Dive 557 – Merimbula Wharf

By pfuller

Feb

28

Dive Number: 557 28/02/2014 Merimbula Wharf, NSW

Conditions:

Visibilty: 10m

Water Temp: ??c

Bottom Time: 50minutes

Max Depth: 14m

Details: This was the first dive of a trip up the South Coast of NSW. After looking at Cape Green (and concluding that NSW divers are absolutely nuts to be shore diving some of the sites there – despite how awesome they looked), we got to Merimbula and i couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do a early evening dive here. The vis wasn’t great and it was nearly dark but it was a great dive. Very friendly Blue Groupers and schools of Mado and small Trevally. Exiting the site was a little difficult but compared to the entries/exits at Cape Green this was childs-play. The next day i met the owner of Merimbula Divers and he informed me an Great White was hanging around over the last couple of days and that i was a game man diving on dusk. : S

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes

Photos:

Dive 556 – Bell Reef – Shortlands Bluff

By pfuller

Feb

23

Dive Number: 556 23/02/2014 Bell Reef off Shortlands Bluff

Conditions: Green and horrible

Visibilty: 4m

Water Temp: ??c

Bottom Time: 50minutes

Max Depth: 20m

Details: This was a slack dive off Shortlands Bluff. The visibility was horrible, but the murky green water gave a certain sense of atmosphere that made it a fun dive still.

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes

Photos:

Dive 555 – St Leonards Pier

By pfuller

Feb

22

Dive Number: 555 22/02/2014 St Leonards Pier

Conditions:

Visibilty: 5m

Water Temp: ??c

Bottom Time: 60minutes

Max Depth: 3m

Details: An operation from Melbourne where trying out there standard dress kit, so i took the opportunity to snap some bygone era dive photos. I say that using this gear around a pier is the best idea though. The hose was ripping life from the pylons, and trudging over the bottom was really upsetting the local stargazers.(but so was I!) Another good sighting was a very approachable Bastard Trumpter..the first time i’ve seen this species.

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes

Photos:

Dive 554 – Orungal Wreck

By pfuller

Feb

18

Dive Number: 554 18/02/2014 Orungal

Conditions:

Visibilty: 5m

Water Temp: ??c

Bottom Time: 30minutes

Max Depth: 6m

Details: On the way back in, we had a quick splash at the Orungal. The vis was cloudy and it was dangerously surgey. Some big schools of Luderick were getting around, but difficult to photograph in the conditions.

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes

Photos:

Dive 553 – Ant Caves

By pfuller

Feb

18

Dive Number: 553 18/02/2014 Ant Caves

Conditions:

Visibilty: 20m

Water Temp: ??c

Bottom Time: 50minutes

Max Depth: 22m

Details: Another cracker of a dive at Ant Caves. After descending we were surrounded by large numbers of fish…sweep, perch, leatherjackets… Close to the anchor position was a wobbegong shark under a ledge. The resident Blue Grouper put in another show but still no photos to prove it. It likes to keep its distance. Phil got a couple of ID shots though. On ascent the large schools of Barber Perch formed again beneath us.

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes

Photos:

Dive 552 – Steeles Rocks

By pfuller

Feb

15

Dive Number: 552 15/02/2014 Steeles Rocks

Conditions:

Visibilty: Night Dive

Water Temp: ??c

Bottom Time: 90minutes

Max Depth: 4m

Details: A warm summers night and gentle southerlies made for a good night dive at Steeles Rocks. Trav, Karly and Nick formed one group and me and Chris formed another too see what was around at night around Steeles Rocks. Everyone had good sightings and at the end of the dive i even managed to find a Chris’s boogey critter, a Blue-ringed Octopus. Squid are always great fun to photograph too.

Camera Details: Canon 60mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes

Photos:

Dive 551 – Portarlington Pier

By pfuller

Feb

15

Dive Number: 551 15/02/2014 Portarlington Pier

Conditions:

Visibilty: 4m

Water Temp: ??c

Bottom Time: 60minutes

Max Depth: 3m

Details: A macro dive at the mucky Portarlington pier. I spotted a seahorse on this dive too, but it was too dirty to get any decent pics.

Camera Details: Canon 60mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes

Photos:

Dive 550 – Ripbank

By pfuller

Feb

8

Dive Number: 550 08/02/2014 Ripbank – The Rip

Conditions:

Visibilty: 20m

Water Temp: ??c

Bottom Time: 40minutes

Max Depth: 30m

Details: I keep on jumping on Divevic boats destined for Spec Reef, but shipping always changes the plans. The dive was diverted to Ripbank this time and i buddied up with a French Bloke who was chasing crays. The dive got off to a bad start when we dropped in over the deep water, and with great vis and no sign of the wall at 20+ metres we decided to surface, reboard the boat and drop in again. Good option, straight onto the wall this time. Ripbank is a fairly exposed part of the wall receiving the full brunt of ebb tide. So the sponge growth doesnt seem as prolific as the sites running paralell with the flow. A good sight to keep your eye on the blue though with rumours of shark activity in the area.

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes

Photos:

Dive 549 – Missed Reef

By pfuller

Feb

7

Dive Number: 549 07/02/2014 Missed Reef

Conditions: Amazing vis but swell was up a little

Visibilty: 20m

Water Temp: ??c

Bottom Time: 50minutes

Max Depth: 22m

Details: Somehow i managed to miss Magi Reef and landed myself in some unrecogniseable terrain. The reef wasn’t that special but the vis was amazing…i just had to do a selfie!

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes

Photos: