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:
Jan
17
Dive Number: 546 17/01/2014 The Ledges
Conditions:
Visibilty: 15m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 20m
Details: Wonderful visibility at The Ledges today. The dive finished with a large Wobbegong.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Jan
15
Dive Number: 543 15/01/2014 The Labyrinth
Conditions:
Visibilty: 8m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 22m
Details: Sandy and Phil joined me for a dive and i showed them the Labyrinth. Sandy made made some big statements throwing around words like ‘word class reef structure’ and i couldn’t disagree with such a well traveled diver. I had some focus issues on this dive, but tried my best to get a sharp shot of a unique formation of hard coral.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Jan
10
Dive Number: 541 10/01/2014 Cod Cave, Ocean Grove
Conditions:
Visibilty: 12m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 22m
Details: Cod Cave is a really nice small dive site with tons of interest. This time around the cod weren’t home. The big highlight of the dive was on ascent when i spotted a family of leatherjacket using a Jellyfish as a good way to travel under protection.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Dec
8
Dive Number: 524 08/12/2013 The Labyrinth
Conditions:
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 23m
Details: Went out to the Labyrinth with Chris where he had a close encounter with a large Smooth Ray that passed inches above his head. A great photo opp for Chris!
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Nov
29
Dive Number: 520 29/11/2013 Ocean Grove Reef
Conditions:
Visibilty: 5m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 30minutes
Max Depth: 8m
Details: This was a quick splash to see if there were any Wobbegongs in the shallower reef off Ocean Grove. The vis was ordinary and it was very surgey. The highlight was an unidentified eel with a yellow stripe along its back. Unfortunately i didn’t manage any photos of it.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Nov
29
Dive Number: 519 29/11/2013 The Labyrinth
Conditions:
Visibilty: 8m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 45minutes
Max Depth: 22m
Details: Chris had recently bought a new DSLR setup, so we went out off Ocean Grove to check out a few sites. Not much around at the Labyrnth today, but great structure as always.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Sep
22
Dive Number: 501 22/09/2013 Magi Reef
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 8m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time:50minutes
Max Depth: 20m
Details: A fairly dark dive at Magi Reef. Not a great deal of action.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Sep
15
Dive Number: 498 15/09/2013 The Labyrinth
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 45minutes
Max Depth: 22m
Details: Always a lovely place to dive. A couple of Sergeant Bakers performed some sort of mating chase on the way past me. Some great fans and structure as usual.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Aug
1
Dive Number: 489 01/08/2013 Dragons Lair
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 8m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 60minutes
Max Depth: 13m
Details: I’ve been doing a lot of 20m+ dives lately, so doing a 10-12m dive was a nice change. The algae and kelp communities are much more lush in this depth and I really enjoyed this dive. The day was dark and overcast though so not the best photography conditions. Only after reviewing the photos did I notice that a Western Clingfish was on a sponge on this dive. Damn…I would love to photograph this critter!
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Jul
29
Dive Number: 488 29/07/2013 The Labyrinth
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 22m
Details: What a day to have strobe issues. I dropped in on a den of about 20+ Port Jackson Sharks. They were everywhere. I had to make do with some ambient light photos. Love this site though.
Also included in this post is a picture of the anchoring solution I’ve come up with for my inflatable to allow the anchor rope to be tied off at any length while the rest of the rope remains on a reel in the boat. The bitter end remains permanently attached to the boat, and a green safety harness and T-bar is used as the tie off point which is permanently attached to the D-ring at the front of the boat.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Jul
19
Dive Number: 486 19/07/2013 The Orungal Wreck
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 70minutes
Max Depth: 6m
Details: On other dives of the orungal, it been rushed due to little remaining air. On this dive I dedicated a full tank to the dive, and explored the area of this large wreck site. The conditions were good and it was a very comfortable dive.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Jul
16
Dive Number: 485 16/07/2013 The Ledges
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 8m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 20m
Details: The second dive was further down off Buckley Park to “The Legdes”. A bit surgey and dirty on this dive, but a nice place to explore. After such an exciting day though (with a Warty Prowfish and Humpback Whale encounter), this was a bit ho-hum.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Jul
16
After finding a Warty Prowfish on our first dive, I considered myself a lucky diver and a happy man.
