An absolutely brilliant day out with Yongala Dive! From start to finish it was fun, relaxed and really well organised.
Had a bit of delay due to low tide but it was handled brilliantly and just added to the adventure. Great group of people too, lots of laughs all day.
The wreck itself is stunning and genuinely impressive. After a solid briefing we dived unguided, which made for lovely dives.
Highlights were the barbecue when we got back and Luis, one of the dive guides. Absolutely lovely, full of energy and so accommodating. And even though he'd disagree, for the short time he's been in Australia his English is really good. :)

Can't recommend these guys enough. Thank you for a fantastic day!

Great company to dive with Great experience and dive team. I hired all my dive gear which worked well. Organised, with clear instructions and information. Safe practices. Only a short trip to the dive site (so less chance of sea sickness ). Amazing dive X2 dives.

World class diving, world class service. Worth travelling across Australia for.

The team were caring, professional, fun and incredibly safety focused. The small group size made the whole experience feel relaxed and personal.

SS Yongala absolutely lived up to its reputation. Massive marine life everywhere, including giant groupers, turtles, sharks, rays and the resident giant trevallies.

One of the best dive experiences I’ve ever had.

Could not rate this dive/company more highly. My partner and I did 4 dives over two days and we’re already planning our next trip back.
The crew Matt, Mirko & Alicia were amazing, catering to diving veterans, to people that had just completed their open water.
We rented all our gear and have never been so relaxed & comfortable on a dive.
The wreck itself is second to none, insane amount of marine life/activity, stunning structure and the entry/exit is really practical and comfortable, even in reasonable swell. As they suggest, travel calm is a very good idea, it’s a fair distance off shore and seasick medication is one of the few things you can do to manage the conditions.

There’s no lugging tanks and gear around and the pick up/drop off at the beach was really impressive and a bit of fun too.

From start to finish we were really well informed about the schedule, conditions and dive site, nothing felt rushed or unclear.
The whole trip was really peaceful, organised and fun.

If you’re on the fence about visiting from a far or making the detour while passing through, 100% couldn’t recommend this dive more highly, Yongala Dive is a must, such a unique dive site run by absolute legends.

My partner and I booked to dive SS Yongala for my birthday and it was absolutely incredible.
We were well informed about the whole day, what was to be expected and what we were required to do.
It was one of the smoothest dives in regard to everything being organised for us. We simply had our fins and wetsuits sized up and relaxed while the crew organised everything for us.
The onboard atmosphere was fun and energetic. The crew were knowledgeable and looked after us.

It truly couldn’t have been better.
The wreck itself was phenomenal, there was marine life everywhere you looked. Some of the biggest turtles I have seen and we even saw pilot whales 🐋.

It was truly incredible, so if you are second guessing the trip out here or are unsure, this is your sign!!

Thank you to the team ❤️

Thoroughly enjoyed our two dives with Yongala Dive, on this iconic wreck. This is a world class dive with masses of life. Yongala Dive made the trip out there from Alva Beach and the 2 dives (with all equipment preparation and tank changes) seamless. The team on the boat - Matt, Mirko and Alicia - are exceptionally capable and friendly. Highly recommend for adventurers 🐠☀️

Not comfortable and questionable practices SSI Master Diver perspective.

I recently dived the SS Yongala with this operator in conditions that were significantly rougher than expected. While I understand offshore diving can involve swell and variable conditions, I personally found the overall safety culture and communication less conservative than what I would expect from a professional operation.

Before entry, divers were told to minimise movement on the vessel due to the sea state. When I attempted to properly test my own equipment, I was interrupted and instructed to finish gearing up and enter the water. In practice, this made it very difficult to conduct a calm and complete personal equipment verification onboard.

During the dive, the mouthpiece on my primary regulator was heavily worn and unstable in my mouth under surge/current conditions. I eventually had to switch to my alternate air source underwater. While using an octopus is of course part of diver training, needing to switch regulators during a recreational dive because of equipment condition is not something I consider normal or acceptable.

Several divers became seasick during the trip and conditions onboard were difficult for part of the group. The dive briefing also described the dive as “easy,” which did not match the overall surface conditions experienced that day.

To be fair, the crew remained calm and the underwater visibility/current itself was manageable once at depth. I also appreciate that offshore operations are complex and weather-dependent.

