Shark Point

Safety

Shark Point is one of Sydney's most rewarding shore dives and it can be dangerous in a number of ways — if it is not carefully planned, or attempted without the experience and fitness it asks for. Be guided by someone who knows the site for at least the first couple of dives. This map supports planning. It does not replace either of those.

Safe entry

The best entry is marked on the map, just east of the small north–south crack in the floor of the rock shelf. It puts you in a central position without a long swim. It faces N and NE swell, so it is often unsafe — always judge it before you get in.

1. Only go if the swell is under 1.5 m on the Botany Bay Offshore buoy.
2. Never enter when the tide is above 1.0 m — forecast it on Seabreeze.
3. Enter on a rising tide. Kicking back into Clovelly Pool loaded with gear is much harder on a falling tide, with the whole pool emptying through the narrow gap.

There is a triangle-shaped lower ledge you step down into — put your fins on there. Directly below it is a submerged rock, clearly visible at the recommended tide height. Wait for a wave, jump in at the crest so the surge carries you out, and go in slightly to your right to miss the rock.

Swim out on your back at least 30 m to the SE, looking back up into The Split. Meet your buddies and descend together, following the Split.

• Above 1.0 m of tide the reef platform can flood with ocean waves.
• A S to E swell is safer. A N to NE swell exposes both the entry and The Split.

Safe exit

Exiting onto the reef platform is dangerous. Swim into Clovelly Pool and use one of the stairs. From 1 October to 30 April Randwick Council restricts scuba diving at Clovelly between 8am and 6pm, so in those months finish before 8am or start after 6pm.

It is a long swim, so plan for it. From The Split to the entrance of Clovelly is 400 m by the most direct route — about 16 minutes of continuous finning at 25 m/min.

Plan the southernmost point of your route for the end of the dive. The Hook is distinctive and a good reference: from there, head magnetic west for 300 m and you arrive in front of the Clovelly Pool entrance, about 12 minutes. The bottom rises quickly to 7 m, so you can swim back at 5 m and count it as your safety stop.

In short: reach The Hook with about 80 bar, then aim due west. Do not go below 270 degrees on the compass or you will end up towards Gordons Bay. Do not head too far north either — there is an underwater shelf forming a false bay whose surge can suck you in and throw you back onto the reef platform. We are divers, not reef surfers.

Coming into the pool, expect an inbound or outbound flow depending on tide. Returning on an incoming tide is easier; on an outgoing one the gap speeds the water up by the Venturi effect, especially at the pool edge where the rocks are a metre or less below the surface.