Rapid Bay · Australia · Artificial reef · Muck & macro
New Rapid Bay Jetty
Stairs at the jetty end put you straight onto shallow pylons.
Area photo: Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA 3.0
The new jetty was completed in 2009 to replace the public amenity lost as the old BHP jetty closed, and it doubles as the easiest dive in Rapid Bay. A staircase at the seaward end drops divers straight onto pylons that have been colonising ever since, in water shallow enough to spend a long, unhurried dive on a single tank.
Also known as Public Jetty.
Where it is and how deep
35.5213° S, 138.1859° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Walk out along the concrete decking to the seaward end, where a staircase gives a safe and easy entry into the water; on a high tide you can giant-stride off the jetty instead. The pylons start immediately below, and the end of the new jetty is only about 5 m deep at low tide, so this is a slow shallow potter rather than a profile you have to plan around.
The 240-metre structure has been colonised by marine life since it opened and now augments the more established communities on and around the historic jetty, 50 metres to the west. Divers after the leafy seadragons carry on across that gap underwater; anyone happy to stay put can work the new jetty's piles and the seafloor between them. The deck above is artificially lit after dark and is a popular spot for recreational fishing.
Background
Construction of the new jetty was completed in 2009, replacing the public amenity lost through the progressive closure of the storm-damaged BHP jetty. It runs 240 metres from the beach, 50 metres east of the old structure, and has concrete decking, lighting after dark and a staircase at its seaward end that gives divers and snorkelers safe entry. Its piles have since been colonised by marine life that augments the older ecological communities around the historic jetty.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime |
Season follows Rapid Bay: Seadragons are resident year-round; summer (Dec–Mar) brings the calmest seas and best visibility, while winter swell and cold make access harder.
Know before you go
- The jetty is a popular recreational fishing spot, so lines and hooks come down around the pylons — surface with care and carry a cutting tool.
Dive videos
Rapid Bay Jetty Jan '16 · Eben Viljoen on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can beginners dive the new Rapid Bay jetty?+
Yes. A staircase at the seaward end gives safe and easy entry, the water at the end of the jetty is only about 5 m deep at low tide, and there is no long swim before the dive starts.
When was the new Rapid Bay jetty built?+
It was completed in 2009: 240 metres long and 50 metres east of the old BHP jetty, built to replace the public amenity lost as the older jetty was progressively closed.
Sources
- Rapid Bay, South Australia — Wikipedia
- Rapid Bay Jetty (Shore Diving) — Diving Adelaide
- Diving in South Australia/Rapid Bay Jetty — Wikivoyage
More dive sites in Rapid Bay
Reef
A 50 m limestone patch on sand, honeycombed with holes and crevices
A resident leafy seadragon population lives under the old jetty.
Folded, weed-covered rock sloping off the point to sand at 9 m
Caves, overhangs and seagrass channels in 10 m of water.
Similar dives elsewhere
Wobbegongs and grey nurse under a working navy jetty
Wobbegongs, grey nurse and whitetips under a working navy jetty
More than a hundred nudibranch species under one pier
Mimic, wonderpus and blue-ringed octopus under the pillars