Your First Dives After Open Water in Tasmania: Where to Go, Who to Ring, What to Hire
The 5 easiest, most rewarding dive sites in Tasmania for a newly certified diver, plus what a first boat day is like, what to hire, when to go and the next course.
Tasmania's diving is cold, clear and quiet, and its beginner sites are within half an hour of Hobart: suburban shore dives with seahorses, seadragons and the last giant kelp. A drysuit course early is the best investment a Tasmanian diver makes; until then a 7 mm semi-dry with hood and gloves gets you through summer and autumn.
The 5 dives to do first
| Site | Access | Depth | Why first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tinderbox Marine Reserve | Shore | 3–12 m | Tasmania's most accessible reserve, thirty minutes from Hobart: a no-take shore dive with seahorses, weedy seadragons, big resident fish and an underwater trail. |
| Blackmans Bay | Shore | 3–12 m | Two easy shore dives in one suburban bay: crevice reef at the blowhole and a giant kelp patch at the south point, both under 12 m. |
| Eaglehawk Neck Jetty | Shore | 3–12 m | The departure jetty for the Tasman Peninsula boats is itself an easy shore and night dive, with a good chance of seadragons in the weed. |
| Kingston Beach | Shore | 3–8 m | A suburban beach on the edge of the spotted handfish's range in the Derwent; sand critters, seahorses, and a first night dive with no swell. |
| Sloping Island kelp forest | Boat | 5–12 m | A first boat dive into one of the few giant kelp forests still standing near Hobart, in Open Water depths, with seahorses in the holdfasts. |
What your first boat day is like
Eaglehawk Neck is the boat-diving hub: Waterfall Bay's sheltered walls suit new divers and the sea caves come later. Bicheno on the east coast runs the Governor Island reserve. Boats are small and the water is 11–18 °C, so tell the operator your experience and they will choose the sheltered sites; the peninsula has plenty.
What to hire and what to buy
Full kit with a 7 mm suit or a drysuit $90–130 a day; Hobart shops run drysuit courses year-round. Hood, gloves and a torch are essentials from day one.
When to go
February to May for the warmest water (15–18 °C); winter is clearest if you dive dry.
Habits that make the first twenty dives safe
Dive with someone who knows the site for your first visit anywhere; every state has clubs and shop-run social dives for exactly this. Check the swell and wind against the site page's conditions section the night before, and have a sheltered alternative. Stay within your certification depth (18 m) and above your comfort depth, which is usually shallower. Do a proper buddy check every time, carry a surface marker on any boat dive, and log everything: operators ask how many dives you have and when the last one was, and honest numbers get you better sites.
The next step
Advanced Open Water and a drysuit specialty for the Tasman Peninsula walls, the Cathedral Cave and Bicheno's tunnels.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I do my first dive after certification in Tasmania?
Tinderbox Marine Reserve: Tasmania's most accessible reserve, thirty minutes from Hobart: a no-take shore dive with seahorses, weedy seadragons, big resident fish and an underwater trail.
How deep can I go with Open Water?
Recreational agencies certify Open Water divers to 18 m. Every site in this guide has its maximum depth listed, and all are within that limit or have a shallow section that is.
Do I need my own gear?
Full kit with a 7 mm suit or a drysuit $90–130 a day; Hobart shops run drysuit courses year-round. Hood, gloves and a torch are essentials from day one.
When is the best time for a new diver?
February to May for the warmest water (15–18 °C); winter is clearest if you dive dry.
Last reviewed September 2026. Rules and seasons change; confirm current requirements with operators and authorities before travelling.
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