The Slide

The Slide is not as often dived as the more popular dives around Terrigal Haven. However, there are a small core of devotees who regard this dive as the best shore dive in the area. The area is a common spearfishing site as well.

The Slide is on the southern rock platform from the Skillion facing toward Avoca Beach. Because of its totally different aspect to the Skillion Cave site, you will often be able to dive when the Cave is out. If the swell and wind is coming in from the south, this site is very exposed but quite protected from the East and especially the North.

Park a little further on from the main Skillion Carpark. You will see a dirt track leading down from the road to the rock platform. Gear up and make your way down to the site. There are two entries to the site. You can enter from the large rock at the water edge that gives this site its name. I sit down, put my fins on and let the next swell take me off the slide. Be careful, the rocks can be very slippery !! The second option is the small channel on the left hand side of the Slide Rock. You can sit on the edge of the slide rock, put on your fins and push yourself off the rock to enter the water. Once in, swim down the channel and out into clear water. The channel is very shallow, especially at low tide so be careful here also. You can exit at either entry point.

Make your way out across and down the reef. The reef is bare coralline rocks but the fish life in the area is generally very good. In the shallows, you will encounter some very large boulders that reach back up towards the surface. These boulders are covered in kelp and some growth worth looking at.

The reef slope is made up of small boulders and rocks. Once you hit ~13m, the reef will drop off more sharply to ~18m. It is in this area and along the sand line of the reef that the magnificent sponge gardens can be found. You will find the dense sponge growth in the 15-18m zone along with patches of kelp. Once at the reef edge, you can just dive up and down the reef edge, looking for critters as you go. Once you are done, return to the point where you encountered the reef edge and just make your way back up the reef slope toward the entry/exit. Do your safety stop in 5m and once in ~2-3m surface to check you are where you expected before heading for the exit on the surface.

Due to all the sponge growth at this site, the Nudibranch population is equally as extreme. There are also plenty of fish in the area and don't be surprised if you are visited by schools of Australian Salmon (Arripis trutta) or Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) on your dive.

If you wish to dive the site from a boat, the GPS mark is S33º27.171' E151º27.071 (WGS84 hdddºmm.mmm'). Anchor in ~16m and this will put you right in the sponge gardens.

A very good dive and certainly a good option when the conditions allow.