Aug

26

Dive Number: 75 22/08/2010 13.21 The Grotto

Wind: 10-15 knot N.

Tide: 3.5hr after 1.31 high tide at the Heads (12.50 slack)

Conditions: The last couple of weeks has been blowing ave. 30 knot, and lots of rain, and today was the first light wind. The sky was blue and it was generally a nice day, but still a lot of surface chop. Visibility in the water was atrocious! as expected.

Bottom Type: Rocky reef ledges over sand.

Visibilty: 1-2m

Water Temp: 12c

Bottom Time: 44 minutes

Max Depth: 20.6m

Air usage: 185bar/2500psi

SAC: ???? litres/min

Details: There was a break in the windy weather we’ve been having so i thought i’d jump on a boat with dive vic. The two options were Foggy Reef or The Grotto. I’d already dived The Grotto so i jumped on the Foggy Reef boat. On the way out i got told that i’d have to switch boats, because one group was going to 30m and the other was OW training so i had to buddy up with someone of the Grotto boat. So a boat change in the middle of PPB made things a bit more interesting.

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm , single SS200 strobe

Dive Report: I ended up being buddied up with Cheri (a fellow photographer) and one of the dive vic instructors, so it was good to have a group that would take it nice and slow…especially in 1-2m vis. On descent, we dropped into about 20m straight off. I couldn’t see the bottom until we hit it, and we spooked a baby port jackson shark who took off pretty quick. Not long after working our way along a ledge, our ‘guide’ spotted a Draughtboard shark under a ledge. Excellent spotting in the crap vis! I moved in closer for a shot, and it didn’t like me so close, so i backed off to give it a bit of space. It decided to take off and left the only was it could…in between me and Cheri.

The rest of the dive was fairly uninspiring critter wise. The bad vis made fish spook easily, and the colours weren’t all that vivid in the low light murkiness, so i didn’t take a lot of photos. They probably came out better than i expected though cosidering how milky the water was. Here’s a few from the dive.

Jul

20

Dive Number: 56 08/07/2010 11.33 The Grotto

Wind: 10 knot Westerlies???

Tide: SWF – 3.5hrs after 1.37 high tide at heads

Conditions: Overcast day, with the sun promising to peak out but it never really happened. The heads were fairly calm, but some big swell outside the heads on the horizon.

Bottom Type: Reef ledges and overhangs with some scattered bommies.

Visibilty: 6m

Water Temp: 13c

Bottom Time: 48 minutes

Max Depth: 18.8m

Air usage: 140bar/2000psi

SAC: ???? litres/min

Details: My first boat dive in the heads, and i was very impressed. Heaps of colour and fishlife. Not the best vis, but not too shabby. I was just happy to finally be experiencing the quality of temperate diving thats found in Port Phillip Bay that i’ve heard so much about.

Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm fisheye , single SS200 strobe

Dive Report: No crap…just photos..and Tony the Prawn: