Hardy Reef is an outer Great Barrier Reef site roughly seventy kilometres from the mainland, accessed by boat from Airlie Beach. The reef features a wall and drop-off structure reaching depths of around twenty metres, suited to beginners diving from the permanently moored Cruise Whitsundays pontoon. Currents can run moderate to strong, so conditions should be checked before entering the water. The reef hosts whitetip reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, harlequin tuskfish, and giant morays. Water is warmest through the wet season and cools to its lowest in mid-winter.
Monthly water temperature across Hardy Reef's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Water temperature is at its warmest from late spring through autumn and at its coolest in August. Marine stinger season runs from approximately November to May, during which protective suits are advisable. The dry season months from May to October generally bring calmer sea conditions for the boat journey out to the reef.
Water temperature around Hardy Reef ranges from about 23°C in August to 29°C in February, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
In the warm season (about 29°C) a rash guard or 3mm shorty is comfortable in Hardy Reef; in the coldest months (about 23°C) step up to a 3mm full suit.
Fin maps 3 sites in Hardy Reef (3 scuba diving sites and 3 snorkelling spots, with some suited to both).
2 more sites to explore
