Located at the end of the Cronulla Peninsula on the southern outskirts of Sydney, Bass and Flinders is a very popular dive location, especially for learners and novice divers.

After gearing up, head down the remains of the road to the west (this is where the old road used to run down right to the dive site). The entry spot is to the left as you come to the end of the road. This is one of the easiest dive entry and exit spots that you will ever encounter. Enter the water and once all are in, descend and then head to the west and follow the reef.

Gorgeous Reef

Inner Water Tower (off Kurnell)

Schnapper Rock A Multilevel dive requiring a flood tide - the dive should be started no later than three hours before high tide. Best done as a drift dive. Entry/Exit - a bit of a trek from Schnapper Rock car park to the entry, which is a straightforward rock entry. Exit point is at the bottom of Schnapper Rock car park. Head north over patchy kelp, passing over large sandstone boulders. Continue north until you hit a bare rock shelf, beyond it a drop-off to about 22 metres, turn left and go with the flow. From here the dive gets progressively shallower. Incredible array of sponges, ascidians, bryozoans, leatherjackets, wrasse, groper, dwarf lionfish, scorpion cod and sea horses. Depth: 16 metres Rating: Advanced can be subject to currents Inscription Point You can enter and leave at Schapper Rock or Inscription Point. The area holds a staggering diversity of marine life. Weedy sea dragons are everywhere here. In the kelp and on the edges of the kelp is the best place to find them. Also expect incredible sponges, ascidians, bryzoans, leather jackets, wrasse, groper, dwarf lionfish, scorpion cod, cuttle fish, Luderick, silver sweep, stripeys, red morwong, sergeant bakers, octopus and sea horses - not to mention all the macro life along with it. Many swim throughs, overhangs and little gullies to explore. Best visibility is on the slack high tide Scuba Diver Australasia Magazine

Located within Port Hacking again a very easy site if you stick close to the shore line. You can get to 20+m here although not much to see. 

Like Merries reef further to the north, the top of the reef is generally covered in kelp and or sponges. Once you drop of the scenery rapidly changes and the best spots are where the top of the reef plunges down to 20 metres or more. After descending down the anchor line and you haven't found the reef, swim to the north. The best dive is usually had when you keep the reef on your right shoulder and swim in an easterly direction. If the anchor was placed in the correct location you should come across a cave after only a few metres.

You can enter the cave a little to see the gorgonias in their hundreds. Continue to the east, past a small overhang after which the reef turns to the south. Even more marine life can be found on these walls. When you move on further you will see some large boulders and then a sandy patch on your left hand side. Past this, there are more rocks which most divers only briefly get to see because by now most people will have used half their air supply.

If you have some left you can continue on a little further, reaching 24 metres as maximum depth. No matter how far you go (or what route you take) you should to return to the anchor line, keeping the reef on your left hand, when you have used half your air supply. On returning to the anchor line a safety stop is always needed due to the depth of this dive.

This period is often made a lot easier due to the presence of blue gropers and wrasse that are often looking for an easy meal. Visibility here is usually quite good, with 9-12 metres being average.

The best time to dive and the best visibility can be achieved when diving on the high tide after the clean water has been brought in. You should add around 20 minutes to the tide charts for this dive site, and you should get a nice leisurely dive. This site is renowned for strong currents between slack tide, so care should be taken prior to jumping in.
An aquatic reserve, Shiprock is located off Little Turrell Point on the western side of Port Hacking. You climb down (and up) a steep path at the end of Shiprock Road or it's possible to dive this site by boat. High tide is best but only ever try it on a slack tide as the current can be quite vicious during tidal change.
To begin your dive, enter the water from the boat ramp located at the water's edge. The underwater portion of the sandstone cliff face at Shiprock begins with an intertidal ledge about three metres wide. This connects to an almost vertical wall descending for 15 metres meeting a seabed comprising of rubble, sand and silt. The wall is stepped in a series of ledges; numerous cracks, caves and grottos are found along the cliff face. The wall runs north south and is festooned with corals, ascidians, bryozoans and other fixed life.

Shiprock is an Aquatic Reserve therefore there are thousands of fish scattered around the site from bream, luderick to more exotic species such as anglerfish and gobies. Tropical and sub-tropical fish can be found here including lionfish, angelfish, seahorses, cowry shells, nudibranchs, morwongs, moray eels, leatherjackets, starfish, coral crabs, scorpionfish, old wives, many species of hydroids, sponges and feather duster worms.

Depth: 15 metres    Rating: Novice to Advanced

Source: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~diving/articles/publish.htm

If you have anchored on the south eastern section of the reef, you should find the reef here to be the most distinct. Swimming westwards you should find diving conditions being better as you go along. Although many people feel that this reef has little to offer scuba divers, it is a great site for rougher sea conditions or for novice divers.

There are a couple of small overhangs and some swim-throughs that offer hiding places for all kinds of fish and sea life. Having followed the reef for 20 minutes, you should then start thinking about returning to the anchor line. This dive is not just suited for bad weather; the site itself is worth diving and is often used as second dive because of its shallow nature and close proximity to Port Hacking.

