Victoria · 27 sites
Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road dive sites
Torquay, Anglesea, Lorne and Apollo Bay face the Southern Ocean, and diving is limited to flat days at the piers and reefs (Lorne Pier, Apollo Bay harbour, Point Addis). The deep offshore wrecks of the SS Casino and others suit technical divers with a boat.
- Sites
- 27
- Wrecks
- 8
- Shore
- 4
- Boat
- 2
- Beginner
- 4
- Deepest
- 82 m
Conditions outlook · Late September – October 2026
Written 27 September 2026Point Addis, Eagle Rock and the Aireys Inlet reefs open on flat days after several days of northerlies; spring gives a few, autumn many more. Water 12–13 °C, 10–15 m visibility on the good days.
Getting there
Ninety minutes to three hours from Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road. Pier and harbour shore dives; occasional charters from Apollo Bay.
When to go
Autumn and early winter (March–June) when the swell drops.
Water & suit
Summer 16-19 °C · winter 11-14 °C. 7mm semi-dry with hood and gloves in summer; drysuit strongly preferred May–November
Nearest chamber: The Alfred (Melbourne)
Most recorded marine life in Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road
- Blue-throat wrasse 22
- Leatherjackets 22
- Southern rock lobster 20
- Zebrafish 20
- Magpie perch 19
- Bull kelp 16
- Port jackson sharks 16
- Sea sweep 15
- Sponges 14
- Scalyfin 12
- Crayweed 11
- Ascidians 10
- Black-lip abalone 10
- Rays 10
Plan a dive trip to Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road →Find your diveCompare the top 4 side by sideNew diver? Start here
The most-dived sites in Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road
Suggested trip
A 3-day dive trip to Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road
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 Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road plan: pick days, level and must-dive sites →Day 1 · Settle in
Start with Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road's easier shore dives: check your weighting, get used to the water temperature and dive the sheltered side of the coast.
- Marengo Reefs Marine SanctuaryReef · Max 10 m · Open Water
- SS OrungalWreck · Max 10 m · Open Water
Day 2 · The signature dives
A charter day on the sites people travel to Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road for, including Point Danger Marine Sanctuary (Torquay).
- Point Danger Marine Sanctuary (Torquay)Shore/Rock Platform · Max 8 m · Open Water
- CasinoWreck · Max 9 m · Open Water
Day 3 · Deeper or further
For divers with the certification and the weather: the deeper walls, pinnacles or less-visited sites of Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road.
- Victoria TowerWreck · Max 8 m · Advanced Open Water
- Eagle Nest Reef, Aireys InletReef · Max 10 m · Open Water
Dive centres and charters in Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road
All Victoria operators →Operators recorded as running sites in this region. Each profile lists the specific sites it goes to.
The Scuba Doctor
ProfiledConfirmed Sept 2026
Rye · Melbourne & Port Phillip Bay · VIC
A Victorian equipment and service business with an extensive retail presence, located to serve both Melbourne and Mornington Peninsula divers.
scubadoctor.com.au · (03) 5985 3322
RetailFull service8 services191 sites
Bay City Scuba
ListedConfirmed Sept 2026
East Geelong · Melbourne & Port Phillip Bay · VIC
A Victorian business associated with recreational and technical training alongside equipment and gas services.
baycityscuba.com · (03) 5248 1488
Full serviceTechnicalTraining7 services54 sites
Divein2Scuba (Geelong Dive Centre)
ListedConfirmed Sept 2026
Geelong · Geelong & Bellarine · VIC
A Geelong business providing training, equipment and local diving support.
divein2scuba.com · (03) 5221 3342
Full serviceTraining5 services6 sites
Scubabo Dive Victoria (Dive Victoria Group)
Named by sitesConfirmed Sept 2026
Queenscliff · Port Phillip Heads · VIC
Rebranded as Scubabo Dive Victoria, Queenscliff; dive.scubabo.com is live for 2026 with active charter bookings.
dive.scubabo.com · (03) 5258 1188
301 sites
Warrnambool Diving
Named by sitesConfirmed Sept 2026
Warrnambool · Shipwreck Coast & Warrnambool · VIC
Trades as Warrnambool Diving & Firearms.
divingandfirearms.com.au · (03) 5562 1685
41 sites
Red Boats
Reported closedPortsea · Port Phillip Heads · VIC
TripAdvisor marks RedBoats Portsea as permanently closed (last review November 2021) and the domain is now an unrelated boating blog.
