Top Snorkeling and Scuba Diving in Greater Geelong City

This is a nice dive for divers between 16m to 33m so it can be accessed by all level divers. (staying within their level of cert) This site is affected by currents and can be quite demanding at times, vis is also affected by surging currents and may vary from 1m to about 20m. for those suitably certified if you swim to the funnels you can drop down the funnels and you end up in the engine room. Also if you make your way to the galley on the mid deck towards the bow there is a mural painted on one of the walls which makes for a good photo. At this stage there is very little silting but I do believe this may not be the case within years to come, so you must asses this site to your own experience and cert level to determine how you will plan your dive. This site is approx 2km offshore between Barwon heads and Ocean grove and is accessible only from a boat. This site has limited access and is accessible via a commercial dive charter (Dive Victoria is a good option) Alternatively if you are using your own boat you must book a window (2hrs) for a mooring via parks Victoria.There are good moorings fixed to the bottom and they are well maintained. HMAS Canberra is also known as FFG-02 Ex HMAS Canberra.

"HMAS J4 was a J class submarine built by HM Dockyard at Pembroke in Wales and launched on 2 February 1916, was transferred to Australia on 25 March 1919 and operated out of Geelong in Victoria, paid off on 12 July 1922, was sold on 26 February 1924 but sank at her moorings at Williamstown on 10 July 1924, was raised and scuttled off Port Phillip in 1927" Source: Wikipedia.org J4 submarine is the shallowest of the subs located outside Port Phillip Bay. The wreck is broken in half. Port Phillip bay HMAS J4 Submarine is also known as Shallow submarine, 26m Submarine.

Walk-in off beach

Suggested dive on a high tide, I would walk down the peir until you get to the lowerlanding on the right hand side and do a wide stride entry. Descend to the bottom about 3m and proceed under the landing and peir to the outside wall of the peir. Head along the wall you will find cuttle fish and various fish life proceed up to near the end of the wall where you may encounter leafy sea dragons. When the wall ends and turns to the right I would suggest that you do a surface swim back towards the main part of the peir and continue along it until it is shallow enough to walk out. Beware of boat traffic in this last section. You will see the boats moored as you enter the water at the start of the dive off the lower platform. This site is easily found as it can be seen from either entry to Portarlington. There is ample parking and shower/toilet facilities in the car park to the right of the peir. Portarlington Peir is also known as Port peir.

"HMS J1 later HMAS J1 was a Royal Navy J class submarine built by HM Dockyard at Portsmouth in Hampshire and launched on 6 November 1915. J1 operated in patrols in the North Sea. In November 1916 a German force made up of half a destroyer flotilla, three dreadnoughts and a battlecruiser set out from port to rescue two submarines U-20 and U-30 that were stranded in fog off Jutland. On the return having only rescued one of the submarines the force passed J1 off Horns Reef on 5 November 1916. Two of the dreadnoughts, the SMS Kronprinz and SMS Großer Kurfürst were torpedoed earning J1's captain, Commander Laurence, a Bar to his DSO. The dreadnoughts were not sunk but managed to reach port where they had to remain for some time while undergoing repairs. She was transferred along with 5 other J class submarines to Australia on 25 March 1919 and operated out of Geelong in Victoria. She was paid off on 12 July 1922, sold on 26 February 1924 and sunk as a breakwater on 26 May 1926." Source: Wikipedia.org HMAS J1 Submarine is also known as 36m Submarine, Intact Sub.