No dives in July

5 August 2022 - Bare Island 15 Metre Reef 

First dive for over 5 weeks due to rain and also camping trip. Went in at Carol's Plaque. It was also totally covered in green algae, could not read at all. Cleaned a little with my boot. Need to fix it next time. Was supposed to go via Shortcut but I missed it as adjusting my neck seal as leaking. Ended up going to SHC and then SW to end of 15 Metre Reef. Back normal way. Lots of yellowtail near SHC and a blue devilfish in the cave. Plenty of nudibranchs, opera house, purple dragons, red flabellinas and all the normal ones. Lots of PJs, two upsidedown pipefish (UDP) and very friendly blue groper. Huge amounts of sand has disappeared, some timber an metal pieces visible that I have never seen in 34 years. Back towards exit a huge wobbegong shark, 2 metres. Very slippery exit at ramp. Very nice dive. Visibility fair.

 

6 August 2022 - The Balcony

Club boat dive, three boats and 12 divers. First time here for over three years, finally had flat seas. Little wind too. Went N and then to The Balcony, huge numbers of ladder-finned pomfrets there and to the S in shallow area. Some PJs, a few nudibranchs, a few small boxfish. Nice dive. Visibility good.

7 August 2022 - M & K Reef

Forecast similar to today but swell much bigger and seas choppier. Was going to Shark Point but too rough to go that far. Slight current from N down to about 10 metres. Similar viz to yesterday, about 10 to 12 m. Anchored on top of wall, dropped anchor to bottom in front of cave. A blue devilfish in cave, then around to back. Gary found a yellow knuckled sea spider here. Back to anchor and then S. Back again to anchor, another sea spider. Nice dive. Visibility good.

11 August 2022 - Bare Island 15 Metre Reef 

Last minute dive to farewell Gary from Australia before he moves to Canada. A bit of swell still running but no wind. Water very cold on top and shallow section reasonable viz. However, below 7 metres awful, 2 metres most of the way and some spots of a metre. Quite surgy, stirring up the silt. Went along reef edge. Kim found a tiny orange anglerfish last Sunday and I refound it. Near SHR. Went down to cave and then to 15 Metre Reef. Lost the others there and came back my myself, they were already out. A few nudibranchs, the two upsidedown pipefish, a starfish shrimp and that is about all. Still did 71 minutes, but a poor dive. Visibility very poor.

14 August 2022 - Shark Island

Good seas and not much wind, ran up at 22 kts. Slight current on top but a bit stronger on bottom. Cross-over line was caught on a knot on anchor line, had to go and fix it up. Went N for 18 mins and back in about 10 mins. Then S a little and back to anchor. Not much seen, a few nudibranchs, a blue groper or two, that's about it. Average dive. Visibility poor.

14 August 2022 - Magic Point

Second dive using same tank. Anchored 15 m S of main cave. One GNS in this cave and a diver from URG!!!! Should not have been in there. Then to SE cave, four GNS in there and one more out a little deeper. Back to main cave and then up. Much better than first dive, made up for that one. Very windy when we surfaced. Visibility poor.

18 August 2022 - Inscription Point

Overcast and incoming tide just after low tide. Water 16.4C, tide was reasonably strong. Went very slow so did not go far. Two huge bullrays, 10 PPH, no sea dragons, one big belly sea horse, a few nudibranchs and one Bare Island anglerfish. Lots of the invasive weed around, more than last time. A really good dive. Visibility fair.

20 August 2022 - Bare Island 15 Metre Reef 

A large swell predicted but did not really start till we were in the water. Much rougher after, also much stronger W wind than forecast (hence not boat dive). Quite cold, 15.6C, but 7 to 8 m viz, a bit of surge deeper and also incoming current. Went slowly down, refound the tiny anglerfish from last Thursday, appears to be a little bigger. Lots of nudibranchs, some interesting ones like pink okenia, opera house and more. No RIF, no PPH but one upsidedown pipefish, one of the two we have seen the past few dives here. Very friendly blue gropers, a few PJs. Some very bad divers on the way back, viz dropped to 2 m where they had swum. A very nice dive again. Visibility fair.

28 August 2022 - Pizza Reef

Originally going yesterday but forecast changed and also could not get a crew. Today no wind and calm seas and very slight current, although this ebbed and waned. Did normal dive. No donut nembrothas, but half a dozen crested horn sharks, a shovel-nose ray and a very skinny shark of some sort. A few nudibranchs, some yellowtail, some bastard trumpeters and blue morwongs. A nice dive. Visibility good, but sometimes only fair.

30 August 2022 - Inscription Point

Seas bigger than forecast, so a bit of effort getting out, but did it without problems. Warmish water (17.3C) and no current as almost at the top of the tide but quite surgy. Drysuit leaked again, found another pinhole near the inflator valve. Only saw one PPH compared to 10 last time, but saw a sea dragon. Refound the Bare Island anglerfish, although upsidedown. Saw one big belly sea horse too. Some nudibranchs as well. Nothing really exciting, but a nice dive. Visibility fair.

31 August 2022 - Bare Island Right 

Millpond seas, no wind, no current, near high tide. Went in before Carol's Plaque. Found a small pineapplefish under SHR, then refound the tiny anglerfish, now about 10 mm. Continued down to SHC. At least half a dozen PJs here in a cave just around the corner. Back normal way. A blue groper followed me for half the dive, very friendly. No RIF or PPH still, no pipefish at all. Still, a nice dive, a very interesting nudibranchs. Visibility fair.

11 September 2022 - Middle Ground

No wind, no current and calm seas. Water 17.4C on top but 16.2C on bottom. Anchored NE corner. Visibility about 5-7 metres. Went around, lots of PJs and yellowtail. One wobbegong shark, but no donut nembrothas. Ascended okay but when back on the boat my right ear was full of liquid, not water. No hearing at all. Not dizzy at all like last time in 1998. Was a bit better later same day, lots better by two days later. Not full now but hearing down and funny. No diving for a while. Anyway, was a nice dive. Visibility fair.