162 sites
Map of Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road dive sites
Click a pin for the site. 1 sites without published coordinates are not shown.
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26 pinned sites. Pins marked approximate on their pages show the general area only; not for navigation.
All 27 Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road dive sites
All Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road sites at a glance
27 sites in Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road · click a column to sort
| Bells Beach | Reef | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Bird Rock, Jan Juc | Reef | Max 8 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Blanket Bay, Cape Otway | Reef | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Casino | Wreck | Max 9 m | Open Water | Shore or Boat | Occasional |
| Cathedral Rock, Lorne | Reef | Max 8 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| City of Rayville | Wreck | Max 82 m | Technical (decompression) | Boat | Expedition |
| Crayfish Bay, Cape Otway | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 10 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Eagle Nest Reef, Aireys Inlet | Reef | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Eagle Rock, Aireys Inlet | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore | Occasional |
| Ingoldsby Reef | Reef | Max 10 m | Open Water | Boat | Rare |
| Joseph H Scammell | Wreck | Max 9 m | Open Water | Shore or Boat | Rare |
| Lorne Pier | Jetty/Pier | Max 6 m | Open Water | Shore | Occasional |
| Marengo Reefs Marine Sanctuary | Reef | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore or Boat | Weekly |
| Parker Inlet, Cape Otway | Reef | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Point Addis | Reef | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore | Occasional |
| Point Bunbury, Apollo Bay | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 7 m | Open Water | Shore | Occasional |
| Point Danger Marine Sanctuary (Torquay) | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 8 m | Open Water | Shore | Occasional |
| Point Danger, Torquay | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 20 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore | Occasional |
| Point Franklin, Cape Otway | Shore/Rock Platform | Max 14 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Point Roadknight North | Reef | Max 9 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Point Roadknight South | Reef | Max 9 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Ramsden Cave | Cave/Cavern | Max 10 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Sandy Gully Beach, Aireys Inlet | Reef | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Speculant | Wreck | Max 6 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| SS Orungal | Wreck | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore or Boat | Occasional |
| The Steps, Jan Juc | Reef | Max 10 m | Open Water | Shore | Rare |
| Victoria Tower | Wreck | Max 8 m | Advanced Open Water | Shore or Boat | Rare |
Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road diving FAQ
How do I get to the dive sites in Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road?
Ninety minutes to three hours from Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road. Pier and harbour shore dives; occasional charters from Apollo Bay.
When is the best time to dive Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road?
Autumn and early winter (March–June) when the swell drops.
How many dive sites are there in Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road?
27 documented sites, including 8 wrecks and 4 that can be dived independently from the shore. The deepest reaches 82 m.
Are there beginner dive sites in Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road?
Yes, 4 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 Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road?
Typically 16-19 °C in summer and 11-14 °C in winter. Most divers wear 7mm semi-dry with hood and gloves in summer; drysuit strongly preferred May–November.
Which dive centres operate in Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road?
The Scuba Doctor, Bay City Scuba, Divein2Scuba (Geelong Dive Centre), Scubabo Dive Victoria (Dive Victoria Group), Warrnambool Diving, Red Boats are recorded as running sites in Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road. Each site page lists the operators known to go there.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber to Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road?
The Alfred (Melbourne). In an emergency call 000, then DAN Asia-Pacific on 1800 088 200.