South West Rocks Dive Centre — Local services in South West Rocks

We went out yesterday (5 Jan 2023) with the dive team at South West Rocks Dive Centre. I want to say upfront that the dive site and professionalism of the captain and dive crew far exceeded our expectations!!!

As fairly novice divers this was our first time diving in an enclosed space (cave / tunnel) and admittedly we were each a little nervous. Despite the very poor conditions (rain, rough seas, and initially very poor visibility) the dive crew gave us every confidence in their ability and knowledge of the dive site.

The site briefing was thorough without turning into a lecture; the crew were friendly and helpful and assisted us wherever we needed it; and the divemaster to diver ratio was capped at 1:3. This really allowed us to get the most out of the experience and fully immerse ourselves in the incredible underwater environment.

While the visibility wasn’t brilliant due to the storm conditions there was still plenty to see (grey nurses at least 20+ at our count; countless wobbegongs; large rays; turtles; and innumerable schools of fish).

We ended up entering the cave/tunnel through the shallow side and proceeded all the way along to the chimneys but ultimately decided not to go down and out the deep side due to the poor conditions/surging water and our relative inexperience. This decision was probably a blessing in disguise as the view of “the aquarium” coming back out of the shallow side of cave was absolutely epic (grey nurse sharks and fish crisscrossing every which way and the sea floor carpeted with wobbegongs… just like the hero photo on the SWRdive home page).

We can’t wait to return and dive Fish Rock again in better conditions and complete the full swim through. Thanks again to the dive crew @ South West Rocks Dive Centre for an AMAZING experience!!!

Sam,...

My dad, brother and I dove with SWR Dive centre on Monday, and it was amazing. The staff were helpful and lovely, the boat ride out to the dive site was scenic and serene, and Fish Rock was incredible. When arrived at the shop, we were greeted by Jo, one of the dive masters, who brought us to the back of the shop, efficiently getting our wetsuits, weights, and all other gear to be put on the boat. We hopped in the car and drove to the boat ramp, where we boarded the Orca, the boat we would be spending the rest of the day on. When we arrived at the dive site, Kevin gave a detailed yet interesting brief of the days conditions and the marine life we would likely see, including different rays, fish, and sharks. I was a bit nervous, as I had not gone diving for a while, but he addressed my worries with care, asking questions to better understand my concerns and putting them at ease. There were 3 divemasters and other divers including us, and I was excited to find out that we would break into small groups of 2 or 3, so me, my dad and brother got to dive with Lily, a seasoned dive master with almost 1000 dives under her belt. When we were at the bottom, we saw heaps of wobbegongs, 3 leopard shark, thousands of fish, and beautiful coral. My earlier concerns were now felt insignificant underwater, and I felt safe and confident in my and Lily’s experience. We entered the cave equipped with dive lights and a feeling of exhilaration, huge rock cod swimming by, walls dotted with coral and sponge, even more wobbegongs, and so. Many. Fish. Overall, our time with South West Rocks Dive Centre was incredible, and if you are in the area, you...

We really wanted to love this dive centre — the crew is friendly and helpful, the equipment is solid, and the accommodation is comfortable. We've actually been trying to do this dive for over a year and a half, having been rescheduled four times due to weather. While we appreciate their effort to prioritise safety and good conditions, a couple of serious issues left us disappointed.

First, the advertised “all year round” presence of grey nurse sharks turned out to be misleading. A crew member admitted the sharks left in January and only occasionally return around this time (we dove in April). After so many reschedules, we didn’t think to recheck the fine print below the "all year round".

Second — and more concerning — was the underwater visibility, which was absolutely awful (2–3 meters at best). Even the crew said it was the worst they’d seen in years. At that point, the trip should have either been called off or we should have been given the option to delay. Keeping sight of the group was difficult, and marine life was barely visible.

We truly wish things had gone differently, but this ended up being our worst diving experience to date. An expensive dive that unfortunately didn’t make up for the poor conditions and unclear...