Diving

Organised by Sarah. Others - Andrew, Annette, Maria, Peter (+Susie), Sandy, Justin, Rona. Left home 7.50. Arrived Shiprock Dive 9am. Bought torch. Left quay 10am. Beautiful sunshine - not cold. Water not cold either - no sudden shock like last time. The visibility wasn't tremendous - maybe 20-30ft - but we had a relaxed dive and saw plenty of fish including blue groper, Port Jackson, moray eel, yellowtail, morwongs, scalyfin, leatherjacket. Obviously we were in a different part of the site from the last dive I had there because there weren't as many swim-throughs or walls, but it was still enjoyable. Afterwards we had fish and chips at Bronte beach and took the boys for a quick play in the sea. Bracing.

Wet suit, 82, Arctic etc. Not cold. Others with dry suits suffered leaks.

490

28 Sep 1996

Valiant

NE of Barrenjoey Light

Dived with Atlantis Divers at Palm Beach ($30). Weather overcast and the sea very choppy. I began to feel a little queasy as we circled the buoy waiting for a fisherman to disconnect himself from it. Down at 28m it was mercifully still and peaceful. The vis was sufficient to see the whole wreck, and we swam once round it and inside the crew's quarters and engine room. Plenty of fish - bullseyes, stripey, yellowtail, blennies, goatfish, sergeant baker and a moray eel.

Wet suit, 82 cu ft tank, Arctic & torch.

491

26 Oct 1996

The Pinnacles, Avalon

North of Avalon Beach

Used Atlantis Divers again. Left Faulconbridge 7.30 and had plenty of time before the boat left Palm Beach at 9. The trip out wasn't as rough as that to the Valiant and the headland gave the site some shelter from the southerly. The site is noted for sea dragons and I concentrated on the weed where the rock met the sand until one materialised in front of me. He was quite long - about 12 inches - and I know it was a male because he was carrying eggs, maybe 2 or 3 dozen, each a few mm in diameter, stuck to his belly. He was a 'common' sea dragon (not that common - I haven't seen one in five years, not since Jervis Bay in November 1991) and he didn't move much, obviously believing that camouflage was his best means of defence. Other sights on the dive - Andrew found a small cuttlefish, asleep under an overhang, and the prolific fish life included two porcupinefish (or globe fish), black reef leatherjacket, old wives, roughy, morwong, sergeant baker, blue groper and scalyfin.

Wet suit, 82, Arctic

494

13 Sep 1997

Seal Colony

Steamers Beach

Liveaboard trip on board "Ocean Trek". Long trip out in a southerly swell (I slept there and back). Kitted up quickly, jumped in and swam down the anchor line to a sandy seabed. No seals to be seen at first. We swam shorewards and the first seal appeared as we hit the rocks. We were soon surrounded by 6-8, which swam all around us with graceful ease. As quickly as they appeared they vanished again, but it wasn't long till a solitary seal reappeared. He stayed very close, practically twining himself around me. He didn't take his eyes off us, and big, round beautiful eyes they were. At the end of the dive he was rejoined by his family, including one very big seal with a young one beside her (I'm assuming it was a mother), and they stayed with us through the deco stop.

82 cu ft tank. Damp but not cold.

495

13 Sep 1997

The Docks

NW of Point Perpendicular

Much less swell here, so much more relaxed before and after dive. Dropped in and swam to shore. Big swimthroughs with shoals of nannegai, plus umpteen other varieties, including leatherjacket, wrasse, cale (charcoal grey fish with a hump back, about wrasse size), groper, morwong. Andrew believes he saw a grey nurse shark, but I didn't (as usual).

82 cu. ft. Damper, still not cold. (Water temperature supposedly 16 degrees).

