Island | Max 35 m | Deep/Advanced + experience | Boat | Occasional |
| Point Stephens Lighthouse reef | Reef | Max 25 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat | Rare |
| Shoal Bay & Nelson Head | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 12 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| SS Macleay wreck | Wreck | Max 42 m | Technical (decompression) | Boat | Rare |
| SS Oakland wreck | Wreck | Max 27 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat | Occasional |
| The Pipeline (Nelson Bay) | Muck/Sand | Max 18 m | Open Water | Shore | Weekly |
| Tomaree Head, Boat Harbour, One Mile & Birubi Point shore/snorkel sites | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 10 m | Snorkel/Any | Shore | Rare |
| Yacaaba Head reef | Reef | Max 20 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore or Boat | Rare |
Port Stephens diving FAQ
How do I get to the dive sites in Port Stephens?
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.
When is the best time to dive Port Stephens?
Year-round. Dive Fly Point and Halifax only on the slack of the tide (about 30 minutes either side of high water is the usual window). Broughton is best in autumn and winter.
How many dive sites are there in Port Stephens?
22 documented sites, including 2 wrecks and 4 that can be dived independently from the shore. The deepest reaches 42 m.
Are there beginner dive sites in Port Stephens?
Yes, 5 sites are rated beginner. Look for the green Beginner tag in the list below, and check the weather notes on each page before diving.
How cold is the water in Port Stephens?
Typically 22-25 °C in summer and 17-20 °C in winter. Most divers wear 3-5 mm steamer summer; 5-7 mm full suit or semi-dry winter.
Which dive centres operate in Port Stephens?
Dive Newcastle, Grey Nurse Charters, Feet First Dive, Dive Swansea, Let's Go Adventures are recorded as running sites in Port Stephens. Each site page lists the operators known to go there.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Port Stephens?
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.
Other regions in New South Wales