These rock pools sit at the far eastern end of the beach and offer a gentle introduction to snorkelling in South Australia. The water is shallow and calm, making it a comfortable spot for beginners to get comfortable with a mask and fins. Visibility can vary depending on conditions, so a calm day will reward you far more than a choppy one. Keep an eye out for scalyfin and magpie perch moving through the reef and seagrass. Dolphins are occasionally seen in the area too. Be aware that rip currents can develop nearby, so check conditions before entering and stay within the rock pool areas.

Second Valley is a shore dive that gives beginners direct access to a reef system with caves and caverns to explore at depths of 5 to 15 metres. Visibility can vary considerably, so conditions on the day will shape your experience. The mild current is generally manageable, though surge can pick up inside the caverns and stronger currents do occur, so stay aware. The reef shelters a good mix of southern Australian fish life including sweep, morwongs, scalyfins, magpie perch, zebra fish, and herring kale. Look carefully along the rocky surfaces for nudibranchs, anemones, and blue ringed octopus. Fur seals also visit the area.

Pissy Boy Bay is a boat-access site in South Australia that delivers reliable encounters with New Zealand fur seals and Australian sea lions, making it a genuinely memorable beginner dive. Depths run from 10 to 17 metres, which is manageable for newer divers, though visibility is variable so conditions can change between visits. Currents also vary, so check before you go. Keep an eye out for harlequin fish and striking electric blue nudibranchs along the bottom, and eastern blue groupers are regularly spotted here too. The water is cold year-round, so a good wetsuit is essential. Best diving falls between December and May.

The HMAS Hobart sits upright on the seabed at 5 to 30 metres, deliberately scuttled in 2002 to create South Australia's premier artificial reef. This 133-metre destroyer offers genuine wreck penetration opportunities, with access through multiple entry points along the superstructure. Strong currents sweep the site regularly, feeding the sponges and algae that now colonise the hull and creating hunting grounds for flathead that patrol the sand around the wreck. Visibility ranges from 5 to 20 metres depending on conditions and your position relative to the current. The overhead environments require proper training and equipment. You'll find various fish species sheltering in the intact sections, whilst the open deck areas provide orientation points during your dive. Plan your penetration routes before descending and carry redundant lighting. The current dictates your approach, so discuss the entry strategy with your charter operator on the day. Multiple dives reveal different aspects of the wreck, from the bridge structure to the engine room passages. This is technical diving territory where experience with wrecks, currents and limited visibility proves essential.

Kingscote Jetty is a great starting point for beginner divers and snorkellers, offering shallow, calm water with no current to worry about. Depths run from 2 to 6 metres with visibility typically between 5 and 10 metres, so you can always see where you are and what's around you. The jetty structure itself attracts a surprising variety of marine life, including seahorses, cuttlefish, nudibranchs, and sponges clinging to the pylons. Keep a careful eye out for leafy sea dragons and golden decorator crabs, both of which blend into their surroundings. Note that blue-ringed octopus are present here, so look without touching.