Coolooli Wreck Dive
Quick facts on our Colooli wreck dive
- Location: Long Reef Artificial Reef Area. 2.5NM offshore
- Diver level: T1 / Tec45
- Depth: 47m
- Recommended Gas: 21% & 50% / 21/20 & 50% / 21/35 & 50%
- Dive time: 25-30min BT / 60-75min TRT
- Visibility: 5m to 40m
- Marine life: Roughy, slender roughy, kingfish, Australian fur seal, whiting, morwong, Port Jackson shark, wobbegong shark and giant cuttlefish.
- Season: All year
Our top Sydney wreck dive
The budget dredge Coolooli was scuttled off Long Reef on 19th August 1980 and lies in sand at 48 metres of water, she lies on her starboard side, the port side of the hull is at a depth of 44 metres, prior to 2015 the wrecks hull was at 40 metres, however Sydney had one of its largest storms which created the largest wave height ever recorded on Thursday 23rd April 2015, this serve storm damaged many of the offshore wrecks like the wreck Coolooli, which sustained damage to its superstructure and part of the hull.
A Sydney wreck filled with marine life
The Coolooli has a length overall all (LOA) of 50 metres, the wreck is lying on her starboard side in situated roughly a west to east direction with the bucket train to the east. The wreck has several areas that divers can enter, but caution must be observed due to the continual degradation of the wreck. Sydney scuba divers can enter several overhead structures or voids such as the area where the bucket train passes between the port and starboard hulls, this area is usually shrouded in fish life, such as the both roughy or slender roughy. The power plant room is another area technical Sydney scuba divers can enter but the entrance is hard to find unless shown by a local, the void has claimed the life at least one diver in the 1980’s, a plaque was laid at the base of a set of stairs but this cannot be seen any longer due to being covered by debris from one of the many internal structure cave in’s.
Plenty of fish on this Sydney wreck dive
Scuba divers can encounter Large kingfish on the upper hull area, however has gotten rarer and rare due to over fishing, the best time to see these fish or even the occasional Australian fur seal is when divers first descend to the wreck. In the area where the bucket train reach’s the main hull was the control room, this large section of the superstructure has now all but completely collapsed, several thick ‘I’ beams are still standing, showing the general area where the control man once operated the dredging control’s. Sydney scuba divers can see smaller school’s of whiting, morwong and is home to Port Jackson sharks and large wobbegong sharks. Giant cuttlefish can also be found in many areas of the wreck.
Come wreck diving with us!
Sydney wreck diving doesn’t get much better than this. Dive Sydney with the best scuba diving team in the business!




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%