The SS Hilda was a twin screw steamed built in Glasgow in 1879.  She was wrecked off Cape Bailey lighthouse on the northern headland at Kurnell on the 20th June, 1893. 

Unlike most shipwrecks off Sydney, the Hilda did not founder due to storms and heavy seas.  Carrying a load of coal from the Illawarra region to Sydney, the Captain left the ship in charge with the helmsman at around 1am, whilst he went downstairs.  The captain returned a short time later and seeing that the ship was almost on the rocks, gave the order to reverse engines.  The ship crashed onto the rocks below the cliffs, but slid off again due to the engines being in reverse.  The ship sank in about 5 minutes.

Today, due to the relatively shallow depth this wreck is located in, there is not much left apart from a debris trail on the ocean floor.  This still makes a great dive and the challenge is there to find and identify the various features of this wreck.
 

After entering the water, swim towards Bare Island for about 20 metres.  Descend here amongst the large boulders and make you rway down to the sand at around 10 metres.

Follow the sand edge to the east and the water gradually gets deeper to about 15 metres. When looking at the sponge covered rocks,  have a closer look and you will notice a large variety of different species of nudibranchs. The rocks are also home to numerous other species including Blue Throated Ascidians, Lace Coral, Sea Fans, Tube Worms and Sea Squirts.  Many of the rocks are covered with a redish weed. If you look very carefully at this weed, you may even discover a pygmy pipe horse.

On the sand at the 12 to 15 metres level, in the area up to 3 or 4 metres from the rocks, you should see beautiful common sea dragons, but you must look carefully for they can easily be mistaken for pieces of kelp.  In the late winter and early spring period look close and you may even see an egg laden male. 
 

Steves Secret Spot

This spot is located inside Kurnell National Park.  Drive past the visitor centre turnoff, and continue up the hill until you see the gravel carpark on the right hand side past the "steps" carpark. 

Take care climbing down the narrow track for this dive, and when you reach the bottom be VERY CAREFUL not to slip on the blackish slime on the rock shelf, especially if wet. If you do not take care YOU WILL SLIP OVER!

This site is done as a drift dive, and although I have heard or certain dive stores getting customers out at the same spot, I'd prefer not to become the "limpet on a rock".

Swimming directly out from the entry, you will drop down to around 22 metres.  You will find a number of bommies here and if you look carefully you may even spot the occasional seahorse or two.  Swimming further, the depth will decrease to around 10-12 metres.  For the most part, exiting at the steps is the easiest.  I prefer to get the gear together, pull on the wetsuit or drysuit and then move the vehicle down to the steps carpark rather than climbing all the way up then having to walk up the road with full gear on.

The entry and exit point for this dive are both in the same spot (unless you do it as a drift dive). It's a little channel between the rocks right in front of the flagpole. It is one of the easiest entries in that you can sit on the rocks to put your fins on and in all but the most severe conditions, as there are no waves.

The Monument is a very easy dive site, with the relatively longer surface swim being the hardest part. Due to its location right in the bay, visibility can be a little worse here than the other sites around Kurnell. Overall however, it is still a very nice relaxing dive with usually lots to see.  Once you enter the water, snorkel out over kelp in a north easterly direction. There is a red navigation marker out in the bay and if you head towards it you are going in the right direction. Once you become sick of snorkelling you can descend as sometimes large rays are seen swimming over the kelp. At this point you will be in about 4 mt of water so continue to follow your compass until you come to a drop off.  Drop over the wall for the main part of the dive.  If visibility is poor the top of the wall also makes an interesting dive. Swim along with the wall on your right.

The Monument is a great dive to take a torch, as there are numerous overhangs where you could see anything from large Cuttlefish to Blue Devils, Wobbegongs and even the occasional Banded Coral Shrimp.

This dive is often done as a drift on an outgoing tide where you can drift around to Sutherland Point, or even the Steps depending on air supply

After entering the water, swim towards Bare Island for about 20 metres.  Descend here amongst the large boulders and make you rway down to the sand at around 10 metres.

Follow the sand edge to the east and the water gradually gets deeper to about 15 metres. When looking at the sponge covered rocks,  have a closer look and you will notice a large variety of different species of nudibranchs. The rocks are also home to numerous other species including Blue Throated Ascidians, Lace Coral, Sea Fans, Tube Worms and Sea Squirts.  Many of the rocks are covered with a redish weed. If you look very carefully at this weed, you may even discover a pygmy pipe horse. 

On the sand at the 12 to 15 metres level, in the area up to 3 or 4 metres from the rocks, you should see beautiful common sea dragons, but you must look carefully for they can easily be mistaken for pieces of kelp.  In the late winter and early spring period look close and you may even see an egg laden male.  

Watts Reef

Weedy Wall

A few hundred meters north of Oak Park provides an alternative entry point to the reef with a shorter swim to the "cave" and 'fish soup". Again a very easy dive for beginners and experts.

Yena Gap