However, after the trip I noticed multiple reviews from other divers mentioning similar concerns regarding rough-condition management, communication about conditions beforehand, and equipment wear. Based on my own experience, I unfortunately cannot rate the operation more highly.

2/5

After more than 40 dives, this is the first time I have given negative feedback about a diving centre. A build-up of negative details made that the overall experience was not satisfactory.
- During the first dive, our guide took us around the shipwreck very quickly. Then we waited between 10 and 15 minutes at the rope for the first divers to run out of air and come up.
- The surface interval only lasted 30 minutes. So, we came up after only 35 minutes on the second dive because some divers had reached their decompression limit very fast. We had more than 80 bar of air left...
- The journey between the diving centre and the beach where the boat leaves is not organised by the diving centre. You have to take your own vehicle. You will also be asked to take your wet wetsuits back in your vehicles, which is not very convenient if you don't have a pick-up or a dry bag.
- The diving masks were only distributed shortly before the dive; mine was full of sand and smelt bad. When I asked the staff (Matt) if he could quickly rinse it in the sea before I putting it on, he said that the mask would be washed when I jumped in the water (tanks, I could have guessed that).
In short, this dive centre provides barely a minimum service, which I did not feel was worth the price paid. I mostly got the impression that the staff were just trying to finish their day as quickly as possible.

Very Impressive dive site, must go! One of the best site in Great Barrier Reef . Very impressive, group fish, beautiful corals, giant grouper, we had amazing times. Crews are very professional and welcoming. Mat is a funny guy :)
Totally worth the long drive and half hour choppy boat ride

What an amazing dive! What an amazing dive! The Yongala wreck site is a treasure trove of marine life. I couldn’t believe how many fish and creatures I saw, especially the sea snakes that really made the experience unforgettable. The dive guides were top-notch, making sure everyone was safe and had a great time. I would highly recommend this dive to anyone looking for an incredible underwater experience!

Yongala dive ticks the boxes Awesome trip that we have done a few times now. Regardless of where we dive we always compare it to Yongala. The volume of life is unreal. Have done the dive from both Alva and Townsville. Now simply do Alva. Great crew, quick trip and awesome diving.

Epic dives and very professional team! What an experience! The site is something special. Certainly the best site I have been to. Highlights include a Manta Ray and a Bull Shark. Enjoyed it so much I went twice.

Chelsea is a great instructor who made sure we maximised our time on the wreck. Matt made sure everything ran smoothly and is extremely knowledgeable about the site. Aidan and Daniella were both friendly and added to the experience. Overall a very professional set up that I could not recommend enough.

Negligent and heartless I sustained significant burns to both my feet by following their direct instructions to not bring shoes on the boat. On return to the beach, the hot sand seared both my feet.

It was other divers who administered first aid to me. The staff was a panicking wreck who couldn't even fetch a bucket of water when asked repeatedly.

I spent a night in hospital. Nobody from the dive centre reached out to check on me or offer any personal level of concern.

No assistance has ever been offered.

I incurred medical bills. I lost income. I needed to change jobs as being on my feet in work boots is still excruciating 18months on.

No refund was offered. My claim has been forwarded to their insurer who has not followed up in over 18months.

I just want to be treated correctly for the pain, damage and ongoing impact to my life your negligence has caused me.

I just want it acknowledged that you did this to me and your customers' health should be prioritised above keeping sand off your boat.

You're gutless!

Cancelled Last Minute Was booked to go for the dive, paid and all on the Monday. At 2:30pm the day before they email and say the dive is not yet confirmed and they will update me by 4pm and could I do 4 days later! - I made them aware this was my only time to do this dive as we were driving down and had plans already booked and could not stay in the area any longer. At 4:20pm they tell me the dive is cancelled for the Monday.

Unfortunately this would have been the only time I would be able to do this dive and also wasted time and money staying close by and going to Ayr which we can't get back.

I'd recommend going with a company that's reliable and don't cancelled the evening before.

Best dive ever! This was the best dive ever. Callum, AD and the crew at Yongala Dive made this a very memorable experience. We were well looked after, well informed and well fed! We will be back, there is so much to take in. Brilliant!

Amazing experience Amazing crew taking care of you with great knowledge. Beautiful life around the wreck turtles, sea snakes, eels, huge fish, little fish, rays really great dive!

