Cape Woolamai is the south-east tip of Phillip Island, the highest point on the island and one of the most exposed bits of coast you can dive in Victoria. The reef around the cape runs to about 22 m and holds crayfish, abalone, weedy seadragons, blue devils and dense kelp-and-sponge cover. The cape sits offshore enough that it picks up swell from a wide arc — east through south-west — so flat-day windows are rare and worth jumping on. Boat access from Newhaven or San Remo. Best on light northerly winds, swell under a metre and tide near slack so current along the cape stays manageable. Use the live 7-day wind and swell forecast on this page to spot the right day. Advanced divers only — current can run hard around the headland, swell wraps unpredictably, and the surface chop builds quickly if the wind switches.
How far you can see underwater — measured in metres. 10m+ is great, 5–10m is workable, under 3m is murk. Driven by wind, swell, and recent rain.
Long-period waves rolling in from the open ocean. Direction matters more than height — a S swell hits Portsea hard, but an E swell rolls past. Period over 12 s = real ocean punch.
Offshore (N or NE) flattens the surface and clears the water. Onshore (SE through SW) chops it up and stirs sand. Calm or light offshore is the magic combo.
This site faces the open ocean. The exposure caption above shows which directions slam in. Anything from the opposite side gets blocked — that's the safest window.
Slack water — the 30 minutes either side of high or low — is calmest and clearest. Mid-tide brings the most flow. Plan to be down at slack, up before the run picks up.
Bass Strait sits 14–16 °C autumn–winter, 17–19 °C summer. Below 16° a 7 mm hooded keeps you warm for 60 min+. Drysuit if you're going long.