Are there any good dive resorts not too far from Melbourne? I know the 'not too far' is quite subjective! Well basically, is there anything closer than going all the way up to the Whitsunday Islands? I'm a beginner, so please suggest a place which has gentle currents and warm water!
There is some great diving to be done in Melbourne, but it is not 'resort' diving.
There are some awesome shore dives with lots of cool creatures to check out. Some pics from
shore dives and also from
Melbourne in general. By Melbourne am thinking of the bottom end of the Bay, where most of the charters are located.
If you like reef diving I would recommend a dive on the
Wall, or
Castle Rock or Pope's Eye, which is a great shallow dive with lots of fish life. If you like seals perhaps a trip out to
Chinaman's Hat. All these dives do have currents, so I guess it will depend on how comfortable you are. The dive operators are can provide you with a DM/guide to make sure you are comfortable though.
Most of the wrecks around Vic are below 18m, however, if you are certified to dive on them they are amazing. The
J class subs in particular are a huge favorite.
If you are after balmy warm water though you will have to travel further up the coast, so either the GBR, or perhaps somewhere like South West Rocks or Solitary Islands where you do start to get warmer water and more tropical animals as a result.
Hope you enjoy your trip! Tehre is so much great diving to be done in Oz!