1 September 2018 - M & K Reef

Huge seas during week but flat as today. Wind light but came up as we surfaced, 20 kts W. Rough trip back across Botany Bay. Water very dirty on top but quite good on bottom (7-10 m), better than expected. We were a bit deeper than normal on 27 m wall. Went S and then back to N. Kelly found an eel and a red pygmy pipehorse. Quite a few species of nudibranch as well. At one stage a lot of silver sweep came in around us. A better dive than we expected. Visibility fair.   

15 September 2018 - Middle Ground

Could not dive last week due to clogged ears. Was supposed to be very strong N or NW winds from about 8, but virtually no wind at all. A bit of a short NE swell but okay, no current. Anchored on NW corner. Went around reef, visibility 15 to 20 m. Three wobbegong sharks, some PJs, no blue devilfish. Quite a few large seapike and many yellowtail. A really good dive. Visibility very good.

15 September 2018 - Barrens HUt/The Split

Club boat dive, two boats. Little wind but a large NE swell every now and then. A bit surgy on bottom. Not as good viz as Saturday, but pretty good. Thought Les had decided to not dive as after 6 mins he was still not on bottom. He finally turned up it appears and dived around anchor. Went up Split to N, 2 donut nembrothas. Lots of silver sweep and one-spot pullers here. Back on reef edge to Cave and back to anchor. A few black reef leatherjackets, a medium cuttlefish, a dozen bastard trumpeters and some red morwong in usual spots. Very nice dive. Visibility very good. 

22 September 2018 - Voodoo

Club boat dive, 3 boats 13 divers. Little wind, flat seas, no current but some surge (17 sec period from SW at times). Went E for 12 mins and then back to anchor. Saw a few silver sweep and one-spot pullers. On the way back saw a small white firefish. A large moasic leatherjacket, some black reef leatherjackets. Kelly found a yellow big belly seahorse on a sea tulip. A really nice dive, could see divers on the bottom at 26 m from safety stop. Visibility very good.

26 September 2018 - Middle Ground

Club boat dive. Was raining heavily on way to ramp but stopped as we loaded boat. No further rain! Anchored second go, no wind then but a little later, smooth sea but a large SE swell every few minutes. Slight current from N. Anchored just off NW corner, went around as usual. no wobbegongs, a few Port Jackson sharks, one small cuttlefish. Some large seapike and yellowtail in NE corner. Very nice dive, but a bit dark due to very overcast skies. Visibility very good.

3 October 2018 - Barrens Hut/The Split 

Club boat dive. Little wind from NW and no current but a little swell from NE. Very dirty on top but almost a degree warmer than bottom. Viz over 15 m on bottom. Anchor came free as we went down and had to jam in on reef edge, moved a bit again by itself. Lots of yellowtail near anchor, went up The Split, one donut nembrotha just outside. Could hear humpback whales most of dive. Back to anchor then The Cave, full of silver sweep. Back up the crack, quite a few red morwong and bastard trumpeters. Also some nice six-spined and black reef leatherjackets along the way and a few large blue morwong. A very nice dive again. Visibility very good.

9 October 2018 - Marley Point

Club boat dive, a day early due to bad forecast for Wednesday. Winds of last 6 days gone and sea only slight swell. No wind and very slight current from NE. Water almost 4 degrees warmer than last week (18.9C)! Viz at least 15 m. Went NE first, lots of Port Jackson sharks, trevally and yellowtail and some leatherjackets. Coming back shallower, plenty of luderick and a couple of small blackfish. Saw about 10 medium kingfish near anchor. Back to W, huge numbers of ladder-finned pomfrets, yellowtail, trevally all over the place. Others saw more kingfish and a large bullray. Excellent dive. Visibility very good.

13 October 2018 - Pizza Reef

After big seas and strong winds last 3 days, not too bad today, but wind from S rather than E and ended up 12-15 kt rather than 10 kts. Also SE and NE swells and very slight current from N. Anchored on E side of reef. Went counter-clockwise as normal. Saw a pineapplefish near cave, lots of black reef leatherjackets all over the place and a blue morwong on the way. At cave only a few bastard trumpeters as well as a few red morwong. On S side, three donut nembrothas on low rock off reef. Back to anchor via the middle section. Very nice dive, a bit surgy on E side but okay. Visibility good.

23 October 2018 - Barrens Hut/The Split

After big seas and strong winds last 3 days, not too bad today, but wind from S rather than E and ended up 12-15 kt rather than 10 kts. Also SE and NE swells and very slight current from N. Anchored on E side of reef. Went counter-clockwise as normal. Saw a pineapplefish near cave, lots of black reef leatherjackets all over the place and a blue morwong on the way. At cave only a few bastard trumpeters as well as a few red morwong. On S side, three donut nembrothas on low rock off reef. Back to anchor via the middle section. Very nice dive, a bit surgy on E side but okay. Visibility good.

27 October 2018 - Pizza Reef

Club boat dive, two boats. A sloppy sea but little wind or current. Clear to 12 m then dirty but cleaner on bottom and a little surge. Anchored off cave. Saw a donut nembrotha there and a tiny one a bit further south. Two more at southern end. Bob found a blue devilfish but as we approached it went way back out of sight. In crack there was a few very large seapike, four bastard trumpeters (none seen elsewhere), a huge school of yellowtail and the normal wrasse and leatherjackets. Quite a good dive. Visibility fair.

30 October 2018 - Bare Island Red Indianfish Reef

Club boat dive, two boats. Went today rather than Wednesday as strong S tomorrow. Anchored in normal location. Went to Tunnel via sand and then Cave. On the way back to anchor, heaps of bastard trumpeters and red morwong in normal spot. After Les went up, Jason and I went up near the N end of Split. I found a small sea horse here. Further on we met up with divers off the other boat and saw two donut nembrothas. May have bene more but running low on bottom time. Back to anchor and up. Also quite a few Port Jackson sharks, yellowtail and many black reef leatherjackets. Excellent dive. Visibility very good.

31 October 2018 - Middle Ground

Club boat dive. Wind stronger than the forecast, 17 kts S but dropped to 12 kts while we were out there. Water dirty on the way down again, but cleanish on bottom. 16.8C on top, 15.7C on bottom. Sloppy seas but better than Saturday. Anchored on SE corner, did E and S sides only. When Les was dropping over the wall, a seal came up behind him and swam out past me and disappeared. Did not see it again. Three Port Jackson sharks, no wobbegong sharks, lots of yellowtail and some large seapike. Also some silver sweep and off the boulders to E, some bastard trumpeters and blue and red morwong. Very nice dive. VIsibility good.

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