On the way to our second dive, I saw a splash off it the distance…”a strange breaking wave”, I thought. I scanned the ocean surface for more signs of movement, and all of a sudden, up rose a leviathan of the sea. A Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) leapt from the ocean, leaving only the tip of its tail beneath the surface…rising triumphantly out of the ocean to body slap the water in an attempt to displace any parasites that had joined it for the ride to the Victorian coastline. Wow…breathtaking. I grabbed the telephoto lens…brought along for just the occasion. It continued to put on a show and leapt from the water 8-10 times. Telephoto from a boat is difficult to get a focus lock, but I managed a couple of keepers.
I was one happy boater…a Warty Prowfish and a breaching Humpback Whale in the one day…
Jul
16
Dive Number: 484 16/07/2013 Warty Wall
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 8m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 20m
Details: This was wasn’t much of a site, more of a bank than any decent overhangs, pinnacles or bommies. That was until I spotted a peculiar looking “sponge” oscilating in the surge after floating down from the top of a boulder. I went closer to investigate and couldn’t believe my eyes…in fact it took me about 10 minutes of thinking I’ve discovered some rare anglerfish or handfish to realise this was the illusive Warty Prowfish- Aetapcus maculatus. The rest of the dive was spent photographing this cool looking critter. The area is now known as Warty Wall ;)
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Jul
10
Dive Number: 483 10/07/2013 Orungal Wreck
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 30minutes
Max Depth: 6m
Details: Phil hass always wanted to check out the Orungal wreck so we stopped off on the way in to empty the tanks. I don’t think he was left disappointed with some nice vis and great fishlife as always. A school of trevally was a highlight.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Jun
26
Dive Number: 480 26/06/2013 The Orungal
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 6m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 0minutes
Max Depth: 6m
Details: A sunset dive on the orungal.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
Jun
22
Dive Number: 478 22/06/2013 Golden Gully
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 20m
Details: While my strobe was away being fixed, I decided to try my hand at video which I may upload in the future. Most dives in April and May will be video with the occasional ambient light/torch light photo. Dive 479 is my first dive back with the camera.
We saw a seven-gilled shark on this dive.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm I-Torch 4
Photos:
Jun
21
Dive Number: 477 21/06/2013 Magi Reef
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 20m
Details: While my strobe was away being fixed, I decided to try my hand at video which I may upload in the future. Most dives in April and May will be video with the occasional ambient light/torch light photo. Dive 479 is my first dive back with the camera.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm I-Torch 4
Photos:
May
11
Dive Number: 472 11/05/2013 Cod Cave
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 20m
Details: While my strobe was away being fixed, I decided to try my hand at video which I may upload in the future. Most dives in April and May will be video with the occasional ambient light/torch light photo. Dive 479 is my first dive back with the camera.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm I-Torch 4
Photos:
May
11
Dive Number: 471 11/05/2013 HMAS Canberra
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 26m
Details: While my strobe was away being fixed, I decided to try my hand at video which I may upload in the future. Most dives in April and May will be video with the occasional ambient light/torch light photo. Dive 479 is my first dive back with the camera.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm I-Torch 4
Photos:
May
8
Dive Number: 470 08/05/2013 Golden Gully
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 20m
Details: While my strobe was away being fixed, I decided to try my hand at video which I may upload in the future. Most dives in April and May will be video with the occasional ambient light/torch light photo. Dive 479 is my first dive back with the camera.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm I-Torch 4
Photos:
Apr
21
Dive Number: 466 21/04/2013 Magi Reef
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 20m
Details: While my strobe was away being fixed, I decided to try my hand at video which I may upload in the future. Most dives in April and May will be video with the occasional ambient light/torch light photo. Dive 479 is my first dive back with the camera.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm I-Torch 4
Photos:
Apr
14
Dive Number: 464 14/04/2013 The Labyrinth
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 20m
Details: While my strobe was away being fixed, I decided to try my hand at video which I may upload in the future. Most dives in April and May will be video with the occasional ambient light/torch light photo. Dive 479 is my first dive back with the camera.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm I-Torch 4
Photos:
Apr
7
Dive Number: 462 07/04/2013 Magi Reef
Conditions: ?
Visibilty: 8m
Water Temp: ??c
Bottom Time: 50minutes
Max Depth: 20m
Details: Sounded up some really great structure and wow.. what a dive. It felt like i’d entered a secret world, unseen by humans before. Unfortunately I had some strobe issues, so did my best with ambient light. A moody dive.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm 2 X YS-D1 Strobes
Photos:
