Warship dive site 'world class'

THE wreck of HMAS Brisbane is now rated among the world's best dive sites, attracting an increasing number of divers from around the globe.

Experts say the artificial reef and conservation park has come of age more than four years after the 133-metre former Australian Navy warship was sunk in 28 metres of water off Mooloolaba.

The site is living up to the hype and has become one of the Sunshine Coast's most identifiable tourist attractions, with visitor numbers more than doubling in the past year.

Scuba Schools International Australiasia general manager Simon Doughty, based at Newcastle, was among about 20 divers who experienced the wreck at the weekend.

It had been 18 months since Mr Doughty last dived at the site and he could not have been more impressed.

"This site is truly world class. Absolutely unquestionably," he said.

"It really has something to offer everyone, from the novice right through to the most experienced, technical diver.

"The Sunshine Coast is really blessed to have something like this on its doorstep."

Mr Doughty said every inch of the vessel was covered in hard and soft coral, and a university study had found that more than 200 fish species now called the wreck home.

As far as artificial reefs go, Mr Doughty rated it 10 out of 10.

He said everyone in his group, which consisted of divers from around the country, was "absolutely beaming".

"Everyone came out of the water laughing, and the talk on the dive boat between dives and after dives was one of excitement," he said.

Mr Doughty said the HMAS Brisbane was now very much on the radar of divers around the world.

"It is on almost every diver's to-do list," he said.

"I'd be thinking many thousands of divers would come to the Sunshine Coast specifically for this."

Mooloolaba-based Scuba World owner Ian McKinnon said his bookings for HMAS Brisbane had increased 120 percent in October compared to the same time last year.

Provided the weather is good, Mr McKinnon expects a boom in business in the coming months especially over Christmas.

"Certainly we're in for a bumper season for December and January," he said.

Do you think the dive site at the wreck of HMAS Brisbane is the Sunshine Coast's best tourist attraction? If not, what is? Leave your comments below...