Sunday 8 January 2009 - Clifton Gardens
Went in from shore. Only a few sea horses, on pylons near end. Lots of moray and spotted eels. Many decorator and spider crabs. Went to end of wharf, then along front net and through hole to S into pool. Back along net and then across middle of pool. Visibility poor (fair at end of wharf).

Sunday 10 January 2009 - Henry Head
Just after high tide. Went S to sand and then W. Lots to see. Large schools of bream, yellowtail. Turned around when it got a bit dirty. Back to anchor, then E, then shallower and back to anchor area. Les had found two anchors and I bought the smaller one up. Visibility excellent.

Sunday 11 January 2009 - Shiprock
Very high tide of 2.03 m. Not much current though. No eel in normal place, a few octopus, went to pineapplefish, although Kelly had sinus problems and waited just before there. Came back along wall. Kelly showed us a juvenile velvetfish. Then saw an eastern wirrah eating a half-banded sea perch. Paul refound the sea horse from last dive. I found an Obscure Hypselodoris nudibranch near exit. Nice dive, though dozens here. Visibility good.

Saturday 17 January 2009 - Inscription Point
Very strong southerly meant could not take boat out. Kel's wetsuit zip shat itself and could not be closed. Dived with Ron. Went E into tide. Saw sea dragon missing tail, three pygmy pipehorses, one tiny red one and two larger camoflagued ones, a tiny yellow boxfish. Nice dive. Visibility fair. 

Sunday 18 January 2009 - Pizza Reef
Slight current and wind from S. Anchored near cave. Huge numbers of ladder-finned pomfret, hundreds of seapike, at least one hundred small kingfish, trevally, silver sweep, lots of bastard trumpeters in two bunches, NE of cave and over cave, one-spot pullers. Near end of dive moved anchor to KFC and then went over there. One long-snouted boarfish. Not as many fish here. Fantastic dive, perhaps best reef dive in Sydney for fish numbers for 10 years. Visibility excellent.

Wednesday 21 January 2009 - Pizza Reef
What a difference a couple of days make! Three degrees cooler and no fish. Visibility just a little less (25 m v 30m). Lots of bastard trumpeters, some seapike, but all the ladder-finned pomfret were missing. Nice dive anyway. Visibility excellent.

Thursday 22 January 2009 - Bare Island Isolated Reefs
Night dive. 14 members diving. Went of W point and to W. Then past sea horse cave to IR1. Went on N side. Found sea horse in normal spot on IR2. Then around and back on S side. Saw 5 sea dragons overall. Lots of octopus, many small squid. Back to sea horse cave. Found a sea horse on top of it (as told by Theo) and then the usual one past first cave. Very dirty but warm shallow. Visibility good.

Saturday 24 January 2009- SS Hilda
Four Club boats, strong NW wind (very hot day over 41C) and slight current from S. Anchored just to north of wreck. Went over all wreck, past anchor, winches, back to boiler and prop and then engine and big winch. Nice dive. Visibility good.

Sunday 25 January 2009 - Inscription Point
A bit of a NW swell but not too bad. Right at high tide. Went E. Saw a long-snouted boarfish at the start. Kelly found 2 pygmy pipe horses. Some new nudibranchs we had never seen before plus two blue opera house ones. No sea dragons. Nice easy dive. Visibility fair.

Monday 26 January 2009 - Shiprock
Club Australia Day dive, about 24 present. Lots of Parramatta nudibranchs, heaps small seapike, a few eels, one sea horse in same place as recent
dives, one pineapplefish as normal. Very nice dive. Visibility fair.

Thursday 29 January 2009 - Oak Park Outer
13 members attending night dive. Went in at back of pool and followed the deeper wall. Got a bit dirty out near end of first reef and crossed over to second reef without realising. Noticed this out near Fish Soup. Turned around here and went back. Not a lot special seen, but quite a few fish out back. Nice dive. Visibility fair.

Saturday 31 January 2009 - Slipper Reef - Shellharbour
Club weekend away. Medium NE wind that came up a fair bit. Earlier dive here saw a seal. Lots of cuttlefish, one-spot pullers. Three female eastern king wrasse and one male. Lots of leatherjackets, some trevally, some sweep etc. Nice dive. Visibility good.

Saturday 31 January 2009 - Gravel Loader - Shellharbour
Went off boat ramp. A bit of surge at first from NE winds. A lot of medium sized cuttlefish, some pufferfish, lots of smaller yellowtail, some luderick, sweep and one-spot pullers. Nice dive. Visibility fair.


For more details about these dives and other dives this year, click here.