Scuba Diving – Australian Style

By Kate Cypcar

Australia is all about scuba diving, and if you travel there you should be too. So, put on those flippers and listen up! Dive facilities in Australia have a reputation of maintaining high standards, and their course prices won’t break the bank either. Good rental gear is also widely available. If you’re sporting your own gear, however, remember to check for compatibility problems in advance; yokes (a common way to attach a regulator to a cylinder valve) are the first-stage of fitting in Australia, so you may need an adaptor if yours is DIN (a screw attachment).

The list of good scuba diving beaches is long: Balmoral, Bondi Beach, Bronte, Camp Cove, Clifton Gardens, Clovelly, Coogee, Dee Why, Fairy Bower, Fishermans Beach, Freshwater, Gordons Bay, Long Reef, Manly Beach, Maroubra, Shelly Beach, Tamarama, Watsons Bay…but there are a number of scuba diving destinations that stand out from the rest due to the unique diving experiences they offer.

Diving off the Coast of Sydney
Sydney is a prime scuba diving location in winter because the water is clear and cold. That’s right you hard core scuba divers, tug on that dry suit and get ready to explore!

Diving on the Yorke Peninsula
The southern coast’s underwater scenery is teeming with color and life. You’re guaranteed to come upon loads of brightly colored corals and fish on this dive. Offshore, the wreck of the Clan Ranald near Edithburgh is a well-liked dive, and off Wardang Island eight wrecks can be explored on an exclusive diving trail.

Diving on the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most popular and one of the more reasonably priced places to learn to dive in the world. According to one source, the best places to find dive schools are Townsville and Cairns, although many schools exist along the coast. Some boat trips also offer guided dives for complete beginners; some even offer night dives.

Other diving havens you won’t want to miss include Rottnest Island and Esperence in Western Australia, and the beautiful World Heritage Area of Lord Howe Island off the coast of New South Wales.

Rottnest Island
Rottnest Island lies 12 miles west of Fremantle. Its coast consists of beaches, coves, reefs (superb diving), salt lakes, and several visible shipwrecks. Take advantage of the fact that private cars are not allowed anywhere on the island, and discover the 7.5-mile-long and 3-mile-wide island by bicycle, bus, or on foot.

Esperence
Esperence is found in the sparsely populated Western Australia’s southeast, a flat region of extreme drought and little fresh water. Facing the Southern Ocean, this part of the coast features some of the most beautiful beaches in Australia, as well as primo diving spots.

Lord Howe Island
The crescent-shaped island of Lord Howe and its nearby rocky protrusions are volcanic structures. The island is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list and is home to the rare woodhen, banyan trees, and kentia pines. Lord Howe’s isolation provides key information about the evolution of species such as these. The world’s southernmost reef surrounds the island, and tourists, adventurers, environmentalists, and ecologists alike come to dive in its depths. Flights to Lord Howe Island leave regularly from Brisbane and Sydney.

The record of unique scuba diving sites goes on and on. Below are a handful of diving opportunities I found to be interestingly ‘one of a kind.’

Bougainville Reef Coral Sea
This dive site is exceptional in every way with its deep coral walls, clear water, and reef life in abundance. Live-aboard trips are available from Cairns and Port Douglas.

Cod Hole
Cod Hole, a part of the Great Barrier Reef, has no coral but is famous for its mobs of hulking potato cod which rise from the depths. Be advised that currents in this area are strong. Live-aboard trips are offered from Cairns.

Geographe Bay
The HMS Swan was sunk here to make a recreational diving wreck just off Cape Naturaliste, a couple hours south of Perth.

Ningaloo Reef
A major attraction is the Whale sharks that pass through from April to June in places right off the beach, but have no fear because diving is an all-season craze in these parts. You can’t go wrong when the diving is good year-round! Tours depart from Exmouth or Coral Bay.

Port Lincoln
South Australian waters are one of the last mainstays for the Great White shark. For you adventure seekers that thrive off of adrenaline rushes, inquire about the trips from Port Lincoln that use shark cages.

Seal Rocks
Once in a while, Seal Rocks plays host to a meeting of great grey nurse sharks. Scuba diving at this location offers a chance to be surrounded by these fierce-looking but harmless sharks. Excursions are available from Foster or Tuncurry.

Myall National Park
The small beach is pristine with crystal-clear waters marooned between two headlands.

Yongala Shipwreck
Huge fish and the remains of a 100-meter-long passenger liner which went down in an early twentieth century cyclone have appealed to many the diver to venture into these waters. Try a night dive too if you’re interested in witnessing the contrasting water-worlds of day and night. There are some complications with this dive site, however. Tricky anchorage means that dives can only be made in good weather, and be aware that this is a technically demanding site as well – deep, with strong currents and big (I mean BIG) fish. The local diving community agrees that it is best not to go unless you are an advanced diver with at least twenty dives. Trips sally forth from Townsville and Cairns.

I don’t know about you, but I am ready to march down to the local pool and enroll in the next diving certification course offered. (Of course, then the plane ticket to Australia becomes an issue, but that’s just one itty bitty detail.) I’m stoked about diving near the coral reefs, the BIG fish, and the sunken ships. I’m not so thrilled about the prospect of wearing the spandex-like wet or dry suit though; although my former volleyball-playing friends tell me that spandex (like most things in life) is an ‘acquired taste.’ I better add that one to my list of New Year’s resolutions!