Dive Down Under South Australian Scuba Tour

Scuba Diving Adventure Tours in South Australia

We have teamed up with our friends at Diving Adelaide to ensure that you are spoilt with the best diving diving tour in South Australia. Together with Diving Adelaide we offer you a perfect combination of diving in the clear waters of the Southern Ocean and a relaxed journey through some of Australia’s most famous wine regions and national parks. Our diving tours are carefully crafted to showcase our favourite dive spots, while also allowing plenty of time for short excursions. With us you get a comprehensive and diverse diving holiday while the non divers in your group are not forgotten.

Our dive spots are chosen to give you a broad range of diving experiences. Dive off jetties, boats, beaches, explore rock formations, the remains of ship wrecks and pristine reefs. Hopefully spot some world famous Leafy Seadragons, seahorses, pipefish, cuttlefish, pyjama squid, blue ringed octopus, frog fish, angler fish, sting rays, bull rays, Port Jackson sharks and even the occasional seal or dolphin. In winter whale watch for Southern Right and Humpback whales. Our above ground excursions focus on taking you to unique less travelled destinations. Visit the boutique winery, craft brewery, or vineyard restaurant with a great view that we go to with our friends. We avoid the crowds and mainstream where ever we can.

Facts

Where: Adelaide, Fleurieu Peninsula and Yorke Peninsula

When: Various dates on demand

Duration: 6 days and 5 nights

Diving skill level: Open water diver (max 18m).

Recommended training: PADI Advanced Open Water, PADI Night Diver.

Fitness level: Reasonable level of fitness required. Some shore entries require walking with full gear for a fair way.

Best season: Great diving all year round.

With its stunning Mediterranean landscape of rolling hills, farmlands, stone cottages, and vineyards the Fluerieu and York Peninsulas are in themselves great destinations. Add national parks, sandy beaches, rugged coastlines, pristine waters and exotic marine life, now you have a fantastic diving destination as well. Our Dive Down Under Scuba Tour takes you our favourite diving locations up and down the coast all within easy access of Adelaide.

Trip Itinerary

Day 1
Adelaide to Second Valley
We’ll meet at 9 am at the Diving Adelaide Centre at Glandore. We can collect you from Adelaide airport or your hotel if you are staying in the CBD or Glenelg areas. At Diving Adelaide we will sort, check, fit and load your gear before driving to Victor Harbour for our first dive. This is our best chance to see South Australia’s famous Leafy Seadragons. We will arrange an informal picnic lunch at Victor Harbour. In the afternoon we’ll head across the peninsula to Second Valley for the second dive of the day.

Second Valley boast a fine stretch of rocky reefs with lots of plant and animal life as well as some really interesting topography, all within easy access from the jetty. Look out for blue devils and more leafy seadragons. For the more adventurous, a 10 minute surface swim takes us to Lasseter’s Reef, a beautiful round reef with big schools of fish and many of South Australia’s more elusive species.

We’ll overnight in the Second Valley region in cottage or cabin style accommodation. All our accommodation options are chosen for providing unique experiences or for their spectacular settings. Dinner tonight will be at the historic Leonard’s Mill. This is a paddock to plate restaurant sourcing all its food direct from local farmers or from their own permaculture kitchen garden. An alternate comparative restaurant will organised on nights where Leonard’s Mill is not open.
Day 1
Day 2
Second Valley to Adelaide
Early breakfast at the accommodation followed by two dives at Rapid Bay in the morning. Rapid Bay Jetty is one of the most famous dives in South Australia for a reason. Below the water level, the historic jetty has been completely covered by a wide variety of sponges, corals, sea squirts, sea weeds and grasses. This budding ecosystem draws large schools of fish, but it is the variety of life that is the most impressive. From cuttlefish and calamari squid to tasselled anglerfish and frogfish and to tuna and dolphins, Rapid Bay Jetty never disappoints.

In the afternoon we will head back to Adelaide stopping at Yankalilla Bakery for lunch and as we pass the McLaren Vale we may pop into a winery or microbrewery to see what is new. We will stay at hotel accommodation near the beach at Glenelg. Dinner will be at Lucianos on the Glenelg Marina. After dinner you are free to explore the bars and pubs of Glenelg, or get the tram into the city, or just get an early night.
Day 2
Day 3
Adelaide to Edithburgh
Today, after breakfast we will head out for a double boat dive departing from the Glenelg Marina. These dives feature some of South Australia’s many shipwrecks like the Dredge and the Clarice. Boarfish are one of the key species to look out for here. After the dives we will have a casual lunch before departing for Edithburgh. If the conditions are right and the interest is there, we can organise a night dive at Edithburgh. The macro diving at Edithburgh is truly world class and we might expect to see blue ringed octopus, pyjama squid, sea horses, loads of nudibranchs and many other species. Dinner at the trendy little corner café.

We have a few accommodation options around Edithburgh depending on the group size and accommodation availability including the chance of staying at the lighthouse keepers cottages on an uninhabited island. If we are staying on the mainland we have a few accommodation options (depending on availability) featuring luxury holiday villas in coastal settings with windswept views.
Day 3
Day 4
Edithburgh
Early start for a morning dive from the jetty followed by breakfast at our accommodation. After breakfast we will head to the beautiful and wildly remote Innes National Park. The national park is famous for its spectacular coastal landscapes, rugged cliffs and sandy beaches. There are shipwrecks, lighthouses and ruins to discover, and we will take a few short walks to enjoy the wildlife and beaches where we can swim in the warmer months. The York Peninsular is Australia’s premium barley growing area. It is only appropriate that we call into Watsacowie Brewing Co on the way home to taste the efforts of the local farmers.

