Portland sits on Victoria's Great Ocean Road coast, where the Southern Ocean keeps water cool throughout the year and at its coldest from late winter through to mid-spring. Sites include the Emily S wreck and kelp forest at Lee Breakwater, shore dives at Nunn's Beach and Dutton Way, and the wall and reef at Lawrence Rocks Bay, which is exposed to Southern Ocean swell. The combination of cool temperate water, kelp, wrecks, and reefs is reflected in the species recorded here: giant cuttlefish, elephant sharks, western blue devils, long-nosed fur seals, and a range of nudibranchs. Shore and boat access are both available.
Monthly water temperature across Portland's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Water is cool year-round and drops to its lowest in late winter and early spring. A full wetsuit or drysuit is appropriate for most of the year. Conditions at exposed sites such as Lawrence Rocks Bay can be affected significantly by Southern Ocean swell, while sheltered sites like Lee Breakwater and Nunn's Beach offer calmer diving.
5 operators
Water temperature around Portland ranges from about 14°C in August to 18°C in January, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
In the warm season (about 18°C) a 5mm suit is comfortable in Portland; in the coldest months (about 14°C) step up to a 7mm or semi-dry suit.
Fin maps 6 sites in Portland (4 scuba diving sites and 3 snorkelling spots, with some suited to both).
2 more sites to explore
