Cocos (Keeling) Islands · Australia · Reef
Lane Cove
Reef top at 10 m, then a short drop to 18 m on the eastern side
Area photo: photoboothrental.com · CC BY-SA 3.0
One of the more popular sites on the atoll and one of the most weather-dependent, with a shallow reef top around 10 m and a short drop on its eastern side to 18 m before the ground slopes away into open ocean. It needs winds under 10 knots and minimal swell, so it is usually dived in the summer months.
Where it is and how deep
12.0688° S, 96.8404° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Most of the dive happens on a shallow reef top sitting around 10 m, which is where the boat drops you and where the bulk of the bottom time gets spent. It is easy ground to work at that depth. Lane Cove is described as one of the most popular sites the local operation runs, and what limits it is the weather on the day rather than anything about the diving itself.
The eastern side is where it changes. A short drop takes you down to 18 m, and from there the ground keeps going, sloping away into the ocean depths beyond the point where a recreational dive follows it. Treat 18 m as the turn and work the edge rather than the slope, then come back up onto the reef top to finish the dive shallow.
The site can be affected by current, and how much it is running shapes the plan — whether you swim out to the eastern drop first or stay on the reef top. Conditions on the surface matter just as much: this is the site the operation cancels when the wind gets up, and the published requirement is winds below 10 knots with minimal swell before it is run at all.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good |
Season follows Cocos (Keeling) Islands: Divable year-round; Apr–Jun and Oct–Nov are calmest, with the wet season from December to March bringing more wind.
Know before you go
- Current can run across the site; check it on the surface and start into it if it is moving so the return is with the flow.
- Past the 18 m drop the ground slopes on into open ocean, an easy place to go deeper than planned without noticing.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Lane Cove?+
The reef top sits around 10 m, with a short drop on the eastern side to 18 m before the ground slopes away into the ocean depths.
When is the best time to dive Lane Cove?+
It is weather-dependent and needs winds below 10 knots with minimal swell, so it is usually dived during the summer months.
Sources
- Lane Cove - Cocos (Keeling) Islands — Scubago / SSI MyDiveGuide
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