Diving Blog
Stay up to date with the latest diving tips, industry news, conservation efforts, and insights from the Australian diving community.
Filter articles by topic to find exactly what you're looking for
Page 2 of 12
Stay informed with diving tips, safety guides, and destination reviews
How Much Does It Cost to Get Scuba Certified
By ScubaDownUnder Team
A complete 2026 breakdown of what Open Water certification really costs in Australia, all seven line items, four common course paths, and what to ask before you pay.
Hat Head Bommie
By ScubaDownUnder Team
Underrated isolated reef bommie on the NSW mid-north coast with sheltering ledges, pelagic schools, and a steady population of moray eels and cod.
Smith Rock
By ScubaDownUnder Team
Notorious ship-killer granite outcrop off Moreton Island, a demanding advanced dive site with cave swim-throughs and reliable pelagic life.
Red Indian Fish: Australian Diver's ID Guide
By ScubaDownUnder Team
Spot the Red Indian Fish (Pataecus fronto) on Australian dive sites, how to identify it, where to find it, and what makes this cryptic reef dweller unique.
Where to Get Scuba Certified in Australia: Cairns vs Sydney vs Melbourne vs Adelaide
By ScubaDownUnder Team
Four Australian cities, four different ways to learn. Tropical liveaboard, weekend shore-diving, cold-water critter hunting, jetty dives with leafy seadragons. Here's an honest comparison so you can pick the city that fits the diver you want to be.
Julian Rocks - Cod Hole
By ScubaDownUnder Team
Intermediate dive within Byron Bay's Julian Rocks Marine Sanctuary, with resident cod, schooling kingfish, and a productive swim-through.
How Fit Do You Need to Be to Scuba Dive?
By ScubaDownUnder Team
You don't need to be an athlete. You do need a baseline of cardiovascular fitness, basic strength, and water comfort. Here's exactly what's required, what isn't, and how to prepare.
Best Places to Dive in NSW: A Region-by-Region Guide to Diving New South Wales
By ScubaDownUnder Team
Grey nurse sharks at Magic Point, weedy seadragons at Kurnell, manta rays at Julian Rocks, sand tiger aggregations at Fish Rock and giant cuttlefish in Sydney Harbour. Here's where to dive in NSW, region by region, with the local conditions, signature species and best season for each.
Scuba Diving Medicals in Australia: What Conditions Will Disqualify You?
By ScubaDownUnder Team
The medical questionnaire is the part of getting certified that quietly worries the most people. Here's what actually disqualifies you in Australia, what doesn't, and what happens if you tick "yes" to a question.
The Steps - Port Macquarie
By ScubaDownUnder Team
Shallow Port Macquarie shore dive popular for training and night dives, with dense macro life across broken reef and short kelp.
Gear You'll Use in Your Course (And What to Buy First)
By ScubaDownUnder Team
A walk through every piece of scuba gear you'll touch in your Open Water course, what your dive school hires out, what's worth buying day one, and what can wait.
Curtin Artificial Reef
By ScubaDownUnder Team
Sprawling artificial reef in Moreton Bay, built from 30+ scuttled vessels and home to large groper, kingfish schools, and resident wobbegongs.
Fishery Bay Reef Dive Site Guide | Eyre Peninsula
By ScubaDownUnder Team
A sheltered reef inside Lincoln National Park on the southern Eyre Peninsula, kelp, sponge, and one of SA's most reliable sites for both leafy and weedy sea dragons in 5–20 m.
What to Expect in the Theory Module (Knowledge Development)
By ScubaDownUnder Team
The classroom and eLearning side of your Open Water course is the part students worry about most and breeze through fastest. Here's what's actually in it.
What to Expect in Your Open Water Training Dives (The 4 Certification Dives)
By ScubaDownUnder Team
The pool is over and you're heading to the ocean. Here's exactly what happens across the four open-water dives that turn you from a student into a certified diver.
Snelling Beach Dive Site Guide | Kangaroo Island, SA, Australia
By ScubaDownUnder Team
A sandy-bottomed beach dive on Kangaroo Island's north coast with extensive seagrass beds, sea dragons, and a relaxed drift along the reef fringe in clear gu...
Lighthouse Bay Dive Site Guide | Exmouth, WA, Australia
By ScubaDownUnder Team
A sheltered bay on the eastern shore of the Exmouth Gulf within the Cape Range National Park, with fringing coral reef, exceptional visibility, and the diver...
Marion Bay Jetty Dive Site Guide | Yorke, SA
By ScubaDownUnder Team
The gateway jetty to Innes National Park on the southern Yorke Peninsula, clearer water than the upper-gulf sites, both leafy and weedy sea dragons, and a winter cuttlefish run.
Neptune Islands (Shark Cage Diving) Dive Site Guide | Eyre Peninsula, SA, Australia
By ScubaDownUnder Team
A remote island group off the Eyre Peninsula offering the most reliable great white shark cage diving in Australia, in waters patrolled by a resident populat...
Kingscote Jetty Dive Site Guide | Kangaroo Island, SA, Australia
By ScubaDownUnder Team
Kangaroo Island's main township jetty offers relaxed shallow diving with sea dragons, resident weedy fish species, and easy access for visiting divers as a f...