The Gold Coast is famous for its long sandy beaches, surfing spots and elaborate system of inland canals and waterways. It also offers hiking trails that crisscross Lamington National Park’s mountain ridges and valleys which are home to rare birds and rainforest. There is a diversity of dive sites that are home to an array of marine life throughout the year.
The Cook Island Marine Reserve on its doorstep, it is rich with both reef and pelagic fish including puffer fish, groupers, surgeonfish, anemone fish, leatherjackets, parrotfish, trevally, bulls eyes and sweetlips.
There are dive sites suitable for all levels of divers and for wreck divers, the nearby historic wreck of the Scottish Prince is a living reef that’s bursting with color and teeming with life.
The Gold Coast offers scuba diving all year round. The climate is sub-tropical which makes for consistently warm daytime temperatures regardless of the time of year. During the winter months, water temperatures are rarely below 19°C / 66.2°F and most divers will be comfortable in a 7mm wetsuit with hood depending on your personal comfort levels. During summer months water temperatures hover at around 24°C to 26°C or 75°F to 79°F. If you are hoping to see leopard sharks, sightings are most frequent between November and February. If you are planning to combine scuba diving with whale watching, minke whales and humpback whale watching tours are best from June to October with May and November being shoulder months.
If you are planning on flying to the Gold Coast, there are two main airports in the area. Coolangatta Airport (Gold Coast Airport) is located just outside of Gold Coast city, while Brisbane International Airport is around 90 minutes away by road.
Gold Coast Airport is a small airport located 27kms from Surfers Paradise. It is the most convenient airport for visiting the region, but due to its size, does not offer as broad a choice of flights as nearby Brisbane International. From Gold Coast Airport your options are limited to domestic flights to Adelaide, Hobart, Perth, Cairns, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, and Newcastle and a few international flights to South East Asia, New Zealand, the US and Europe.
Car rental is available from both airports upon arrival. There are direct trains from Brisbane to the Gold Coast but if you are travelling from other areas, you will need to change trains along the way. Buses to the Gold Coast are available from all major city bus terminals.
This page wouldn't be possible without contributions from the following PADI members: Queensland Scuba Diving Co, Gold Coast Dive Adventures. Disclaimer
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