Dive of a lifetime! I can't recommend this experience highly enough, one of the best times of my life and certainly lives up to it's title of 'one of the best dive sites in the world', beyond anything I could've imagined and exceeded my expectations and then some.

Lead by an amazing crew trio of Matt, AD and Callum, who know the site like the back of their hands, giving in-depth briefings, safety and support, historical background, comfortable accommodation if needing to stay nearby and snacks in-between dives and a banging sausage sizzle post dive sharing your experience and photos with the other divers, endless entertainment and an unforgettable adventure.

This trip has to be on your bucket list and it will not disappoint, everyday with what you see will be different, but nothing short of spectacular with magical marine life and a stunning wreck, dreaming with your eyes wide open, do not miss out on this opportunity if you're nearby, you won't regret it!

Best dive experience of my life! Would have to say this is the best dive experience I’ve encountered! The team were extremely helpful every step of the way. Ad had amazing tips and went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly, Callum was super helpful, making sure we got the most out of our dives and cooked some of the best sausages I’ve ever eaten, and Matt made us all feel very welcome and made sure the day went great.
I’ve never seen so many fish and wildlife on a dive, my jaw was on the floor the whole time! Plus it was such an easy and seamless process getting to the dive site.
10/10 will dive with these guys again!

Just don't, you'll have fun !! Great team, great dive site, great sausage sizzle back at base afterwards.
The large and powerful rib gets you to the dive site super quickly (if a little bumpy!)

Fantastic diving and excellent crew First Tripadvisor review. I have wanted to dive the Yongala for the last 20 years and finally got round to it in Nov 2023.

The team were professional throughout the day - from dive briefing to sausage sizzle at the end of the day.

The rental equipment was in good condition - cressi 5mm wetsuit (I was nice and warm as water was 26 degrees).

Diving was amazing - beady eyed ray, turtles, wrasse, cobia, 10+ olive sea snakes.

Would recommend to anyone.

Only caution would be for those with a back condition. The ride out in swell/waves can be jarring. This was not an issue for me or anyone in our group but probably not sensible if you are affected.

Also take sea sickness tablets (available in the shop as a back up)

Exceptional We had the most amazing day. The crew Steve & Matt were fabulous. Steve’s dive brief was exceptional. The dive site mind blowing! Teaming with fish life, sea snakes, there was a school of eagle rays, plus a turtle & shark. A great day which is well organised, the most amazing dives and we were lucky to have exceptional conditions.

Amazing dive site, small and friendly dive groups Absolutely incredible dive and the dove school make it a really great experience. Friendly staff who are very professional and so everything correctly. They’re also the only dive company go out there every day of the week I believe, so most of the time it’s just them and they take very small groups which makes it all the more enjoyable.

Best marine life wreck ever! I have been fortunate enough to do over a thousand dives around the world and this is the best wreck for marine life I have ever seen. Steve was our dive master he is just so enthusiastic, knowledgeable and nothing is too much trouble. I cannot recommend this trip more highly.

Best dives ever! Probably some of the best dives I'd ever done, the site was simply incredible, marine life was healthy, plenty and massive (I saw what was probably the biggest Queensland Grouper I'd ever seen in my life).

The dive shop crew is simply great, they were professional, yet chilled at the same time. The dive briefing was thorough and they really emphasised on safety procedures. Even though my dives were unguided, I did not feel like I was left to my own devices.

I had an amazing time, and really hope I find the chance to come back again!

Check off the bucket list, relaxing exceptional experience It started and ended different than any dive I have been on. Walk over a sand dune, walk back through the water and over the sand dune back to the cars.
Wow, the middle was awesome! Scott was an excellent dive master and had no issues with my bad shoulders. Very relaxing, easy to enjoy a great dive site. Got to see two rays, one looked like it would cover the top of A small car. Oh and how about a 350 kilo grooper, floated up to the big guy and he was like hey there.
You need to do this, with these people. Bucket list experience
Patrick

Epic day at The Yongala ???????? Had an epic day diving the Yongala with Matt and Steve! Great team, great guidance, great surface interval storytelling! Fully recommend Yongala Dive to anyone looking for a fun filled day of adventures! ????

