Dive Number: 123 06/01/11 18.00 Rippleside Pier
Wind: 10-15knot S E’s.
Tide: 1.5hrs before 0.84 high tide at Geelong.
Conditions: Wind had turned to an easterly aspect and chopped the surface up a bit. Visibility was horrible!
Visibilty: 1-2m
Water Temp: 22c
Bottom Time: 67 minutes
Max Depth: 5.3m
Air usage: 70bar/1000psi
SAC: ???? litres/min
Details: This was one of those dives where you say to yourself “What the hell am i doing???”. The entry to this dive requires about 100m of trudging through shallow calf deep mud since the pier is fenced off. Once i got deep enough to actually swim, i plunged into dirty water of about 2m of vis. After finally making it out to the first arm i decended to a whole lot of nothing. Swimming around to the main pier i eventually came across ascidian poo hanging off the pylons like christmas decorations, with all other marine growth covered in a thick brown silt. I was almost going to call the dive, but i ventured out to the second arm. I lay on the muddy bottom and studied the little fish. Many-rayed Threefin were there as expected, but i also came across a goby that i’d never seen before. A Bridled-Goby – (Arenigobius-bifrenatus). Always happy to find a new fish species so it was worth the trudge. One of the threefin also enjoyed carrying around a small shell. Photos were scarce due to the vis, and came out ordinary. I MAY even try it again when conditions look nice.
Camera Details: Canon 100mm , single SS200 strobes
Dive Report:
