Ex-HMAS Adelaide Dives
wreck of the HMAS Adelaide is located off Sydney’s Central coast. As Sydney wreck dives go, it is one of the most famous and a relatively recent one at that!
Quick Facts about our Ex-HMAS Adelaide dive
- Location: Off Sydney’s Central Coast (Avoca Beach)
- Diver Qualifications: Advanced
- Depth: 15m to 37m
- Recommended Gas: Nitrox 30%
- Dive time: Generally, 35-70 mins
- Visibility: 5m to 25m
- What you’ll see: Humpback whales, southern right, seals, grey nurse sharks, whales, kingfish, tailor, yellowtail, squid eggs, colourful corals.
- Best season to dive: Great in all seasons
We also offer this dive to technical certified divers so as they can do this dive in one long continuous dive of well over 70 minutes. This technical type long dive can be done at the same time as other recreational advanced divers who will be doing two separate dives.
Over the last year we have been commonly seeing large numbers of big grey nurse sharks and several Australian fur seals on the wreck, this maybe due to the large number of pelagic fish which now call the wreck home.
A Sydney wreck dive for advanced divers
Unfortunately, the ex-HMAS Adelaide sank side on to the prevailing sea conditions and has since subsided to a depth of 37m with the top of the mast at 15m. As such, divers must have completed an advanced dive certificate and it would be of benefit to have also completed a nitrox course. Divers should expect to experience a bit of surge on the wreck, in particular
Departure from Pittwater for a safer dive
We operate our boat from Careel Bay Marina located in Pittwater on Sydney’s Northern beaches. This departure location saves hours of car travel for our divers and reduces the risk of decompression sickness due to the pressure change when returning by sea (instead of experiencing the significant pressure changes due to elevation were you to return to Sydney from the central coast via the M1 motorway!)
Loads of free parking, easy access for your car to drop off your dive gear straight onto the wharf.)
Highlights from our Ex-HMAS Adelaide dive
Our journey to the wreck may feature humpback and southern right whales as they make their way north or south. Once at the wreck site marine park, we can expect huge schools of kingfish, tailor (bluefish) and yellowtail.
Like many Sydney wrecks, expect to find squid eggs attached to the superstructure and handrails of the ex-HMAS Adelaide. The wreck is now covered by colourful hard and soft corals; an added bonus to feast your eyes on throughout this amazing Sydney wreck dive.
As you descend, the corals’ colours will fade starting with the reds down to the blues and greens.
An advanced Sydney wreck dive
As the depth range varies from 15m to 37m, this dive is designed for advanced open water divers. During our dive, we’ll explore the decks and galleys from the hanger deck on up (the lower decks are in excess of 30m and access to them is restricted by Crown lands who manage the site.)
Diving a Royal Australian Navy ship
Diving this relatively new and well-preserved military shipwreck is a unique privilege. The wheelhouse which houses the captain’s chair is a great spot for a keepsake photo as is the combat information centre (CIC). This area is one deck below and aft of the wheelhouse and easily accessible by a hole that has been cut into the deck in the wheelhouse.
Our wreck dive will take us through many of the ship’s cabins. We will exit via the stern either in the hanger deck or through one of the holes which have been cut into the ship to make the ship safe for divers. Depending on the conditions, expect visibility to range from 5m to 25m.
Strong surges may be encountered on this wreck, even in small seas, as the vessel was sunk side onto the prevailing waves. Once inside the wreck visibility will be good, irrespective of how it is outside the ship.
Quick takeaways when diving the ex-HMAS Adelaide wreck
- The wreck’s bow points in an eastern direction
- There are 4 moorings on the wreck
- Part of the wreck’s superstructure has already broken off (large side sheet metal panel)
- The hull is steel, whilst the superstructure is made of aluminium
- Divers will need to sign a waiver from Crown lands before they dive
Come dive this beautiful wreck with us!
Sydney wreck diving doesn’t get much better than this! Dive the Old Adelaide with Sydney’s best scuba diving team.




Everyone was very helpful and friendly, definitely our go to place for Sydney diving now.




The crew’s knowledge of the local dive sites was top-tier. Each location was well-chosen based on conditions and experience levels, and their insights into the marine life and underwater features made the dives even more memorable. You can really tell they’re passionate about what they do and committed to providing an exceptional experience.
If you’re looking for a safe, well-organised diving experience in Sydney, this is the charter to book. Can’t wait to come back for another trip!


The smaller group size meant we were treated to a more personalised experience, catering to all levels of diving experience.


Two excellent dive sites - Apartments was the best. Nurse sharks everywhere







We did one shore dive from Shelly Beach to dust off the cobwebs as we hadn’t dived in a while. Jason was super approachable, clear with his gear instructions and patient.
Jason is clearly very passionate about what he does and has a wealth of knowledge of the local wildlife and dive sites.
We did a second day of diving at The Apartments. Another fab dive and well organised trip.
Loved it and would totally used SDC again.
Thanks!


If you're looking for a place to try diving, I don't know what more you could want! 11/10 would recommend.

