Seeking advise on diving in Byron bay or South West Rocks

[kkfok]

Hi, I am planning a dive trip to Northern NSW in November, destination should be Byron Bay or South West Rocks.
Is November the right time to dive in these 2 places? Are GNS, wobbegong sharks and Leopard sharks usually still there at this period of the year? Thanks.

 

[Kern]

SW Rocks should have GNS sharks around all year, Wobbe's for sure, leopards, yes but not so much. You would probably get bull & eagle rays, & turtles & some pelagic's too .

BB probably has GNS all year too, but I'v seen them more regularly during the winter months. Wobbe's all over all the time, & eagle & bull rays, & leopards are usually about too.

 

[TSandM]

We did our trip to Byron Bay in late October. Nurse sharks were everywhere, as were wobbegongs, but it was the wrong season for Leopards. I can't say enough good things about the diving in Byron Bay, though. Sharks weren't the only attractions; there were huge schools of fish and many invertebrates, and the town itself was very pleasant and had lovely restaurants. I wish we could go back . . .

 

[kkfok]

Thanks very much for the input.
I will have only 8 days for the trip so I have to decide whether it will be Byron Bay or South West Rocks. I will go with my wife who is only a leisure diver, if we would like to have a nice piece of beach for relax or maybe some snorkeling after diving, which place do you recommend?
Also as I don't drive, I am planning to get to Byron Bay or South West Rocks with Greyhound, is Byron Bay a bit more easier to get to from Brisbane Airport?
Thanks.

 

[TSandM]

I don't know South West Rocks, but Byron Bay has a gorgeous, long white sand beach. We had an incredible long, liquid lunch at a hotel right on the water, eating fantastic food and watching the waves (on a non-diving day).

I didn't do any snorkeling, but I'd be surprised if it was good; sandy beaches without reefs are rarely good snorkeling places.

 

[gnulab]

Sorry if this post seems like hijacking this thread but I thought it is quite relevant and I'm pursuing such information too.

Any recommendation which dive operator to join when diving in Byron Bay or South West Rock?
Thank you.

 

[Kern]

Sorry if this post seems like hijacking this thread but I thought it is quite relevant and I'm pursuing such information too.

Any recommendation which dive operator to join when diving in Byron Bay or South West Rock?
Thank you.

They're all good.

Welcome - Sundive Scuba Diving Dive Byron Bay
Dive Byron Bay with the Byron Bay Dive Centre - your professional PADI and SSI dive shop to dive Julian Rocks
Fish Rock Cave - Dive Fish Rock with the South West Rocks Dive Centre Australia
Home - Fish Rock Dive Centre at South West Rocks

 

[Kern]

Thanks very much for the input.
I will have only 8 days for the trip so I have to decide whether it will be Byron Bay or South West Rocks. I will go with my wife who is only a leisure diver, if we would like to have a nice piece of beach for relax or maybe some snorkeling after diving, which place do you recommend?
Also as I don't drive, I am planning to get to Byron Bay or South West Rocks with Greyhound, is Byron Bay a bit more easier to get to from Brisbane Airport?
Thanks.

Both places have nice beaches. Don't know much about the snorkelling potential, but would think, like TS&M, that sandy beaches aren't the best for it.

By bus, I'd say Byron would have to be hands down, the easiest to access.

 

[JaneMitchell]

If you're travelling by bus, then Byron would be the best place. South West Rocks is a beautiful and peaceful town with some awesome beaches in the surrounding areas but you really need a car to get there and get around. There's probably more stuff to do around Byron when you're not diving. I dived at South West Rocks at the start of November 2010 and there were heaps of GNS and wobbegongs, turtles and grouper. I want to go back there in summer one day as apparently they sometimes get hammerhead sharks hanging around as well.

I dived with South West Rocks dive centre and they were so great...can't recommend them enough if you decide to head that way.

 

[TSandM]

We dove with Sundive (HERE's my report of the trip) and we thought they were great, and they were. Today, six years later, I think the 45 minute absolute limit on dive time would chafe a bit.