Camp Cove

Camp Cove, located at Watsons Bay in Sydney, is a shore dive suited to new divers, with an average depth of 6 metres and a maximum of 8 metres. The simple layout — following the shoreline or exploring along the reef — makes navigation straightforward, and the site is also recommended as an accessible first night dive given how easy it is to stay oriented in low light.

The reef bottom is sheltered and generally calm, protected from north-easterly winds and largely unaffected by swell unless it exceeds 1.5 metres. Visibility can be impacted by an outgoing tide, so timing an entry around the tide improves conditions. Water conditions tend to be better during summer months, while winter also sees diving activity at the site.

Marine life at Camp Cove includes various species of fish and nudibranchs, with the reef and its cracks and crevices worth searching slowly for animals that prefer to hide. Taking time to move carefully and check sheltered spots is the recommended approach here.