Top Gold Coast Scuba Diving

The exotic marine life of Wave Break Island offers a spectacular backdrop for a scuba diving adventure, and this half-day scuba diving tour is open to all levels. Choose a beginner-friendly dive, accompanied by a PADI instructor, or a solo dive for certified divers only, and marvel at the underwater world of the Gold Coast.

Go scuba diving off Wave Break Island on this tour from Queensland's Gold Coast. You'll have the chance to spot some of the island's 450 species of fish and other marine life. Beginner divers are welcome.

On 3/2/1887, the Scottish Prince was proceeding northward along the east coast on the final stages of a voyage from Glasgow to Brisbane. At 11:40pm the master left the deck, leaving the second mate in charge—who had never sailed these waters before. Shortly after midnight the vessel ran aground. Several unsuccessful attempts were made by steamers to tow the ship off the bar. Within a few days, south-easterly weather conditions deteriorated. The ship keeled over and was abandoned. Over time the decks opened up allowing cases of cargo including sewing machines, drapery, whiskey, beer and mineral waters to be washed ashore. The bow of the iron hull is pointing towards the shore and is broken into three main sections. The bow and stern are both reasonably intact; however the side plates and decks have collapsed. It is now a habitat which provides food and shelter for a variety of marine life including sponges, corals, pelagic and reef fish, rays, octopus and wobbegong sharks.

If you’re already a qualified scuba diver, take your skills to a whole new level and increase your depth range with a 3-day Advanced Open Water Diver course. Besides two compulsory dives, one to 100 feet (30 meters) and one using a compass to navigate, hone your skills with your choice of three specialisms, from buoyancy to night diving. The package price includes all gear and daily round-trip transfers.

Cook Island, a short boat trip from the Gold Coast, is an accessible and appealing dive site for all experience levels. A colourful and interesting mix of reef and pelagic fish call Cook Island home: pufferfish, gropers, surgeonfish, anemonefish, leatherjackets, parrotfish, trevally, bullseyes and sweetlips are some of the most common residents. Photographers will find plenty of photogenic subjects, with nudibranchs, stingrays, turtles, wobbegongs and even leopard sharks over summer.

If you have always wanted to achieve your scuba certification, this three-day course offers the opportunity to learn in some of the world's richest waters. Starting in the classroom, you will learn scuba's basic principals before moving first into the pool, and then into the open ocean to apply your newly learned skills. The course requires no prior experience and provides all necessary equipment and a certification card after completion.

Scuba divers describe the Rescue Diver course as the most challenging, yet most rewarding course they’ve ever taken. Why? Because you learn to prevent and manage problems in the water, and become more confident in your skills as a diver, knowing that you can help others if needed. During the course, you learn to become a better buddy by practicing problem solving skills until they become second nature. Plus, the course is just fun – it’s serious, but still allows for lots of laughter in between the focused learning.