Fingal Bay sits near Nelson Bay on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, offering a range of ocean dive sites that include shore entries, boat dives, reef, kelp forest, seagrass, muck, wreck, and cave habitats. Depths are modest across all sites, and the area accommodates beginners through to advanced divers. Strong tidal currents are a consistent factor, and most sites are best dived at slack high tide. Species recorded include grey nurse sharks, ornate and spotted wobbegongs, giant cuttlefish, fiddler rays, common stingrays, and a wide variety of nudibranchs. Water temperatures are warmest in late summer and coolest in late winter and early spring.
Monthly water temperature across Fingal Bay's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Temperatures peak in late summer and fall to their lowest in winter and early spring, so a wetsuit is needed year-round and a thicker suit is advisable in the cooler months. Tidal currents are a defining feature across most sites, and timing dives for slack water is essential for safe and comfortable diving.
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Water temperature around Fingal Bay ranges from about 19°C in July to 23°C in February, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
In the warm season (about 23°C) a 3mm full suit is comfortable in Fingal Bay; in the coldest months (about 19°C) step up to a 5mm suit.
Fin maps 5 sites in Fingal Bay (5 scuba diving sites and 2 snorkelling spots, with some suited to both).
1 more site to explore