496

13 Sep 1997

The Slot

Point Perpendicular, adjoining The Docks

Dropped in at The Slot, which was beautifully clear, with a bottom of white shell sand and a couple of resident Eastern Blue Devil. At the end we had to brace ourselves against the surge. The view up to the surface was lovely. Once out from The Cut we swam round the cliff back to The Docks, into and out of a couple of caves. Fish: more Eastern Blue Devil, morwong, herring cale, leatherjacket, groper, a moray eel and three Port Jacksons. Also masses of sea tulips and sponges.

82. Dry suit undersuit now quite soggy.

497

13 Sep 1997

Boat Harbour

East of Longnose Point, N side of the Bay

Boat Harbour is just NW of the Docks, on the N. side of the Bay. Four of us dropped in (the other two being Dave and Amanda) descended to sand at 17m. Followed a compass course W. to the reef and turned left. We covered a fair distance, and saw plenty that was different to the daytime: a cuttlefish, bright red with annoyance at being disturbed; a weedy sea dragon; sea anemones feeding; brittle stars; a large (6") mollusc moving along the sand with its siphon out on front; a moray eel out and about; fish tucked in every crevice, resting, and spectacular phosphorescence. Andrew and I turned our torches off for the last few minutes and just played at making waves of sparks. Surfaced to a long swim back to the boat. The Aladin says I am stuffed full of nitrogen (residual nitrogen time 16 hours; no fly time 6 hours). The last time I did 4 dives in a day was the 6th August 1980 - that was the 'Islay', 12m/45 mins, the 'Harald', 10m/12 mins, the Mull of Oa, 6m/10 mins and the 'Limelight', 8m/10 mins. This day has definitely been more provocative, decompression-wise.

Damp suit really.

498

14 Sep 1997

Darts Point

N. side of the Bay

Descended and followed a course of 210 degrees from 25m up to 5m. Masses of sponges, umpteen different kinds of sea star, a couple of morays, some nudibranchs, and plenty of scalyfins etc. COLD.

499

14 Sep 1997

Shark Rock

N. side of the Bay

Last dive of the trip (after missing the previous dive due to the tank shoulder strap pulling the drysuit zip open 6"). Jumped off the boat and swam towards the rock. Descended to 15m and saw the square shape of the rock loom up in front. Immediately we saw why it was called Shark Rock as a grey nurse cruised along the foot of the rock, 3 smaller fish keeping close formation beside it. We turned left and contoured at 14m, past rock face and jumbled boulders, with a sandy bottom below. At 100 bar we turned back, and within a minute saw a cuttlefish, exactly the same colour as the weed. We watched one another for a minute and then he streamlined himself and cruised off into the depths. A little further along a glimpse of brown tail revealed a large wobbegong in a cave. At 50 bar we came up to 5m and spent a couple of minutes there before swimming back to the boat. I've just done more dives in 2 days than I normally do in a year.

Dry suit dry again, and the woolly bear warm (it spent a couple of hours in the dryer).

500

13 Dec 1998

Hole in the Wall

Avalon

Another year+ layoff. Very choppy, so seasick. Mask leaked. Suit leaked. Viz OK. 3 cuttlefish, large groper and a good swim-through.

Another soggy suit dive. Legs and feet dry till end - back and sleeves soaked. Underweight? Try an extra weight belt next time.

501

8 May 1999

The Apartments

Long Reef, Collaroy

Iain Hosking, Andrew Kennedy, Ramon ?

Good (but not brilliant) conditions - sea calm, air temp mild, vis good. High 10/10 cloud so no sun on the dive. 7 divers on the boat so not too crowded. We were first down, and swam first anticlockwise round the bommie, then through the middle (nice swim-through), finally clockwise to the line. Good big shoals of yellowtail (or pomfret?) and nannegai, plus the usual denizens: morwong, maori wrasse, blue groper, goatfish, stripey, old wives, sergeant baker. A large (2m) wobbegong and a cuttlefish were memorable, but best was hanging motionless in the middle of a big shoal of silvery yellowtail, feeling thousands of eyes on us.