Great Yongala Fabulous dive day with Steve, Riley and Matt. Good briefing. Beach launch from Alva Beach. Quick 30 mins transfer to SS Yongala site. Double dives and back again for a BBQ. This is an amazing dive site and really competent dive team. Great attention to both safety and the diving experience. Highly recommended.

Amazing staff- loved Steve and deco Dan!! I researched all the companies to dive the yongala and this one certainly lived up to my high expectations and was amazing! From start to finish, Steve and Dan provided an awesome experience. They had all the gear set up ready to go and Steve had a really detailed briefing. I haven’t done that many deep dives and Steve had so many great tips to make the most of my dive. I also loved the grilled sausage post-dive- so yummy. I would recommend this company to anyone who wants to dive the Yongala- you won’t regret it!

Yongala exceeded my expectations, it is incredible the abundance of marine life you see. Shout out to all the staff who made this trip even better, they are all very knowledgeable and friendly. I didn’t have a car to get there and they sorted everything out to make it possible. Thanks for all and hope to see you soon! :)

Great dive experience with even Greater Crew Visited SS Yongala to complete our advance open water and it was simply magical. All the staff from Yongala dive were friendly, approachable and professional. Had such a great time that we signed up for a second trip.

Such a great experience at Yongala Dive!! From booking my dive, to the bbq meal at the end of the trip, I couldn't have asked for more! Awesome crew. Super knowledgeable and clearly experienced. Would highly recommend. Also… INCREDIBLE dive site!!!

Amazing staff, unbelievable diving sites.
Just 30 minutes one way cruising.
Huge number of underwater animals including a lot of school fishes.
The staff service is amazing, Matt, Steve and lovely Piper. I can't wait to come back again. Thank you for lovely staff.

100 times number of underwater animals SS Yongala scuba diving was incredible experience. You can enjoy huge number of underwater animals. I recommend to use nitrox to stay more at the underwater.
The staff service was kind, friendly, passionate, enthusiastic, informative and professional, especially skipper Matt, diving guide Steve, and lovely staff Piper. Yongala Dive Shop deserves as a 5 Star PADI Dive Resort. Thank you so much for your amazing service. I will come back again soon.

Steve and Matt are absolute legends. This was one of us our absolute favourite dive locations across the globe, and Steve and Matt's service was absolutely on point. Funny, professional, organised and absolute champions of the reef. Steve signed off some deep dive skills, and was patient and answered all questions. Steve and Matt had a professional eye on all.divers at all times, whilst everyone got to do their own thing in their buddy groups. Absolutely one of the best experiences I have ever had. Thanks team! (If only I had a tank to remember the shop ????).

Great dive site and amazing crew Amazing dive site, the staff behaved in a fun yet super professional way during the whole day. Unfortunately the sea was a bit choppy during the day, I was the only one to get pretty seasick but the staff was super nice and tried to help me as much as they could.
Finishing the day with a small barbecue and a chat with everyone was the cherry on top of the cake for me.

Absolutely amazing I could not recommend the crew of Yongala Dive high enough. Special thanks to Roberta and Olivia who made my stay unforgettable. Professional crew, amazing dive site and good equipment! Short boat ride which makes the journey to the wreck comfortable.
Amazing variety of marine life at the wreck!

Steve is great! Really friendly and welcoming and obviously loves his job. We were recommended this company from some divers we met at Wolf Rock (as opposed to going from Townsville) and we were very glad we did. We even got a little BBQ when we arrived back in Alva Beach - veggie sausages and all!

The boat ride was quick (about 30 mins compared to the 2.5 hours from Townsville) and the dive was fantastic as expected although the current is strong! Prepare yourself to feel a bit knackered if the current was anything like ours was that day - though the way back was pretty much a drift dive which was very nice! The site itself is gorgeous, brimming with life! Absolutely do this if you get the chance.

We had a great day out. Steve, Matt and Amandine were all fantastic, very professional and helpful, and made sure we had a great day. My girlfriend got quite seasick and Steve was very kind and helpful towards her which we really appreciated!

Yongala Dive took us out on a amazing dive of the wreck. Getting out through the sands to the boat was like a mini adventure. They also kindly returned my drone that I left behind when I contacted them and where very helpful. Could not recommend them enough.

