If you’ve just started your scuba diving journey, Sydney has plenty of beginner-friendly dive sites that will spark your love for the ocean. 

These sites offer calm waters, easy navigation, and lots of marine life, making them perfect for building confidence. 

Whether you want to spot colourful fish or glide over sandy seabeds, these dive spots are waiting for you to explore.

1. Shelly Beach – Sydney’s Beginner Favourite

Shelly Beach is the perfect spot to start your scuba adventure. Located in the Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, this site is easy to access and offers calm waters, making it ideal for new divers. 

You’ll be surrounded by a huge variety of marine life, including rays, Wobbegongs, Leatherjackets, and sometimes even Dusky Whaler sharks during the season. 

With its protected waters and diverse wildlife, every dive here is both relaxing and exciting!

2. Clifton Gardens – Discover Hidden Marine Life

If you enjoy spotting the little things, Clifton Gardens is the dive for you. This site is known for its fascinating aquatic life, with creatures like Seahorses, Octopuses, Nudibranchs, and more hiding among the pier’s structure. 

The shallow, calm waters make it a great choice for beginners, and the slow pace needed to spot these creatures is perfect for those still building their underwater skills.

3. Fairy Bower – Explore a Unique Underwater World

Fairy Bower offers an easy entry from Marine Parade and is filled with surprises waiting beneath the surface. This dive is all about moving slowly and keeping an eye on the cracks and crevices where sea creatures love to hide. 

For a new diver, it’s a great way to practise buoyancy and observation skills while taking in the beauty of Sydney’s marine life.

4. Camp Cove – A Relaxed Dive with Easy Navigation

Camp Cove is a great choice for new divers, thanks to its calm waters and easy access. The average depth of 6 metres makes it perfect for building your confidence underwater, with a maximum depth of 8 metres if you want to challenge yourself a bit. 

You can follow the shoreline or explore along the reef, taking your time to practise buoyancy and navigation. 

It’s also a fantastic spot for your first night dive, as the simple layout makes it easy to stay oriented, even in low light conditions.

5. Little Manly – Build Your Skills at Your Own Pace

At Little Manly, the shallow waters provide the perfect environment for developing your skills. The average depth of 7 metres, with a max depth of 10 metres, gives you plenty of room to explore while staying within a beginner-friendly range. 

Following the nets around the pool or swimming along the rocky shore offers easy navigation, so you can practise your techniques without feeling overwhelmed. 

Little Manly is a great spot to work on buoyancy, try new skills, and get more comfortable underwater at your own pace.