Dive Site Help

Please Help Us To Make Melbourne Dive Sites Better

Dive Site Help

Compiling the information about the Melbourne and Victorian diving and snorkelling sites in this section of this website has been a labour of love by Lloyd Borrett since 2006. It started on his own personal website, then took a step forward with the list of GPS marks he created on the Victorian Sub-Aqua Group website, and then later on the Bass Strait Aquatic Club website, and is now in this fourth incarnation here where mapping, descriptions, images and videos have been added.

Along the way Lloyd has been greatly helped by many others including Peter Beaumont, Allie Beckhurst, David Bryant, Sam Glenn Smith, Fred Headley, Jane Headley, PT Hirschfield, Michael Mallis, Mary Malloy, Sheree Marris, Packo, Geoff Rodda, Ian Scholey, Graham Ellis, Peter Ronald, and Phil Watson. (Apologies to any helpers left out.) Some have contributed or allowed links to images and videos of dive sites. Others have provided updates or additional information for the descriptions of various dives sites. Then there are those who have helped by providing accurate GPS coordinates for various dive sites, or gone out and used suspect GPS marks of some sites to check that those coordinates are correct and then let Lloyd know the results.

All contributions are duly acknowledged, and it would be safe to say that most of the Melbourne and Victorian diving and snorkelling community greatly appreciates such contributions.

Can You Help?

Can you help to enhance this resource? Maybe you have information about other diving and/or snorkelling sites not yet listed. Maybe you have images, or videos (preferably hosted on YouTube), of dive sites you could share to this resource.

Maybe you have additional information or updates about the dive sites. Information about locating and diving the site, dive site entry and exit details, site plan and/or wreck sketches, etc. Addition information about what's to be seen at the dive site, e.g. marine life, wreck remains, etc.

Maybe you're a web developer (PHP and MySQL) and could help Lloyd to better store, edit, access and display the dive site details. For example, the current map displays are pretty crude and could be easily enhanced by someone with skills in this area.

All contributions would be most gratefully received.

Dive Site Images

Can you help us with images of dive sites? For shore dives it might be images of the top-side location. For all dive sites it could be images of what's to be found underwater. We currently have no images for the following dive sites...

