Written by Px (Instructor SDA)

Location / How to get get there.

Camp Cove is located near the northern tip of SOuth Head at the entrance to Sydney Harbour.
Using your street directory, head for DOyles Seafood Restaurant Watsons Bay which is closeby.
Continue past the restaurant and follow the signs to Camp Cove which is not far on from here.
You willknow when you have arrived as there is a large carpark right near the beach (there is also another smaller carpark on the hill overlooking Camp COve.
Park in the larger lower carpark and get geared up for the dive.

Amenities.

The kiosk is open in summer months and has awesome sandwiches and fruit teas (although it can be a little pricey but is worth it)
There is a toilet block near the kiosk.

Experience Level.

Beginner and up.

Best time to dive.

Generally speaking, this area has only been dived when massive southerly winds make the rest of the coast unmanageable (it has a reputation of being a backup site but is a truly great dive anytime in its own right).
Avoid diving here in westerly winds as they blow directly onto the beach.

Where to enter/exit.

Both sites are accessed by following the path near the kiosk and immediately to the beach entry directly ahead.

Navigation.

The 2 main sites are the northern wall and the middle reef.

1. The northern wall is very easy to find. Standing on the beach you will immediately spot a small hut on the end of a short wall which juts out into the bay. Simply head around this small hut and contine north, hugging the shoreline and you will pass a small pile of rocks (built by divers underwater), this signals the beginning of the north wall. From here, the depth drops to around 6m and you will notice that walls, bommies and swim throughs begin to appear everywhere so enjoy yourself and go discover! (It is very much like a kids playground)

2. The middle reef can be reached by walking down to the beach immedaitely in front of the entrance path and taking a bearing of 240 deg. Follow this for around 80-100m and you should hit the northern point of the reef.
Remember to look along the way as you might see many creatures on the sand.
The middle reef is a low lying (1m high) reef in about 5m of water which is punctuated by many channels running through it. Have fun simming through the channels and looking under ledges for any interesting creatures.

Points of interest.

The expanses of sand and its marine life.
The many walls, ledges, bommies and swim throughs are fun to swim in and around.

Local creatures.

Camp Cove is fabulous for small marine life but you have to pick a small area and look hard.
If you are lucky you might find small cuttlefish, seahorse, pygmy leatherjackets, pipefish and many octopus.
It can be a veritable smorgasbord of small, rare marine life.

Tips (from the pro)

Do not leave ANY valuables in your car, especially anything which can easily be seen from the outside as there have been breakins here.
Bring along a little extra lead as this is a shallow (6m) dive and buoyancy can be an issue.
If you have an underwater camera you will be in heaven. Select your macro setting and prepare for great photo opportunities.
This site is a classic beginners dive and night dive as navigation is easy and air consumption is not critical due to the shallow depth.
Watch out for boating traffic in summer (stay close to the northern reef) as this beach is a drawcard for all types of pleasure craft.
A diveflag is essential unless there are already others marking the dive area.
Watch your equipment on the entry and exit as this is a beach dive and sand tends to get everywhere which can cause malfunctions.