I found Sydney dive charters to be personable, professional and above all else SAFE.
Small, well organised groups with well maintained gear and boat.
Choosing a dive charter can be a minefield but these guys made everything easy from start to finish.
A special thanks to Alizee for being my guide for the week.
Hope to see you all again soon!




I am delighted with my dives 🙂










What could be better than exploring the wonderful underwater world with Sydney Dive Charter: small group, friendly atmosphere which gives confidence even to a great novice like me, having not dived for 40
years.
Many thanks to the great diving instructors, Alizée and Jason










We first dived at The Apartments and later on at North Harbour Aquatic Reserve. Despite being not the season, we managed to see 1x grey nurse shark. We also saw plenty of marine life like giant cuttlefish, port Jackson sharks and many more.
Gear and tank hire were all ready on the boat when we were picked up from Rose Bay and the whole process was very smooth and easy. Jason and Alizee were both friendly and knowledgable. They’re patient with pre dive info and any questions we had. Both are experts on diving in Sydney and NSW, with a wealth of knowledge on different fish species in the area.
We unfortunately dropped our camera after the first dive, but Jason has been very helpful with providing an email to confirm the loss of our items so we can claim from our travel insurance after our dives.
We couldn’t have asked for a better crew to take us out - we will definitely be back to dive with Jason and Alizee, and highly recommend everyone else to reach out to them for a dive in Sydney - you will not be disappointed!
Thank you very much Jason and Alizee!




Before booking my dive, I had a call with them to ask for recommendations since I haven’t really tried scuba diving in Sydney yet so I wanted to make sure to choose a package that’s worth it for me! They were very responsive and helpful — answering all my questions and concerns swiftly.
During the dive day, my instructor, Jason, was sooo helpful. He made sure that I am comfortable and having fun the entire time. I’ve never had a very hands-on instructor ever!!! It was a premium experience 😁
Thank you, Sydney Dive Charters!! 10/10 would recommend for sureeee ❤️



Went to Magic Point and enjoyed swimming with the graynurse 🦈.
Thank you for making my day!

2am in winter probably not for everyone, but then difficult to access the wreck given it lies in the Sydney Harbour ferry routes.
Thanks Sydney Dive Charters.













Cuttlefish, nurse sharks, wobbegongs were the highlight with lots of others on display. I've done alot of diving so I know what good (and bad) looks like!
On time boat (tick), good rental gear (tick), short travel to dive site (tick), great dive briefing (tick) friendly but focus boat crew (tick) diving was exactly as described (tick)
Thanks Jason and team. We will be back.




















It depends on person. For me it’s little hard. For sure that day have strong waves. Someone else calm of the waves😂. Anyway i saw sharks and seahorse and bluefishes and giant calamari etc…! It was amazing memory in sydney ocean😇




















Family & Local run operation, service was friendly and more personal than most large dive companies!
Dive boa and rental gear was all in good condition and safety was well briefed & looked after.
The dive sites chosen on the day were great, sharks & seals aplenty!
I will be booking with them again!
Cheers Jason & Team 👍🏼

We would go back with him for other dives around Sydney for sure.
If you are new to diving, get a few shore dives under your belt, as there is no hand-holding, and it is very much Go, Go, Go from the start! BCD, equipment is all assembled and ready on the board, as well as snacks and refreshments are provided.
Overall a very positive no-nonsense experience. Especially recommended if you are an experienced or technical diver.
The dive was beautiful, and we were given a nice cup of hot soup mid dive courtesy from Sydney Dive Charters. Really appreciate the experience.


Tip for new customers - don't forget to take your sea sickness pills!
Thanks Jason and see you aboard for my next course!
Wasn’t even that cold considering it’s the middle of winter.
Kate and Jason were great on board, super helpful with setting up dive gear, particularly with a rookie diver like myself. They clearly know their stuff. Top notch gear too. Can’t fault anything!
The dive boat is set up well and very easy to enter and exit the water.
Jason is a fantastic dive master with a lot of knowledge and is happy to share that knowledge with anyone who wants to get the most from there diving.
Highly recommended.
Got picked up from Rose Bay, all gear was on board already. Ordered full kit and went on a boat dive to the apartments.
The kits is in fantastic order and the latest tech. I got a bit sea sick (don’t forget your travel tablets!) and the crew were wonderful at looking after me. Managed to do my two dives despite that. And saw so much - grey nurse sharks, wobbegongs, cuttlefish, a weedy sea dragon and an incredible jelly fish.
Can’t recommend them enough and will certainly be using them again. Thanks for the great day out team!







Thanks mate .

I look forward to coming back for more dives with this professional, passionate and kind team. Thanks again!

Enthousiast crew and good dive sites and diving.
Mark and Sandra










I was considering going with another company, and was very happy I chose Sydney Dive Charters instead!
New high quality gear, no ripped wetsuits and a good briefing on how to use it all!
Jason was very knowledgeable and set us up in the best conditions as he knows the Sydney coast like no one else.
Our dive guide was great, he also made the trip very memorable.
I will be back again 100%