12lb Reef — Wall Dive, Boat access
16lb Reef — Wall Dive, Boat access
18 Metre Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
65 Metre Hole — Other, Boat access
Adieu — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Artefacts Flood — Drift Dive, Boat access
Aspendale Rec Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Awesome Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Balnarring Reef — Shore Dive, Shore access
Bare Back Cove — Reef Dive, Boat access
Big Reef, Portland — Reef Dive, Boat access
Black Boy — Wreck Dive, Shore access
Black Rock Schoal — Reef Dive, Boat access
Boulder Point Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Brads Bommie — Bommie Dive, Boat access
Briton — Wreck Dive, Shore access
Brown Head Pinnacle — Bommie Dive, Boat access
Buckley Park Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Bum Rock — Wall Dive, Boat access
Campbell — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Cape Nelson Lighthouse — Reef Dive, Boat access
Catch Bag Reef Drift — Drift Dive, Boat access
Cattle Jetty Drift — Drift Dive, Boat access
Channel Bay — Reef Dive, Boat access
Cheviot — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Christmas Bommie — Bommie Dive, Boat access
Corsair Rock — Bommie Dive, Boat access
Curlewis — Shore Dive, Shore access
Dannevig Island North East — Wall Dive, Boat access
Deep Pinnacles — Reef Dive, Boat access
Diana, Port Fairy — Wreck Dive, Shore access
Dragons Lair — Reef Dive, Boat access
Easter Bommie — Bommie Dive, Boat access
Elm Grove — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Entrance Deep — Other, Boat access
Essington — Wreck Dive, Shore access
Fenwick Bight — Reef Dive, Boat access
Ferro Cement Yacht — Wreck Dive, Boat access
First Cave — Reef Dive, Boat access
Fishies Beach Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Flat Rock — Reef Dive, Boat access
Flat Rock, Cape Nelson — Reef Dive, Boat access
Flinders Back Beach — Shore Dive, Shore access
Flinders Cray Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Foggy Reef — Wall Dive, Boat access
Foig a Ballagh — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Formosa — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Frankston Reef, Olivers Hill — Reef Dive, Shore access
Free Trader — Wreck, Shore access
Geoffs Hole — Reef Dive, Boat access
Giddiup — Reef Dive, Boat access
Gormans Lane Reef — Reef Dive, Shore access
Hanging Gardens — Reef Dive, Boat access
Helen Rock — Reef Dive, Boat access
Helena Street Reef — Reef Dive, Shore access
Horn Point — Reef Dive, Boat access
Hot Spot — Reef Dive, Boat access
Inner Corsair Wall — Wall Dive, Boat access
Isa — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Isabella, Cape Nelson — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Jims Hole — Reef Dive, Boat access
John Scott — Wreck Dive, Shore access
Kanowna Island, South East — Wall Dive, Boat access
Kelp Beds Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Kelp Beds Reef Drift — Drift Dive, Boat access
Knawesome Bommie — Bommie Dive, Boat access
Lady Face Point — Reef Dive, Boat access
Lady Mildred — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Larkin Cove — Reef Dive, Boat access
Levys Point — Reef Dive, Boat access
Light of the Age — Wreck Dive, Shore access
Light Ship — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Lighthouse Reef — Reef Dive, Shore access
Little Reef, Portland — Reef Dive, Boat access
Lonsdale Bommies — Bommie Dive, Boat access
Lonsdale Rock — Bommie Dive, Boat access
Lonsdale Wall Shallow — Wall Dive, Boat access
Lost Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Mandeville Road, Summerlands — Reef Dive, Boat access
Medea — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Merlan Inner Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Mills Reef Beach — Reef Dive, Shore access
Miranda — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Nargra Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Nelson Bommie — Bommie Dive, Boat access
Nepean Bay Inner East - Radar — Reef Dive, Boat access
Nepean Bay Inner West — Reef Dive, Boat access
Nepean Offshore South - Sweep Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Nepean Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Nepean Wall — Wall Dive, Boat access
New Deep Bommie — Bommie Dive, Boat access
Nursery Bay — Reef Dive, Shore access
Ocean Drive, Port Fairy — Reef Dive, Shore access
Olympic Wall — Wall Dive, Boat access
Orange Grove — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Orr Point — Reef Dive, Shore access
Osprey — Wreck Dive, Shore access
Outer Corsair Wall — Wall Dive, Boat access
Outer Point Lonsdale Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Pelican Point, Flinders — Reef Dive, Boat access
Phillip Island Cray Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Pillar Point Bommie — Bommie Dive, Shore access
Pinafore — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Point Franklin, Cape Otway — Reef Dive, Shore access
Point Lonsdale Township Reef — Reef Dive, Shore access
Portsea Back Beach Wall — Reef Dive, Boat access
Portsea Cray Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Portsea Hole Wreck — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Portsea Pier East Reef — Reef Dive, Shore access
Quarantine Station Anchor — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Quarantine Station Reef — Drift Dive, Boat access
Queenscliffe — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Ramsden Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Refuge Cove, North Wall — Wall Dive, Boat access
Rogers Rocks — Reef Dive, Boat access
Rubicon — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Sanctum Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Saxon — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Sea Eagle Bay Rocks — Reef Dive, Boat access
Seal Gully — Reef Dive, Boat access
Shortland Bluff Bommie — Bommie Dive, Boat access
Simmons Bay Sea Caves — Reef Dive, Boat access
Snakes and Ladders — Reef Dive, Boat access
Socrates — Wreck Dive, Shore access
Sponge Garden Drift — Drift Dive, Boat access
Spot G — Wall Dive, Boat access
SS Barwon — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Stanhope Bay — Reef Dive, Shore access
Sub Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Surfies Point — Shore Dive, Shore access
Taylors Beach — Reef Dive, Boat access
Tea Tree Bay — Reef Dive, Boat access
Tedesco Reef Seaford — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Abyss — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Arch, Flinders — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Banks — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Boatshed, Cape Bridgewater — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Cathedral — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Cave — Wall Dive, Boat access
The Ledges — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Links — Wall Dive, Boat access
The Mall — Wall Dive, Boat access
The Marbles — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Nice Spot — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Other Playground — Wall Dive, Boat access
The Passage Bommie — Bommie Dive, Boat access
The Passage Reef Deep — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Passage Reef Shallow — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Patches — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Plateau — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Playground — Wall Dive, Boat access
The Southern Pinnacle — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Steps — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Supermarket — Reef Dive, Boat access
The Swim Through — Reef Dive, Boat access
Tin Mine Cove — Reef Dive, Shore access
Tomatin — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Toms Cave — Wall Dive, Boat access
Toms Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Torpedo Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Trimix Corner — Other, Boat access
Tyre Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Unidentified - Queenscliff — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Unknown 001 — Wreck Dive, Boat access
VHB 53 — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Victoria — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Victory Cray Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Waterloo Bay, North Wall — Wall Dive, Boat access
Waterloo Point — Reef Dive, Boat access
Wave — Wreck Dive, Boat access
Whalers Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access
Wild Side — Reef Dive, Boat access
Zoo Reef — Reef Dive, Boat access

Total of 173 dive sites.

Most of the other dive sites could be improved with additional images.

Future Directions

Of course there is a lot more that could be done to improve a resource like this. Proper site maps, or even 3D versions of them. The advances in the technology to make this possible are amazing and it would be great to see it used on key local dive sites.

Lloyd cranks on wrecks not critters. Thus there is much that could be done to improve the information about the various marine species present at each dive site to give everyone a better understanding of our local marine ecosystems.

Some of the things we'd like to see are:

Dive and Snorkel Briefing Charts
Dive and snorkel briefings are a critical part of every dive and snorkel excursion. They can improve safety and enhance the in-water experience, allowing divers and snorkellers to better understand the site and find species of interest.
Underwater Site Maps
These might be simple site sketches, or full on 3D-modeled maps of a dive site or the layout of and popular dive routes through a wreck.
Terrestrial Mapping
Use 3D-modelling technology to develop maps of the terrestrial environment. This would promote the shore diving and snorkelling sites, plus any related nature trails, biking routes and hiking paths.
Digital 3D interactive tools
Make 3D models available to make it possible for avid divers and snorkellers to explore underwater sites to plan their dives or outings.
Marine Biology
Provide marine biology information, preferably linked to each dive site, to educate everyone about the reef ecosystem, marine biology concepts, organisms and their behaviours.

Could you help with any of this, or become part of a group to do it? Or do you have some other suggestions for ways to improve this resource?