Mar

16

Dive Number: 147 12/03/11  14.34, Marengo, Apollo Bay

Wind:   10 knot S’s

Tide:  3.5hours before 1.47 high tide at the heads.

Conditions:   The winds had swung around to a southerly and the swell was picking up. The tide was also coming in, so conditions were conspiring against me, but in comparison to usual conditions in this part of the world they were prtety good.  Slight surge, but the vis was fairly good.  Breakers on the outer reef, which moved to the inner reef as the tide came in.

Visibilty:8m

Water Temp: 18c

Bottom Time: 92minutes

Max Depth: 8.0m

Air usage: 140bar/2000psi

SAC: ???? litres/min

Details:   Marengo take two (after some camera housing adjustments).  I did the same entry as last dive, but surface swam out to about the centre of the channel and the made my way to the outer platform underwater. The force of the swell got pretty full on around where the water got shallower approaching the exposed reef.  There were loads of Herring Cale in the area,  plenty of leatherjackets and i stumbled onto a few cowfish too.  I saw a big ray in the distance, but nothing was particulary photogenic and as much as i tried, i couldn’t get close to anything for a decent pic. The underwater terrain was interesting with big fronds of bull kelp in the shallower reeds, and long flowing kelp over the rest of the reef.   I’d never seen weed civerage like it, and it almost seems to degrade  the diversity of marine plant life on the rocks.  In general it was an interesting dive, but didn’t blow me away like i was hoping…no seal encounters, and luckily no great whites either. ;) 

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm , dual SS200 strobes

Dive Report:

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