Fast Facts - Northern Site

A 12 month monitoring study of the Main Beach site by International Coastal Management (ICM), in partnership with the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management (GCCM) found it was suitable for a Gold Coast Artificial Dive Attraction for the following reasons:

• Prime location 2.3 kilometres off Main Beach and 1.8 kilometres east of the existing Scottish Prince wreck
• The site would be accessible at least 220 days per year via the Seaway
• 50 per cent of those days would have ‘calm’ conditions (where thresholds for currents, wind and waves are not exceeded)
• Low environmental impact, with a sandy seabed and small, low lying rock outcrops in the 500 metre exclusion zone
• The potential to attract diverse marine life
• Visibility averaging 10.7 metres, with average visibility not falling below 2 metres
• Average wind speed consistently below the 20 knot threshold 93 per cent of the year, with maximum gusts below this threshold 67 per cent of the time
• Average currents of 0.5 knots, staying below 1 knot more than 93 per cent of the time
• Waves averaging 1.9 metres, with site access approximately 215 days per year during monitoring and historically 223 days per year
• Vessels such as catamarans with good stability will provide significantly higher diveable days per year, with waves the key factor to accessibility
• Desirable water depth at 30 metres
• Avoids navigational channels into the Gold Coast Seaway and existing reef structures