Little Manly (★2.9)
Next cove east of Manly Cove. Is a mooring field. Protected from most swells except for strong SE swell. Shallow with a gradual depth increase. 3-5m depth within the bay
Explore Manly
Diving in Manly is a big business, not only drawing thousands of tourists a year but providing an underwater escape for native Sydneysiders. Manly has a long history of ocean going, with one of the most popular surfing beaches in Sydney.
There are no dive resorts, only dive centres found here and most offer the full spectrum of diving courses, from beginner to pro. There are no liveaboards found here due to the proximity of all the dive sites to the shore, as well as the stiff southerly winds which can whip up the surface water.
Highlights of diving in Manly include the variety of dive sites. While there are boat dives and wreck dives, there are a convenient number of excellent shallow and shore dives which are ideal for brand new divers - or for when the sea is rough. Wildlife highlights include the famous weedy sea dragons, grey nurse sharks and enormous cuttlefish.
Dive Activity
Diving in Manly
Diving in Manly is suitable for all levels of divers. Many sites can be accessed from the shore which is doubly convenient when the seas are rough. Around the area there are dive trails which you can follow for interesting information as you dive. Visibility can vary between 3 and 15m, conditions depending
Wreck dives like the Centurion are available for more advanced and adventurous divers. Night dives are also popular here and many dive centres will run evening dives upon request and sufficient interest. The many shallow sites here and cooler water mean that Manly has some fantastic muck diving, with sites offering hundreds of species.
Dive Sites
The best Months to dive in Manly
Manly diving is possible year round. The summer months bring daytime temperatures in the mid 20s and water temperatures of a maximum 23°C in February. The most rain falls in the summer but this doesn’t affect the diving, though the visibility may be reduced on some shore dives directly afterwards.
The winter months from May to October have air temperatures in the mid teens and water temperatures of 18°C. It is fully possible to dive in winter, though strong southerly winds can make the seas very rough and disrupt the dive boats.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Manly
The diving in Manly is temperate as opposed to tropical, so the reefs are not swarming with bright, tropical fish - though the marine life could be considered more interesting. There are plenty of fish, notably the blue grouper (the NSW State fish) as well as large schools of fish at many sites.
Wobbegong sharks lurk on the bottom, along with stingrays and octopus. The cuttlefish found in Manly are among the largest in the world, they can reach up to 1.5m long - that’s a lot of tentacles! A famous inhabitant is the elegant weedy sea dragon which hides in the seaweed that covers many sites. If you like muck diving for macro, you will love diving in Manly. Manly Nets has so many seahorse that you can spend hours in the 2m deep water looking for them. Other sites have lots of tiny nudibranch to find.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 19
Alamy-Alex Mustard
Seal
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iStock-Nigel Marsh
Wobbegong
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 120
SSI-Peter-Schinck
Cuttlefish
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