Sydney Diving

If you are down in Aus and going through Sydney then I can highly recommend hooking up with a dive centre and getting out for some diving.

A little chilly for us tropical types but so much to see. Am just disappointed I didn't get a chance to do some of the rock shelves or more populous shark sites.

http://www.pbase.com/richardfoord/sydney_h...08&page=all

Loved the photos. Looks like you were battling with some of our typical visibility. I agree with your comments on Sydney diving. I dive here at least once or twice a week and always find something that amazes me. My question is - What dive site did you see that Turtle at? It looks like maybe La Perouse or Kurnell? I've dived there about 150 times and never seen him. Thanks, and as much as I love my local diving, I'd love to have a tropical dive site at my doorstep!!!

Diving in Sydney is indeed excellent

I dove there 2 years ago and had a great time:

http://www.ilanbentov.com/GeneralSlideShow...Path=SYD001.jpg

Hi Richard,

Most people think that Australian diving is The Great Barrier Reef or more lately Ningaloo Reef is getting a lot of publicity. Australia has some of the most beautiful temperate diving in the world. It's a pity that more divers don't come and have a bit of a look around...

BTW, image number 11 is a Weedy Seadragon and not a Leafy Seadragon. Leafies are only found in a few places around the very southern parts of Oz.

Bruce...

I would love to spend a week or so in Sydney doing the dive sites in and around sydney - will probably organise it for a winter when visibility is better and conditions calmer.

Greg - the turtle was at Shelly Beach - Manly, grazing on the kelp. You will notice that it is missing it's beak.

Bruce - thanks for the correction - gallery updated

I'm lucky enough to be going over to Oz for 6 weeks in Sept / Oct and have a short stay (couple of days) planned for Sydney.

Are there any sites in particular you'd recommend to dive and / or is there any outfit you'd recommend to go diving with?

I'll be taking my camera gear...

PS Great shots!

There's a huge range of amazing dives within a few hours north of Sydney too (and from what I've heard, south too, although I haven't dived down that way). If you're getting the chance and time to do a bit of travelling, it's def worth checking some of them out.

I am in Jervis Bay, about 2hrs south of Sydney. Great diving.

I reckon its worth the trip ... don't let sydneysiders will try and tell you otherwise

drop a PM if you want some more info or to join us for a dive.

cheers

Leander

This year marks my 30th year of diving in and around Sydney. While the GBR and Coral Sea are fantastic, there is a lot of good diving that can be had in and around Sydney, including Sydney Harbour. If you have a camera there a loads of great stuff to photographs including cuttlefish, octopus (including blue-ring), weedy seadragons, seahorses and sharks.

Jervis Bay is brilliant, too. The water is usually clearer than around Sydney and the organisms seem to be larger (especially wobbegongs and giant cuttlefish). The water is a little cooler though.

Some lovely Sydney images and have to agree with the rest that Sydney has some wonderful diving at anytime of the year, but especially in winter.

Anyone travelling to Australia to just dive the Great Barrier Reef is doing themselves an injustice and missing some of the best diving in the world. Each state in Australia has spectacular diving sites and marine life, with many endemic species.

Before coming to Australia I would recommend getting a copy of Diving Australia, a book that Neville Coleman and I did (this is hardly a plug as I don't get royalties), which has been reprinted several times and is available in most book shops and on Amazon.

Regards

Nigel Marsh

Thanks for the ideas (and sorry to have derailed the thread!)

I have DIving Australia already, you're right some great suggestions, unfortuantely everywhere sounds great and I only have 6 weeks!

I totally agree with not just doing the GBR, I only have a week there (mainly cos I can't go all that way and NOT do it!) So am going from GBR to Sydney, the Melbourne, Adelaide (cos I met someone who runs a shop[ there who'll give me tanks and a map and let me get on with the camera thing), up to Ningaloo and then a couple of weeks driving back down to perth sampling the diving along the way...

So couple of definites, Sydney Harbour and down to Jervis Bay for a day...

Thanks again all

I hate to rain on the sydneysiders parade but if you drive 2.5 hours north you'll come to a little place called Nelson Bay where the diving is remarkably better than Sydney. More marine diversity, weirder critters, better habitats, easier entry/exits and from March to Dec much less people!

I've dived Sydney on many occasions and whilst it can be good its a lot more miss than hit when compared to nelson bay. Alot of the Sydney sites depend on wind and swell whilst you can dive at nelson bay any day on the high tide - the only limiting factor with nelson bay diving is that you can generally only dive it on a slack high tide as the currents are very strong.

There is a reason why Nelson Bay is voted as having the best shore diving in Australia!!!

This is a sample of what you can see here:

http://www.daveharasti.com/nelsonbay/index.htm

I hate to rain on the sydneysiders parade but if you drive 2.5 hours north you'll come to a little place called Nelson Bay where the diving is remarkably better than Sydney. More marine diversity, weirder critters, better habitats, easier entry/exits and from March to Dec much less people!

Hi Dave,

How would you say Nelsons Bay compares to Fish Rock and North Solitary (apart from the fact that N.B. is a shoredive, the others aren't)? I haven't dived down your way yet.

Cheers,

Ryan.

Hi Dave,

 

How would you say Nelsons Bay compares to Fish Rock and North Solitary (apart from the fact that N.B. is a shoredive, the others aren't)? I haven't dived down your way yet.

 

Cheers,

Ryan.

Its like comparing apples with oranges! Nelson bay has the best macro diving on the east coast (if not Australia) as it has a huge diversity of tropical and temperate critters. Fish Rock is where you go to see big stuff (sharks, rays and a big cave) and North Solitary is good for seeing tropical species and pretty fish!

They are so different from each other you cannot say one site is better than the other etc...

Ryan,

Agree with Dave that Port Stephens has probably the best overall shoring diving in Australia. You can easily spend a week or two diving the three or four main sites in the bay, plus off-shore are some wonderful boat diving sites. But also check out Sydney, as in Botany Bay are several exceptional shoring diving sites with species similar to Port Stephen, plus also weedy sea dragons.

Regards

Nigel

I'm lucky enough to be going over to Oz for 6 weeks in Sept / Oct and have a short stay (couple of days) planned for Sydney.

 

Are there any sites in particular you'd recommend to dive and / or is there any outfit you'd recommend to go diving with?

PS Great shots!

I would recommend Pro-Dive Manly for a comprehensive solution. They are based in Manly but also have a shop in the city centre and a purpose built dive boat. They pick up divers from several locations across the city by bus and boat, very useful. There are plenty of other operators but the boat is the icing on the cake for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed my dives in Sydney. Brrr. LOL After 40 minutes, I was shivering in a 5mm with a 3/5 vest. When I go back, I will pack my 7mm.

I too saw a weedy and a wobegon shark, not to mention the most enormous cuttlefish I have ever seen. Unfortunately, when I was there in Dec the weather really was bad and they had the one of worst vis ever. But to me, it was normal NJ water vis. 20 ft tops.

I was in Sydney in November and liked it so much we went back for more. We had planned to head down to Jervis Bay, but Leander was kind enough to tell us that it was very green there at the time of our visit - so after taking in SW Rocks and Nelson Bay - we decided for a second helping of Sydney to complete our NSW experience.

Very enjoyable - easy diving, ideal for photography. There cannot be a better place for seahorses anywhere in the world.

I was in a drysuit for the trip (luggage allowance didn't permit more than one suit option), although with 14 degree water in Botany Bay I was glad of it. It was much warmer around Manly - mainly 19-21 degrees.

Alex