Thinking about scuba diving Byron Bay? I don’t blame you – Julian Rocks is ranked amongst the top 10 dive sites in Australia and getting into the big blue there is always full of surprises!

Whether you’re an advanced diver, looking to try it for the first time, or even get your full dive courses in Byron Bay here’s everything you need to know.

Oh and there’s a bonus promo code at the end so you can save 10% off your next dive!

Scuba Diving Byron Bay – Everything You Need To Know

Julian Rocks

Julian Rocks sits 2.5km off of the coast and is easily visible from Byron Bay, sitting proud on the horizon line. A protected marine reserve, it’s home to a huge array of marine life – including turtles, rays, sharks, schooling fish and more.

The combination of location, marine currents, and protected status have all made it one of the best dive sites in Australia and even the most experienced divers will be stoked on it!

Under the water there are 6 main dive sites, and you can easily cover a few in a single dive depending on the conditions and what you’re looking for:

• The Nursery – shallowest part of the are ranging between 5-12m but still packed with fish and turtles!
• The Needles – at 5-15m this bombie at the southern end is a favourite for Mantas, rays and Leopard Sharks
• Split Bombie – a series of large bombies, this are is filled with Wobbegongs and Grey Nurse sharks cruising around
• Hugos Trench – 15-18m, this is the section to head if you love macro life
• The Cod Hole – this cave is the spot for experienced divers. Ranging from 15-21m it’s Grey Nurse shark central!
• The Cray Cave – at 25m this is for more advanced divers and sharks, rays and schooling fish can all be found here

 

 

Best Time To Scuba Dive Byron Bay

So whens the best time to scuba dive in Byron Bay? Well Julian Rocks offers an incredible dive experience year round, but there are certain seasons where different marine life can be seen:

• Grey Nurse Sharks = May to November
• Manta Rays = May to December
• Leopard Sharks = December to May
• Humpback Whales = May to November
• Turtles = Year Round!

Obviously encounters with them aren’t guaranteed as they’re wild animals, but it gives you a good idea of what to expect during different parts of the year.

 

The other thing to take into account is the water temperature – and in mid winter you’ll find yourself in 5mm wetsuit and booties, with the boat ride back to shore being rather chilly!

• Average Summer Water Temperature = 22 to 27 degrees
• Average Winter Water Temperature = 18 to 23 degrees

I’ve been scuba diving at Julian Rocks across all the seasons and it’s always epic. Obviously if you can time it with some good visibility that’s the dream and a clear day at Julian Rocks is amongst some of the most incredible diving you’ll ever do!

 

 

Certified Diving

If you’re already a qualified scuba diver, then jump on a certified dive and discover what Julian Rocks has to offer. Most of the dive site is around 18-20m so even if you don’t have your Advanced Course or deep dive speciality you’ll still be able to explore most of the site.

Personally for all my diving I go with the crew of Byron Bay Dive Center and I’ve had nothing but good experiences with them over the last decade I’ve been bouncing in and our of Byron!

You can book yourself a certified dive for AU$150 including all the dive gear and dive guide – who will show you all the bets bits!

CLICK HERE TO BOOK A CERTIFIED DIVE

 

 

Introductory Scuba Dives

If you’ve never scuba dived before (or still haven’t got around to getting your full dive certification!) then an Introductory Dive (aka Intro Dive) is the perfect place to start.

You’ll learn all the basics needed to get under the water and will be supervised by a qualified dive instructor who will be with you every step of the way.

The big difference between a standard certified dive and an intro dive is the fact you’ll be limited to a depth of 12m – but for Julian Rocks this won’t effect your experience much and the shallower parts of the dive site are still packed with marine life!

An Intro Dive will cost you AU$215 including all the dive gear and instructor.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK AN INTRO DIVE

 

 

Dive Courses

If you’re looking to go all out and get your open water dive course in Byron Bay, then the crew at Byron Bay Dive Centre have all the facilities you need – including a heated training pool!

You can get your Open Water Dive Course in 4 days and it currently costs AU$695, including all your hire gear and courses run year round.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOU OPEN WATER COURSE

Byron Bay Dive Centre offers a full range of dive courses including their Zero to Hero Divemaster Course – which includes all your training, certifications, work experience, accomodation and more!

 

 

Grab 10% Off Your Dive!

Want to save some money on your next Certified or Intro Dive? Well I’ve teamed up with the crew of YourOzTrip.com to get you 10% – just use the code JULIAN10 at checkout.

 

 

Have you been scuba diving in Byron Bay?

What was your highlight?