Scuba diving in Australia

[Brian Pasic]

Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations of where I should go diving in Australia. I know its a huge country and a general question but am interested in hearing people opinions. I've heard the water in the northwest is very dangerous and there is like a hundred things that want to kill you from jelly fish to sharks....

thanks for the feedback

 

[Hank49]

I would guess you can't go wrong in the Great Barrier Reef. Haven't been there but seen books and lots of pictures.

 

[highdesert]

Maybe a mod can move this to where it can get more attention ...

Australia

 

[Griffo]

That's a bit like asking where to go diving in the US of A

See picture -> http://www.thechicagoloop.net/tzikeh/k8an.jpg

Really you need to talk about what kind of diving you like? It's pretty much all on offer, from warm water reefs, cold water reefs, caves, wrecks etc. You could go and hang on a line and watch migrating hump-back whales at the right time of year on teh GBR, or come deep diving on some old submaries in Victoria.

Here's one list Australia's best dive spots | News.com.au that might give some ideas..

So, what type of diving do you like, how long are you looking to stay, what is your adventure level etc.

 

[Quero]

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[elan]

As you said Australia is huge.

We were diving in Cairns on the outer side of the reef and we liked it a lot. I believe its a must do. But we did not dive anywhere else so what do I know

 

[Nitro91]

queensland would be your best place i'm sure, starting off with the great barrier reef
there are stingers like jellyfish though around there in the summer season. but any dive charter they give you a full body lycra suit for protection. i was there about a month ago and wore the suit but i didnt see any jellyfish at all? maybe there were too small im not sure.

great barrier reef is awesome though, definitely do that. also check out the ss yongala off Ayr or townsville, a great wreck dive.
depending on your budget and length of stay there are other places up and down the coast to do aswell, google should give a fair few hits.

 

[cam_snapper]

GBR obviously great. Ningaloo reef (west side) has regular whale shark sightings. I do most of my diving in Sydney, and there's a lot of great diving to be had, plus the benefit of being in a city for culture, food, nightlife etc.

Some really good super-sharky dives too if that's you're think. Check out South West Rocks for instance.

 

[bracko]

places to consider on the east coast.

Barrier reef (try for ribbon reefs or Osprey reef over outer reefs, much better)
Yongala wreck
Byron Bay (Julian Rocks)
South West Rocks
Lord Howe Island (expensive, but a great holiday destination)
Sydney
Jervis Bay

there are more, but i don't know them. anywhere down from Lord Howe is definitely temperate diving.

West Coast is Ningaloo reef and surrounding areas as far as I'm aware... someone from the west coast will be better equipped to answer.

Diving around Adelaide isn't too bad (weedy sea dragons are only seen around this area of Australia) and if you want there is also great white cage shark diving a few hours out of Adelaide.

my pick would be Ningaloo (Haven't been) GBR Ribbon reef's (have been) and Lord Howe (have been, but only snorkelling)

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Bracko summarized it perfectly. These are the best spots by far.

But when are you coming? Some places are better than others at different times of the year.

Here in Cairns (so the GBR north) we have the Minke whale migrations over the winter months of June - September. Still warm waters though averaging low to mid 20s (Celsius).

April over west is good at Exmouth for the Whale sharks as written about above.

November here for Coral Spawning etc.

Seal colonies of the south coast of Victoria etc

Top 3 on brackos list would be same as my top 3.