Getting wet and going down The Yongala crew make a sensational dive even more sensational. Diver Dan and Scuba Steve couldn't have been more amazing, wonderful and downright awesome dudes, going above and beyond to save my dive computer. The diving tho: a flock of Spotted Eagles Rays, Loggerhead turtle, Marble Ray, MASSIVE Queensland Grouper, nemos, massive moray eel, massive parrot fish, six band angel fish, Potato Cod, humphead bat fish, Yellowknife Angel fish, lots of different types of snapper, start puffer fish, hawk fish, oh, and one or two glass fish, and more! Then there's the coral !!!

Had two epic dives yesterday. The amount of marine life on the wreck is amazing and I was very impressed with the Yongala Wreck. Steve and the crew were great and I’ll definitely be back for another dive here!

Incredible wildlife and amazing staff! Amazing staff! They were so thorough and professional and managed to make the day stress free for all the dives on board. Could not recommend them enough.
The wreck itself was amazing with a lot of marine life. Would recommend booking with them over other tour groups as I have been told the ride out to the wreck is very bumpy leaving from Townsville.
Dan, Steve and all crew were so incredible and you could see their passion in what they do!
Will be back!

Absolutely awesome Could not recommend the Yongala Dive Centre crew more highly. They provide a brilliant experience both in and out of the water. The trip out to the site is nice and quick, and the minute you descend on the Yongala wreck for the first time it becomes abundantly clear why it's one of the best dives in the world. Amazing. The sausage sizzle and chats with the group at the end of the dive were a brilliant way to unwind after an incredible day. Thanks so much to Steve and the team at Yongala Dive, can't wait to come back!

Wonderful! Wonderful dive site! The wreck is completely covered in soft coral, with thousands of little fishes. We found three olive sea snakes, two big marble rays and a couple of giant qld gropers. First dive was deep, second dive was a bit shallower where we could see the schools of barracuda better.
Steve was one of the best guides we've ever had, he was relaxed, but safe and gave us some great recommendations for other dive sites on the East Coast.
Hot showers and sausage sizzle at the end of the day were great!

Undoubtedly I can say it's been one of my best dives in the last 3 years. Beautiful site, unbelievable sealife which happily posed with me in every photo. Instructors Steve and Dan, were very professional. One good thing about them was they prepared everything for us to allow us enjoying every second of our time there. The local shop, quiet Alva beach, BBQ after dive, meeting new friends, all made my dives unforgettable. So happy that I came all the way from Sydney to make it and surely will do it again.

Had a great experience getting my deep dive accreditation and then diving the Yongala with these guys!
Steve is a very patient, knowledgeable and skillful teacher and the same must be said for our skipper -- Matt? (Sorry if I got your name wrong! I've got the memory of a goldfish ????)
Who skilfully navigated us to the wreck and back in some challenging conditions.
I was in very good hands with these two legends... I would recommend Yongala Dive to anyone! ????

BEST WRECK DIVE IN AUSTRALIA! An absolute must do for anyone diving. We saw eagle rays, giant gropers, snakes, turtles, not to mention a high quality wreck. I would highly recommend this dive and will be back again. Thanks Matty, Brody and Rory.

Great experience and what an awesome dive site, absolutely stunning with sooooooo much marine life. Our guide Steve and skipper Dan were very professional and ensured everyone was happy. Super convenient to stay at the adjacent campground and having a shorter boat ride (quite crucial when the sea is choppy). Very happy and all went well.

Highly Recommended Operator and SS Yongala is magnificent! I had a most wonderful experience diving with this operator. Our guide Steve was very helpful and friendly and really knowledgeable. Our skipper Dan was very caring and accomodating and patient and informative. In short, all the staff were very supportive and went over and beyond to assist with anything you needed. I really liked that they offerred advanced diver certification and nitrox certification too!

The wreck itself was unbelievably prestine. You would wish you could just stay there forever.

The boat ride doesn't take more than an hour (usually only 30 minutes I think when the sea is calm) so I would highly recommend making the trip to Alva Beach to dive with Yongala Dive as it is much quicker than coming from Townsville.

If I am back in the area, I would definitely dive with them to visit SS Yongala again.

Wonderful Best dive center to go if you want to visit the Yongala wreck.

Beside the obvious advantage to be the closest and that means less travel time on rough sea, all the crew was extremely professional, helping you every second they can, to get you in and out of the water.

Very hard working people! It was a pleasure to support a small local business like them!