Easy shore dive from Little Beach, Nelson Bay: the Boathouse jetty pylons in 3 to 5 m, old wharf timbers, a sunken A-frame, pontoon and barge wreckage in 10 to 12 m, with seahorses, cowries and schools of luderick and bream. Dive at high slack.
Visibility at Little Beach
Underwater visibility at Little Beach shifts with swell, wind and recent rainfall rather than holding to a fixed range. High slack tide (slack of the incoming tide) generally offers the best conditions for diving here.
Air, gear and guides near Little Beach
Browse dive shops in Newcastle for fills, hire gear, servicing and guided dives at this site.
Region: Port Stephens, NSW
Skill Level: Beginner
Depth: 3-12 m
Water Temperature: 17-23 °C
Best Time to Dive: High slack tide (slack of the incoming tide)
Marine Life: Luderick, bream, White's seahorses, spindle cowries, nudibranchs, sponges and gorgonians, yellowtail, striped seapike, blue groper, pineapple fish, wrasse, bullseyes, scorpionfish, moray eels, morwongs, surgeonfish, flathead, wobbegong sharks, stingrays, cuttlefish
Hazards: Tidal currents away from slack water (dive at high slack); boat traffic from the Little Beach launching ramp and marina (tow a flagged float, surface near shore); rocky bottom at the entry
Facilities: Car park at Victoria Parade, Beach Road and Dixon Drive, a worn track to the beach beside the Boathouse wharf, and toilets and a launching ramp at the beach.