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Dive Spot Guide•
Cray’s Crack
Advanced Fiordland wall dive with black coral and steep relief.
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Usually dived by boat in Fiordland marine-reserve country; the upper reef is manageable, but the site becomes more committing as the wall steepens and depth increases.
About Cray’s Crack
Cray's Crack is an advanced Fiordland reef-and-wall dive where a sloping rocky face drops through kelp and black-coral habitat before giving way to sand, a ledge, and much steeper water beyond. Divers come here for the mix of vertical relief and dense temperate life, with crayfish, butterfly perch, wrasses and schooling fish using the wall while deeper sections add a more serious Fiordland feel. It is best treated as a deliberate scenic wall dive for experienced divers rather than a casual local check-out site.
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Where Is Cray’s Crack?
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Community sourced coordinates.
Cray’s Crack Planning Details
Depth range, seasonality, and planning context.
Reported Depth
18m - 80m
Depth Note
Rocky reef slopes to about 18 m before turning to sand; a shelf occurs around 20 m and parts of the wall drop to roughly 80 m.
Best Season
Year-round in workable Fiordland weather, with the best planning window on settled days and good visibility.
Typical Conditions
Cold temperate fiord conditions with tannin-darkened water, steep reef structure, and visibility that can change with weather and runoff.
Safety & Access At Cray’s Crack
Hazards, restrictions, and access requirements.
Safety Notes
Includes wall sections that drop to around 80 m in places; depth control and appropriate gas planning are important.
Access Restrictions
Marine reserve.
Legal Notes
Fiordland marine reserve rules protect the underwater habitat here, including black coral communities, so marine life and structure must be left undisturbed.
Local Intel For Cray’s Crack
Community notes to help plan your visit.
Scuba Diving
Scuba divers can follow the reef slope to ~18 m and explore the shelf near 20 m, with deeper wall sections reaching to about 80 m.
Freediving
Freedive use is only realistic on the shallower reef sections and should stay well clear of the steeper deep-wall profile that defines Cray's Crack.
Snorkeling
This is not a strong snorkel-focused site because the appeal is concentrated in the reef, ledge, and wall structure below the surface.
Recent Logged Visits At Cray’s Crack
Community dive logs and visit reports for this site.
Dive Spot Log Averages At Cray’s Crack
Average conditions based on logged dives & visits.
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