Plunge into Melbourne's best dive sites and discover an underwater world filled with sea dragons, octopuses, rays and seals.
Melbourne and its surrounds offer unique dive sites for the intrepid diver. Within the city you can dive at Melbourne Aquarium but step further outside and you'll find options in Portsea, Geelong, Queenscliff, Mornington Peninsula and Phillip Island.
While it might be convenient to stay in the city, these alternate locations offer incredible marine experiences and allow you to swim among the HMAS Canberra shipwreck, Port Phillip Heads, Lonsdale Wall and Mushroom Reef, Port Danger and Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuaries.
We've found options that take you there and are perfect for advanced divers and those just testing the waters below.
Our top picks for scuba diving in Melbourne:
Best for small groups and iconic locations: PADI Discover Scuba Phillip Island, San Remo from finder.com
Highlights:
- Cost: $299
- Duration: 3 hours
- Meet-up location: Marine Parade, San Remo
- Diving location: Around Phillip Island
- Suitable for: No experience necessary
- More details: Available weekends only, maximum of four students per group
Best for value: Shark Diving at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium, Melbourne from RedBalloon
Highlights:
- Cost: $299
- Duration: Dive is 25–30 minutes
- Pick-up location: None, meet at aquarium
- Diving location: Melbourne Aquarium
- Suitable for: Ages 14+, no experience necessary
- More details: Includes general admission to aquarium. Experience includes scuba training sessions and behind-the-scenes look at the aquarium. You'll get to swim with the resident grey nurse shark, blacktip reef sharks, largetooth sawfish, rays, groupers and more.
Best for kids: Scuba Diving with Sea Dragons with Bayplay, Portsea from RedBalloon
Highlights:
- Cost: $195
- Duration: 4 hours
- Meet-up location: Bayplay Adventure Tours, Portsea
- Diving location: Port Phillip Bay to see the weedy sea dragons
- Suitable for: Kids 12+ years, no experience necessary
- More details: Family packages available starting from $699 for 2 adults and 2 kids
Best for first-timers: PADI Open Water Course with Bayplay, Portsea from RedBalloon
Highlights:
- Cost: $695
- Duration: 2 days
- Meet-up location: Bayplay, Portsea
- Diving location: Pool practice and Port Phillip Bay
- Suitable for: xxx (age/experience)
- More details: Learn to dive up to 18 metres over 2 days. Includes 4 open water dives and pool practice.
Best for experienced divers: Advanced Open Water Scuba Diving Course with Bayplay, Portsea from RedBalloon
Highlights:
- Cost: $595
- Duration: 2 days
- Meet-up location: Bayplay, Portsea
- Diving location: 5 open water dives in the area
- Suitable for: Must be PADI Open Water Diver certified
- More details: All gear is supplied and experience includes a deep dive, night drive and choice of drift or wreck dive.
Compare scuba diving experiences in and around Melbourne
We compare the above-mentioned options (and then some) by location, price, duration and extras to give a better idea of what you're setting yourself up for.
| Diving company | Location | Experience | Duration | Includes | Suitable for | Price (from) | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Adventures Phillip Island | San Remo | PADI Discover Scuba Phillip Island | 3 hours | All equipment | Beginners | $199 | Finder |
| Bayplay | Portsea | Scuba Diving with Sea Dragons | 4 hours | All scuba diving equipment | Beginners | $155 (child) $195 (adult) | RedBalloon |
| Bayplay | Portsea | Scuba Diving PADI Refresher Course | 4 hours | Theory knowledge review, confined water skills review, open water dive, all scuba diving equipment | Certified PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent | $195 | RedBalloon |
| Melbourne Aquarium | Melbourne | Shark Diving at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium | 3 hours | All equipment, general admission into the aquarium | Beginners | $299 | RedBalloon |
| Bayplay | Portsea | PADI Open Water Course | 2 days | All scuba diving equipment | Beginners | $695 | RedBalloon |
| Bayplay | Portsea | 3-day Rescue Diver Course | 3 days | All scuba diving equipment | Certified PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent | $595 | Gift It Now |
| Bayplay | Portsea | 2-day Advanced Open Water Scuba Diving Course | 2 days | All scuba diving equipment | Certified PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or equivalent | $595 | Gift It Now |
| Bayplay | Portsea | Divemaster Course | 3 days | All scuba diving equipment | PADI Rescue Diver or equivalent | $1,495 | Gift It Now |
Scuba diving deals in Melbourne
RedBalloon
Extra 20% off site-wide
Bonus savings available on any activity like skydiving, hot air ballooning, sightseeing, helicopter scenic flight, rally car driving, scuba diving, snorkeling and more. Minimum spend of $150. T&Cs apply.
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Coupon code ends
RedBalloon
Up to 50% off experiences + extra 10% off with code
Valid on all dates, including over Christmas on activities like skydiving, quad biking, bridge climbing, canyoning, hot air ballooning, helicopter scenic flights, abseiling, scuba diving, ghost tours and more. T&Cs apply.
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Coupon code ends
Adrenaline
Up to 67% off + extra $15 off with code
Valid sitewide on experiences $79 or more across Australia including skydiving, ghost tours, driving, go karting, sailing, hot air ballooning, diving, bridge climbing, scuba diving and more. T&Cs apply.
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Adrenaline
$30 off activities and experiences
Valid on select dates and activities like hot air ballooning, skydiving, horse riding, ghost tours, surf lessons, scuba diving, theme parks and more. Destinations are Sydney, Perth, Gold Coast and Melbourne. Minimum spend of $179. T&Cs apply.
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Adrenaline
Up to 40% off water sports activities
Valid on select dates and activities like whale watching, sailing, jet ski, scuba diving, kayaking, parasailing, fishing and more. Destinations are Sydney, Perth, Gold Coast and Melbourne. T&Cs apply.
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Popular Tourist Attractions & Experiences coupon codes
| Last checked | Code description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Mar 2019 | Extra 20% off site-wide | BON**** |
| 26 Mar 2019 | Up to 50% off experiences + extra 10% off with code | FIN**** |
| 13 Feb 2019 | Up to 67% off + extra $15 off with code | EXT**** |
| 29 Jan 2019 | $30 off activities and experiences | SUM**** |
| 15 Feb 2019 | Extra 15% off first Groupon purchase | BRA**** |
| 25 Mar 2019 | Italy: Rome sightseeing from $72 | ******** |
