New South Wales · 33 sites
Sydney Harbour dive sites
Sydney Harbour has more marine species than the entire Mediterranean, and most of its dive sites are gentle shore dives inside the heads. Clifton Gardens (Chowder Bay) is the city's night-dive institution, with seahorses, pygmy pipehorses, frogfish and octopus under the wharf; Camp Cove, Fairlight and the Fairy Bower reef are easy day dives, and North Head's outside reefs are for experienced divers on calm days.
- Sites
- 33
- Wrecks
- 10
- Shore
- 20
- Boat
- 6
- Beginner
- 21
- Deepest
- 30 m
Conditions outlook · Late September – October 2026
Written 27 September 2026The Harbour is at its best right now: winter and spring westerlies give 10–15 m visibility, 16–17 °C water, and the night dives at Chowder Bay and Camp Cove are full of seahorses and squid. Dive on a high, slack tide for the cleanest water.
Getting there
All sites are within the city with public transport, parking and easy entries. Boat dives to the Harbour reefs and wrecks leave from Rose Bay and Mosman.
When to go
April to September for visibility (the summer run-off greens the water). Dive on the high tide for the best clarity, and go at night at Clifton Gardens.
Water & suit
Summer 21-24 °C · winter 15-18 °C. 5 mm full suit in summer; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit May–October
Nearest chamber: Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney)
Most recorded marine life in Sydney Harbour
- Cuttlefish 26
- Octopus 20
- Bream 18
- Leatherjackets 15
- Moray eels 13
- Stingarees 13
- Yellowtail 13
- Luderick 11
- Old wives 11
- Blue-ringed octopus 10
- White's seahorses 10
- Flathead 9
- Nudibranchs 8
- Pipefish 8
Plan a dive trip to Sydney Harbour →Find your diveCompare the top 4 side by sideNew diver? Start here
The most-dived sites in Sydney Harbour
Suggested trip
A 3-day dive trip to Sydney Harbour
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 Sydney Harbour plan: pick days, level and must-dive sites →Day 1 · Settle in
Start with Sydney Harbour's easier shore dives: check your weighting, get used to the water temperature and dive the sheltered side of the coast.
- Camp CoveShore/Rock Platform · Max 8 m · Snorkel/Any
- Chowder Bay / Clifton GardensJetty/Pier · Max 10 m · Open Water
Day 2 · The signature dives
A charter day on the sites people travel to Sydney Harbour for, including Fairlight.
- FairlightShore/Rock Platform · Max 12 m · Open Water
- SS Royal Shepherd wreckWreck · Max 30 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 Sydney Harbour.
- Bottle and Glass Point (Nielsen Park)Shore/Rock Platform · Max 8 m · Open Water
- Collins Flat Beach (Spring Cove)Shore/Rock Platform · Max 8 m · Snorkel/Any
Dive centres and charters in Sydney Harbour
All New South Wales operators →Operators recorded as running sites in this region. Each profile lists the specific sites it goes to.
Abyss Scuba Diving
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
Ramsgate · Sydney South & Botany Bay · NSW
A Sydney operation associated with training across recreational and technical levels, boat diving and equipment services.
abyss.com.au · +61 2 9583 9662
Full serviceTechnicalTrainingPADI12 services122 sites
Frog Dive Sydney
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
Gladesville · Sydney South & Botany Bay · NSW
A Willoughby PADI 5 Star IDC founded in 1985, teaching recreational through Trimix and rebreather courses with PADI, SDI and TDI, and testing cylinders in-store.
frogdive.com.au · (02) 9958 5699
Full serviceTrainingTechnicalPADISDITDI16 services54 sites
Pro Dive Sydney
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
St Peters · Sydney South & Botany Bay · NSW
Pro Dive's inner-Sydney training centre at Alexandria, close to Camp Cove, Clovelly, Gordons Bay and Bare Island, with courses to Divemaster, hire and servicing.
prodive.com.au · (02) 9665 6333
TrainingFull serviceRetail7 services47 sites
Dive Centre Manly
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
Manly · Sydney South & Botany Bay · NSW
A Northern Beaches operation with a long-standing presence at Shelly Beach, offering recreational training, boat diving and technical pathways.
divesydney.com.au · (02) 9977 4355
Full serviceTrainingTechnicalPADI12 services45 sites
Pro Dive Brookvale
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
Brookvale · Sydney South & Botany Bay · NSW
Pro Dive's Northern Beaches centre at Brookvale, running the 43-foot dive boat Sea Life V alongside courses, hire, air fills and servicing.
prodive.com.au · (02) 9977 5966
TrainingRetailCharter9 services41 sites
Dive Centre Bondi
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
Bondi · Sydney South & Botany Bay · NSW
An Eastern Suburbs PADI 5 Star IDC on Bondi Road teaching through Instructor and technical levels, with air, Nitrox and Trimix fills and manufacturer-approved servicing.
divebondi.com.au · +61 2 9369 3855
Full serviceTrainingTechnicalPADI12 services32 sites
ADRENO Sydney
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
Alexandria · Sydney South & Botany Bay · NSW
The Sydney branch of Adreno, an 850-square-metre spearfishing, freediving and scuba store in Alexandria that also runs SSI scuba courses.
adreno.com.au · (02) 9669 6214
RetailTrainingSSI3 services
Geo Divers
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
Clyde · Sydney South & Botany Bay · NSW
A Sydney PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre running small-group courses with two PADI professionals, from Discover Scuba through Instructor training.
geodivers.com.au · (02) 9689 1389
TrainingRetailPADI9 services
Scuba Warehouse
ListedConfirmed Sept 2026
Clyde · Sydney South & Botany Bay · NSW
A Sydney equipment retailer. Whether training and in-house servicing are offered requires verification.
scubawarehouse.com.au · (02) 9689 1389
Retail1 services
Ocean Hut
ListedConfirmed Sept 2026
Narooma · Narooma & Montague Island · NSW
A Sydney dive equipment business. Retail range, servicing and training availability require verification.