Dry suit dry and warm at last. Added an extra 8lb weight belt to the 21lb shot belt, making 29lbs altogether. After the dive, changed the shot belt buckle to a metal one (more secure). No torch - couldn't find it. Borrowed aluminium tank - 72 cu ft?

502

6 Nov 1999

Fish Reef

off Port Hacking

Dived with Max Western again (cost now $35). Left Faulconbridge 8am; arrived Dolan's Bay 9.20am. Wind from NE & stronger than ideal. Very pronounced swell even at 27m, enough to stir up the sand, and to make it difficult to examine objects close-up. Limited life - nudibranchs, scalyfin, morwong, groper, cup coral and an unidentified fish in a shoal of about 10, 2' long, silver underneath and green on top, with long dorsal & ventral fins towards the back and a lobed tail with black edges. I can't find it in the fish book.

Dry suit, my 82 cu ft tank.

503

15 Jan 2000

The Wall, Long Reef

Collaroy

Left Faulconbridge 7am. Weather glum at first, but brightened on the way - finally warm and sunny. Big swell so didn't do Midway Reef as planned. The Wall is a big site with plenty of fish - morwong, leatherjacket (black reef, yellow-striped), eastern blue devil, blue groper (male + female), juvenile scalyfin, old wide, various wrasse and two cuttlefish. The second cuttlefish was eating a morwong head-first. Jane (Stu the skipper's girlfriend) saw it snatch the fish under an overhang. We only saw the tail of the unlucky fish. Vis not that hot, but enough for Andrew to navigate his way back to the line. Followed up the dive with a bacon & egg butty, then back to the mountains to face the music. Sunday - cycled to Faulconbridge Point Lookout with the boys.

82 cu. Ft, plenty of air for this dive. No torch (forgot the batteries).

505

9 Apr 2000

Barron's Hut

off Port Hacking

Another 8am dive, leaving at 6.15am and arriving at Dolan's Bay Wharf at exactly 7.30. At least with daylight saving ended we had light. Dived with Andrew, Martin and Paul from across the road. Good conditions - sunny with only around 1m swell. Vis reasonably good. Swam through the cave and then north to the split. Saw two 6 foot wobbegongs and two cuttlefish, as well as stripeys, leatherjacket (brown/black with yellow circles round the eyes), groper, morwong, bullseyes, goatfish (feeding energetically in the sand) and nudibranchs, one with orange spots as well as the usual dark red-spottedone. Usual Max Western feast after the dive, plus hot cross buns. Lazy afternoon.

Dry suit, no lifejacket (left it in the car). Too heavy with both weight belts, so too much air in suit, so too warm(!)

506

23 Apr 2000

Barge, Forster

off Forster

Too rough for The Pinnacles so we did this barge. Descended optimistically through oceanic blue water but hit the bottom in about 2m vis. Crept along to the barge and swam twice round it, the second circuit being just as interesting as the first. Highlight was a moray about the size of a pencil which I tempted out with its reflection in the torch.

own Dived from the Fisherman's Wharf boat

507

23 Apr 2000

Idol Bay

A shallow second dive in a fishy paradise, made more challenging by strong wave action. Lots of juvenile warm water fish including spotted box fish (tiny one, like a pea) and lovely colourful blue fish with yellow tails. Groper, toadfish, pipefish, butterflyfish, leatherjacket, cowfish, fiddler ray, shovel-nosed ray, nannegai, cup coral, wrasse. Saw one wrasse slurp up a small school fish while it was distracted by a heavier swell than usual.

own, except hired tank (85 cu.ft. steel). No lifejacket - very comfortable without it.

