Pro Dive Nelson Bay

Scuba diving in Nelson Bay is not to be missed, whether it be on a boat dive out to Broughton island to see the Grey Nurse Sharks or a shore dive to see the spectaular colours of the famous sponge gardens and prolific fish life at Fly Point or Halifax Park.

We run all PADI dive courses, from Discover Scuba and PADI Open Water right the way through to technical diving and professional level PADI Courses. Our shore dives within the Flypoint-Halifax marine reserve are rated within the top 3 shore dives in Australia. Nelson Bay itself is a beautiful town just a few hours drive from Sydney. So go on, treat yourself!

Affiliation:

PADI, DSAT, TDI

Training Level:

PADI Assistant Instructor and beyond

Boat Description:

Pro Dive Nelson Bay has two boats and offer both Double and single boat dives. On our boat dives you can either dive with grey nurse sharks at Famous Broughton Island or at a variety of dive sites just outside the headlands of Nelson Bay, including those on our loacl wrecks. Depending on the experience level of the divers and the conditions of the day, we will choose a sight we believe will give you the most interesting and enjoyable dive.

Sites Visited:

Arguably the best shore dives in New South Wales the Fly point-Halifax marine reserve offers extensive fish life including, to name just a few, schools of bream, tarwine, mullet, big silver drummer, bullseyes, nudibranchs galore, giant flathead, blue grouper, seahorse, bait fish and even visiting striped butterfish. Strong tidal currents within Port Stephens have created unique and accessible dive sites for both the beginner and the more experienced scuba diver.

Broughton Island: Definitely one of Nelson Bay's main attractions, Broughton Island has spectacular several dive sites to choose from. The most popular is the 'Looking Glass', a narrow channel through the centre of the island. At the southern end the 'Looking Glass' is 16 metres deep dropping to 20 metres at the northern end, suitable for Open-water divers. Large boulders decorate the outside complete with swim- throughs filled with mating Port Jackson sharks at certain times of the year. Once inside, the fish life is amazing; blue groper, red morwong, bullseye and bream. At other times, grey nurse sharks and large eagle rays are seen at this spot. Sheer walls covered with baitfish and small sponges, patrolled by large black rays and grey nurse sharks in the warmer months. There are deep (40m) rock walls around Broughton Island laden with Jewfish, snapper and kingfish. Caves at 'Esmerelda' and 'Fishermans' and many shallow rocky gutters with winding paths littered with wobbegongs and great marine life.

Cabbagetree Island: Shallow rock walls drop off to sand in no more than twelve metres on the south western side making it a comfortable dive for the inexperienced and a safe location for diving when the strong northeasters blow during summer. Visit Little wreck, an old fishing trailer scattered over the sight which is home to many schooling bullseyes, eels, wobbiegongs and blue groupers. If you keep an eye out you are also likely to see the very rare nudibrach, the Doughnut nembrotha!

Boondelbah Island: Boondelbah offers protected waters with sheer walls, tight swim throughs and caves which provide a haven for bream, drummer and the inevitable blue groper. During summer you will also encounter large schools of mullaway and big snapper. A colourful sponge garden on the south west corner drops away into deep water. While offshore winds during winter encourage us to dive the sheer walls on the eastern side of the island, Safety Bay on the southern end of the island is a perfect summer training location with total protection from the prevailing northeasterly winds.

Little Island: The most exposed dive sites in the area with sheer walls on all sides and attractive sponge gardens in the deep gutters to the north and east of the island. Our favourite site if you are into deeper diving. You can encounter anything out there, from cobia, snapper, small whalers and in summer schools of eagle rays. Port Jackson sharks breed close to the island and who knows what lurks out in the deep.

Fingal Island: Only fifteen minutes from Nelson Bay, Fingal Island features pinnacles, drop offs and abundantly colourful sponge gardens. Fish and invertibrate life is extensive, ranging from tiny nudibranchs to schooling baitfish, morwong, friendly grouper and turtles. Fingal also has quiet rocky bays diveable in almost all conditions and haven for breeding Port Jackson sharks in late winter and spring.

The wreck of the Macleay: A similar vessel, the Macleay sank with the loss of fifteen lives after crashing onto rocks at Little Island in 1911. The Macleay lies in 42 metres off the south east corner of the island. With often limited visibility, it is a more challenging dive than the Oakland. The engine and boiler are in good condition, while the partially collapsed bow offers protection for large mullaway while the rest of the wreck is covered by a large school of morwong. (Please note that divers need to be appropriately certified). Please contact us if you are interested in this dive as we prefer to offer this dive as an early morning dive when there is demand)

The wreck of the Oakland: A 154 feet long collier which sank with the loss of eleven lives in a terrible gale in May 1903. The wreck lies in 27 metres of water north of Cabbagetree Island and is an interesting dive for Advanced certified divers. The wreck offers protection for huge schools of baitfish, bream, leather jacket

Facilities:

• Own Boat(s)
• Gear Service
• Diving seven days
• Showers

• Own accommodation
• Nitrox fills
• Scuba hire
• Resort/Intro Dives