(02) 4476 2278
Retail1 services
Sydney Dive Charters
Named by sitesConfirmed Sept 2026
Rose Bay · Sydney Northern Beaches · NSW
Charter boat; departs Rose Bay, Little Manly, Careel Bay and Cronulla wharves.
sydneydivecharters.com.au · 0417 417 295
51 sites
Dive 2000
Named by sitesConfirmed Sept 2026
Cromer · Sydney Northern Beaches · NSW
Moved from Neutral Bay; now dive travel/photography business by appointment only, not a retail shop.
dive2000.com.au · 0417 492 511
25 sites
Map of Sydney Harbour dive sites
Click a pin for the site. 1 sites without published coordinates are not shown.
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32 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
All 33 Sydney Harbour dive sites
All Sydney Harbour sites at a glance
33 sites in Sydney Harbour · click a column to sort
| Balmoral Baths | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 5 m | Snorkel/Any | Shore | Daily |
| Beehive Casemate Tunnel (Middle Head) | Cave/Cavern | Max 5 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat | Rare |
| Bottle and Glass Point (Nielsen Park) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 8 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Bradleys Head (shore reef) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 12 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Camp Cove | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 8 m | Snorkel/Any | Shore | Daily |
| Castle Rock Beach / Grotto Point (Clontarf) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Centurion wreck | Wreck | Max 19 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat | Weekly |
| Chowder Bay / Clifton Gardens | Jetty/Pier | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore | Daily |
| Chowder Bay Wharf (naval wharf and mooring chains) | Jetty/Pier | Max 12 m | Open Water | Shore | Weekly |
| Collins Flat Beach (Spring Cove) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 8 m | Snorkel/Any | Shore | Rare |
| Colonist wreck (Sydney Harbour) | Wreck | Max 20 m | Wreck specialty recommended | Boat | Expedition |
| Delwood Beach (Fairlight) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 12 m | Open Water | Shore | Occasional |
| Dobroyd Head / Reef Beach | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 12 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore or Boat | Rare |
| Fairlight | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 12 m | Open Water | Shore | Daily |
| Forty Baskets Beach | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Green Point (Camp Cove) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 19 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore | Weekly |
| Itata wreck (Salt Pan Creek) | Wreck | Max 10 m | Open Water | Boat | Rare |
| Kirribilli Point | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 8 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Kutti Beach (Vaucluse) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 8 m | Snorkel/Any | Shore | Rare |
| Little Manly Cove | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 10 m | Snorkel/Any | Shore | Weekly |
| Manly Cove (Oceanworld nets) | Muck/Sand | Max 6 m | Snorkel/Any | Shore | Daily |
| Manly Gasworks (Little Manly Point) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 7 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Middle Head (Cobblers Beach and Obelisk Beach) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 12 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Nielsen Park / Shark Bay | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 8 m | Snorkel/Any | Shore | Occasional |
| Obelisk Beach (Middle Head south) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 12 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Parsley Bay | Jetty/Pier | Max 12 m | Open Water | Shore | Occasional |
| Quarantine Station / Quarantine Bay | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 16 m | Open Water | Shore or Boat | Occasional |
| Sow and Pigs Reef | Reef | Max 8 m | Open Water | Boat | Rare |
| SS Centennial wreck (Taylors Bay) | Wreck | Max 15 m | Open Water | Shore or Boat | Rare |
| SS Royal Shepherd wreck | Wreck | Max 30 m | Advanced Open Water | Boat | Weekly |
| TSS Currajong wreck | Wreck | Max 27 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore or Boat | Rare |
| Watsons Bay Pool | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 6 m | Snorkel/Any | Shore | Occasional |
| Wyargine Point (Edwards Beach, Balmoral) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
Sydney Harbour diving FAQ
How do I get to the dive sites in Sydney Harbour?
All sites are within the city with public transport, parking and easy entries. Boat dives to the Harbour reefs and wrecks leave from Rose Bay and Mosman.
When is the best time to dive Sydney Harbour?
April to September for visibility (the summer run-off greens the water). Dive on the high tide for the best clarity, and go at night at Clifton Gardens.
How many dive sites are there in Sydney Harbour?
33 documented sites, including 10 wrecks and 20 that can be dived independently from the shore. The deepest reaches 30 m.
Are there beginner dive sites in Sydney Harbour?
Yes, 21 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 Sydney Harbour?
Typically 21-24 °C in summer and 15-18 °C in winter. Most divers wear 5 mm full suit in summer; 7 mm semi-dry or drysuit May–October.
Which dive centres operate in Sydney Harbour?
Abyss Scuba Diving, Frog Dive Sydney, Pro Dive Sydney, Dive Centre Manly, Pro Dive Brookvale, Dive Centre Bondi and others are recorded as running sites in Sydney Harbour. Each site page lists the operators known to go there.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Sydney Harbour?
Prince of Wales Hospital (Randwick, Sydney). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.
Other regions in New South Wales