508

23 Apr 2000

The Pinnacles, Forster

Still a strong southerly blowing so a rough boat trip out. We were first in (lucky) and descended into fairly clear water, seeing a group of grey nurse sharks immediately below us. They swam away slowly, but returned at a lower level. We watched from behind a huge boulder. There were about 12 of them, from 9 feet long down to 5 feet, swimming slowly and gracefully amongst smaller fish. A single lionfish added a touch of the ornate, and we saw the usual wrasse, butterflyfish and cup coral, but the sharks were of course the highlight.

own

509

24 Apr 2000

Latitude Rock

Not quite as interesting as Idol Bay yesterday, but similar, with lots of gullies, rock outcrops and sandy patches, and strong wave action. Saw porcupionefish (globefish) but no spotted boxfish. Couple of moray, groper and nudibranchs. The variety still puts Sydney in the shade.

own. Dry suit very wet. Sopping, in fact.

510

20 May 2000

Julian Rocks

Byron Bay

Cod Hole. Organised through Sundive. Left ~8.30am in old beat-up Landcruiser, which launches the boat by reversing at speed into the water and stopping suddenly. Immediate impression in the water and looking down was blue water and enormous visibility, then masses of fish, beginning with a... [2 yrs later]...a WHAT? I suspect I was not totally sober when writing this up. Nor am I now, but Andrew wrote that we saw leopard sharks, scorpionfish, clownfish, old wives, morwongs, crested morwongs, wobbegongs, angelfish, snapper, cod, jewfish, goatfish, orange basset and an eagle ray. I see no reason to argue.

wet suit

511

20 May 2000

Julian Rocks

Byron Bay

The Needles and Hugo's Trench. Also written up 2+ years later. Andrew wrote that a guide (an English lady, as I remember) took us all over the place, seeing turtles, huge lobster, coral prawn, trevally, trumpetfish and lovely coral. Had a beer at the shop after the dive, then a couple at the B&B, then a few while waiting for Trish, then many, many more. Ended up dancing at a nightclub with English backpackers half our age. Walked back from a party about 5.30am. Very sore heads next day [Ritz Rail trip]

wet suit

513

21 Sep 2002

The Docks

NW of Point Perpendicular

Iain Hosking, Andrew Kennedy, Charlie Oldfield, Martin Zolfel

Beatiful sunny day. Water murky (full of long, jelly blobs). Good swimthroughs. Port Jacksons, morwong, stripey, bullseyes, hawkfish, wrasse, leatherjacket, yellowtail, boarfish, moray and last but not least, a weedy sea dragon. MV "Indulgence" owned and run by Adrian (Cornish) and Annie (a great cook!). Organised through Frogdive, $340.

Wet suit, Arctic

514

21 Sep 2002

The Docks

NW of Point Perpendicular

NE of previous spot. Started with squeezing into a cold, wet wetsuit (first time in 11 years). Swam to the point on compass bearing and Martin immediately saw another weedy sea dragon. It allowed us to get right up close to it - fascinating. Then Andrew found a numbfish, swimming free. He didn't touch it. We enjoyed the sunshine in the shallower depths, and navigated on a reciprocal bearing back to the boat. Fish: boarfish, scalyfin, wrasse, etc as this morning's dive. A pair of moray eels in the one hole, crimson-banded wrasse, senator wrasse.

Wet suit, Arctic.

515

21 Sep 2002

Propeller Gutters

Shallow plowter. Fish: Port Jackson, resting under a rock with its head on the back of a wobbie. Clown toby (Canthigaster callisterna), leatherjacket (various, including mosaic, Eubalichthys mosaicus). Also a new and unidentified fish: sketch in logbook.

Wet suit, Arctic

517

22 Sep 2002

Julie-Ann

Iain Hosking, Andrew Kennedy, Charlie Oldfield, Martin Zolfel

The "Julie-Ann" is a fishing boat which sank last week. Apparently the vis was good a couple of weeks ago in the area, but not now. Charlie reckons someone's tipped a bucket of pot noodle over it. Andrew when Adrian came up: "Did you place the charges?"

Wet suit, Arctic

519

21 Sep 2003

Middle Ground

Out from Port Hacking