Old Pier Beach, also known as Murphy's Beach, offers an ideal introduction to shore diving in Tasmania's surprisingly clear waters. This sheltered site delivers consistent visibility between 12 and 30 metres, making it perfect for building confidence in your first ocean dives. You'll enter from the beach into calm, shallow waters where mild currents make navigation straightforward. The reef structure provides enough interest to keep things engaging without overwhelming new divers. Keep your eyes on the reef for seahorses clinging to soft corals and kelp - they're well camouflaged but worth the patient search. Various fish species patrol the area, giving you plenty to observe while you focus on buoyancy and breathing. The site works well for practising fundamental skills in real ocean conditions. You can stay in the shallows to work on technique or venture slightly deeper as your comfort grows. With parking available right at the site, you'll spend less time hauling gear and more time underwater. Plan your visit between November and March when water temperatures are warmest and conditions most stable. The gentle environment means you can concentrate on enjoying the dive rather than fighting the elements.

Mattingleys Beach offers one of Tasmania's most accessible shore dives, perfect for building your confidence in cold water diving. You'll walk straight into calm, protected waters where visibility ranges from clear to crystal clear at 30 metres, depending on recent weather and tides. The shallow seagrass beds here harbour an impressive variety of life that's easy to spot even for first-time divers. Weedy seadragons drift through the swaying grass alongside colourful wrasse and curious leatherjackets. Look closely among the fronds and you'll find octopus, sea stars, and anemones tucked into their preferred spots. Patches of kelp forest add vertical interest to your dive, swaying gently in the variable currents. The main consideration here is water temperature. You'll need at least a 7mm wetsuit or dry suit year-round, as Tasmanian waters stay cold even in summer. The shore entry is straightforward with good facilities including toilets and parking right at the site. The site works well across most months, making it a reliable option when you want to dive without complicated logistics. Take your time in the shallows and you'll be rewarded with close encounters with Tasmania's unique temperate marine life.

The Monument serves up proper deep diving in Tasmania's notoriously challenging waters, with depths reaching 40 metres that demand meticulous dive planning and decompression management. Shore access keeps things straightforward, but strong currents require solid finning technique and situational awareness throughout the dive. Visibility ranges from 5 to 12 metres, which feels generous considering the conditions, though you'll want a decent torch to spot the site's impressive array of macro life. The soft sponge growth coating the reef creates shelter for seahorses, cuttlefish and octopus, all of which reward patient observation. Nudibranchs patrol the substrate in surprising variety. Cold water temperatures mean you're looking at a drysuit or thick wetsuit, and nitrogen narcosis becomes a consideration at depth, particularly when trying to photograph skittish cuttlefish at 30 metres. The current picks up unpredictably, so keep an eye on your air consumption and no-decompression limits. December through March offers the most stable conditions, though 'stable' remains relative in Tasmanian waters. This isn't a casual dive. Bring your A-game, dive with an experienced buddy, and treat the depth and current with respect.