May
9
Dive Number: 304 09/05/12 11.06, Pt Lonsdale Platforms
Wind: ???
Tide: ???
Conditions:
Visibilty: -m
Water Temp: 15c
Bottom Time: 80minutes
Max Depth: 5m
Air usage:
SAC: ???? litres/min
Details: Another gloroius dive in the point lonsdale giant kelp forests ending at the pier.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm , SS200 Strobes
Photos:
Apr
14
Dive Number: 297 14/04/12 15.31, Point Lonsdale Platforms
Wind: ???
Tide: ???
Conditions:
Visibilty: -m
Water Temp: 17.2c
Bottom Time: 57minutes
Max Depth: 4.2m
Air usage:
SAC: ???? litres/min
Details: When the opportunity arises to dive in the kelp forests off Pt Lonsdale i’m there. Its always an exciting dive with the strong currents, but swimming amongst the Giant kelp stands(Macrocystis pyrifera) is always memorable. In the heavy current area i spotted a Blue Groper. It was tough to get a photo of with the current and with a fisheye, but managed an ID shot.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm , SS200 Strobes
Photos:
Oct
23
Dive Number: 204 23/10/11 17.21, Pt Lonsdale – Kelp Forests
Wind: 15knot northerlies
Tide: Slack Water at the Heads
Conditions: Building swell creating surge and dark, dirt-ish water. Storm fronts approaching.
Visibilty: 6m
Water Temp: 15.6c
Bottom Time: 81minutes
Max Depth: 4.0m
Air usage: 70bar/1000psi
SAC: ???? litres/min
Details: This is when an obsession turns dangerous. I ‘needed’ to dive the Kelp forest again, but the conditions were far from perfect. Storms were predicted and the swell was building, but i headed out anyway, feeling confident in my past experience with the area. I never would have attempt this a couple of weeks ago. The surge was annoying the water was dark, but being is this body of water during thunderstorm was exhilerating. Shooting the rain falling on the surface was a bit of fun.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm , SS200/SS400 Strobe
Photos:
Oct
22
Dive Number: 202 22/10/11 17.24, Pt Lonsdale Kelp Forest
Wind: 15knot northerlies
Tide: Slack water at the Heads
Conditions: Surgey with waves of swell running past the platform.
Visibilty: 6m
Water Temp: 14.8c
Bottom Time: 51minutes
Max Depth: 4.4m
Air usage: 70bar/1000psi
SAC: ???? litres/min
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm , SS200/SS400 Strobe
Photos:
Oct
21
Dive Number: 200 21/10/11 15.45, Pt Lonsdale Kelp Forest
Wind: 15knot northerlies
Tide: Slack Water at the Heads
Conditions:
Visibilty: 6m
Water Temp: 15.2c
Bottom Time: 53minutes
Max Depth: 4.2m
Air usage: 70bar/1000psi
SAC: ???? litres/min
Details: I was looking foward to seeing the Kelp Forest that Phil had been photographying over the last couple of weeks, and i wasn’t disappointed. This area is very slack water dependent and the currents that rip through shark alley (or the swashaway) can be fearsome. So finding the right day with low swell and the right slack water timing was essential. I felt safe despite the surge and the towering algae forests that not only limit visibility, but also provide some major tangling hazards, (especially with a camera rig like mine), so a knife is an essential bit of kit hear. It was hard to capture the ambience of these kelp forests on camera…so i’m going to keep trying but a couple of pics came out ok.
P.s. Didn’t even realise this was my 200th dive else i would have scared you al with some human nudi photos ! ; )
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm , SS200/SS400 Strobe
Photos:
Aug
3
Dive Number: 175 31/07/11 15.35, Pt Lonsdale Outer Reef
Wind: 10-15knot north/north-easterlies
Tide: Slack Water at the Heads
Conditions: Still a lovely day, but cloud increasing. Swell still low, with low surge against the platform. Aquarium like visibility.
Visibilty: 15m.
Water Temp: 12c
Bottom Time: 37minutes
Max Depth: 5.5m
Air usage: 70bar/1000psi
SAC: ???? litres/min
Details: Just when i thought diving couldn’t get any better, i hit the outer ledges on slack water. It was liking diving in an aquarium, with immaculate vis, and fish life everywhere. The sun was low in th sky and the ambient light underwater was ethereal. Unforunately i ran out of strobe batteries and memory from the previous dive, so not much to show..but it was just great to sit back and take in the views. At the end of the dive, a bottom dwelling fish (maybe a flounder or sole) swam past me in midwater…very strange to see..almost like a minature ray.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm , SS400 Strobe
Dive Report:
Jul
5
Dive Number: 166 04/07/11 9.39, Pt Lonsdale Outer Reef
Wind: 20knot north/north-westerlies
Tide: Salck Water at 10.14
Conditions: Northerlies continued to blow strongly, and the bay/heads looked flat. On arriving there was still swell breaking over the platform and the gutter looked fairly messy still. After entering though conditions were quiet good. Good vis, the expected surge, but generally fairly good. Nice sunny conditions too.
Visibilty: 10m
Water Temp: 12c
Bottom Time: 35minutes
Max Depth: 6.9m
Air usage: 70bar/1000psi
SAC: ???? litres/min
Details: Met up with Phil Watson to hit the outer reef at Pt Lonsdale on Slack. We geared up and walked across the already flooded platform towards a small “bay” that makes for the ideal giant stride entry point. We dropped into about 3-3metres, surrounded by beautiful kelp and algae and nice clear water. We headed out SW and weaved our way through the maze of bommies, exploring the overhangs and watching sweep and zebrafish dart around the reef tops. After about 30minutes the swell and surge started getting a bit nasty and we exited back the way we came over the platform. A great dive…my first scuba on the ocean side of the platform.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm , dual SS200 strobes.
Dive Report:
