Dive Number: 22 25/03/2010 11.17 Pilots Peir
Wind: 10-15 knot Northerlies
Tide: 1.5 hour before 0.24 low tide at the heads
Conditions: Strong current running from north to south. The water column was full of sand making visibilty atrocious.
Bottom Type: Sandy bottom, with scattered reef..
Visibilty: 2m
Water Temp: 20c
Bottom Time: 21 minutes
Max Depth: 3.0m
Air usage: 30bar/400psi
SAC: 13.4 litres/min
Details: I’ve never had a lot of success at Pilots Pier, with strong currents always running. This was no exception. I decided to head out to the bouy to the right of the pier and drift towards the bouy to the right. I followed the drift to the shallow rock shelf off shortlands bluff but the sand in the water just made this dive not worthwhile.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm fisheye, single SS200 strobe.
Dive Report: There were a few scattered bommies with a school of about 20 zebra fish around, and the usual wrasse. It was generally shallow, crap vis, little life and a bit dangerous from boat traffic and strong currents. I dont think i’ll be shore diving this area again. Maybe a boat dive on slack at some of the known reefs near shortlands reef is the way to go.