For those who still have energy, there will be another late afternoon and/or night dive at the jetty. We will stay the second night in the same accommodation. Dinner will be an Australian BBQ at our accommodation where we can relax and talk about the diving and the program for the days ahead.
Day 4
Day 5
Edithburgh to Clare Valley
Breakfast at our accommodation and then drive to our next diving spot at Port Hughes. Port Hughes is a jetty dive and is well known for the vibrant blue swimmer crabs and enormous nudibranchs who love to hide between the sponges, corals and weeds under the jetty. Depending on conditions and energy levels we will do one or two dives at the jetty. We will have a picnic lunch before driving onto Clare in the Clare Valley.

The beautiful CIare Valley is a small wine growing region two hours north of Adelaide. It at a higher elevation than the Barossa and McLaren Vale wine regions which has made it Australia’s premier riesling growing area. In Clare we will stay centrally in the well appointed Mill Apartments. Our accommodation is in easy walking distance to Knappstein Winery where we can taste some of the Valley’s famous produce (they also have a rather nice beer that they brew at the winery). As this is our last night of the Tour we will go to Seed Winehouse and Kitchen to celebrate a great week of exceptional diving.

Seed Winehouse and kitchen is located in a former 1880’s chaff mill. With its old stone walls, twisting gum pillars and original slate floor Seed has created a venue driven by a sense of place and season. Seed delivers a high quality dining experience and was awarded the "Best European Restaurant in South Australia” in 2016.
Day 5
Adelaide City
Day 6
Clare Valley to Adelaide
The length of the valley is dotted with small boutique wineries. A great way to experience the valley and visit the wineries is on bike riding along the Riesling Trail. The Riesling Trail follows a decommissioned railway line. It winds its way gently through the valley. We will spend half the day visiting a few of our favourite wineries on bike before heading back to Adelaide where our Tour will end. Lunch will be at a bakery on the way home.
Day 6

Upcoming International Tours

The Great South African Sardine Run

July 10th – 18th 2020

Japanese Temple, Mountain Forest & Food Tour

October 27th – November 2nd 2020

Upcoming Tours

march, 2024

All Australian tours are “on demand” tours but look for our specials on our blog page.

Have any questions?

Feel free to reach out and we're happy to answer any questions you may have.

WANT TO EXTEND YOUR STAY IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA?

Leafy Sea Dragons, The Shipwreck Coast, Innes National Park and the Cuttlefish migration off Whyalla (seasonal)

Add this on to an existing tour or as a stand alone tour, 7 days & 6 nights

Dive the Shipwreck Coast on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsular. Experience the world class diving at Edithburgh to see blue ringed octopus, pyjama squid, sea horses, nudibranchs then travel onto Stenhouse Bay on the Ship Wreck Coast in search of shipwrecks. 

We will have a day in the wildly remote Innes National Park with stunning coastal scenery and isolated beaches, or take short hikes to lighthouses, cliffs and swimming spots.

After which we will travel to the northern Yorke Peninsula and the Copper Coast to dive amongst the blue swimmer crabs and the enormous nudibranchs. We will take another dive to hunt for abalone and sea scollops which we can collect and cook for dinner (subject to regulations). There is also an opportunity to have a night dive if you are keen.

Diving the Yorke also gives us great opportunities to stay at some great accommodation where you will feel like you are the only person around. There is are plenty of opportunities to eat local seafood, relax at micro breweries (the Yorke is the centre for quality beer barley in Australia) and chill at a distillery that produces gin, vodka and whiskey from the paddocks next to the distillery. Sample the local drinks while looking out at a view as big as the horizon.

In there winter months we will head to the Upper Spencer Gulf to watch the incredible migration and mating of giant squid. Outside of the migration season we will spend a couple of nights in the picturesque Clare Valley  sampling the fine wines and foods. The Clare is famous for its Riesling wines but grows many other varietals. You can bike ride through the vineyard lined valley on an old rail trail stopping off at wineries as you go.

Who are Dive Adelaide?

Dive Adelaide are South Australia’s premier 5 star PADI dive centre, a Scubapro dealer of the year and PADI Green Star award holder. Check out their reviews on Trip Adviser.

Not a diver?

No problem! Many of the reefs and jetties can be explored on snorkel. Alternatively you can just relax on one of South Australia’s pristine white sand beaches.

Don’t have your PADI diving certificate?

We can arrange a training  course with Diving Adelaide, South Australia’s most popular 5* PADI dive centre. Do your Open Water certification or upgrade your current certification with us in Adelaide before the tour starts.

Fully escorted.

Your dive guide and/or another member of our team are with you all the way! We will organise everything for you and trouble shoot problems or unforeseen events. We will provided transfers to all activities and destinations on the itinerary. If you have any special requests we will work to incorporate them wherever possible.

Itinerary Changes.

Within the itinerary we may change the order of dives and activities to take advantage of local marine activities or in response to weather and sea conditions. When the sea condition makes diving impossible we will endeavour to organise an alternate activity. We will discuss these changes with you at our regular evening briefings.

If the itinerary specified restaurant or activity is closed on our scheduled day then we will always have a Plan B. Generally we will know at the time of your booking if your tour will overlap a scheduled closed day.

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