Aussie Diving for w/e: Nov 7th to 13th

[Aardvark]

Well me, chilled + a new buddy we met through our dive club (well I actually did my OW course in Feb with him so it was nice to see some one else still diving from my class! ) just went and did an AWESOME dive at Mornington Pier. It made up for Sunday's difficult dive for sure! Anyway, things weren't looking so good with strong winds and thunderstorms predicted but we made the trip anyway. Well water was very flat, no surge and viz was about 5m

We saw a *giant* Maori octopus, watched it hunt for things for about 20mins, blue ring, and also a sand octopus. When we first descended the viz was awful (it is very silty near the start of the pier), and we almost ended up on top of a giant stingray. Was about 3m big. Anyway it was flopping around stirring up all the sand so it was a tad disturbing being in no viz with a giant stingray around! Saw lots of sea horses, nudi, calamari, Old Wives, a puffer fish with one eye swimming very oddly, and a few other critters. Chilled says he will post pictures later

Just as we finished packing up all the gear it started pouring and lightening started. So we timed it very well

Also... I am back in my wetsuit :shocked2: Was a bit chilly at the start of the dive but I got used to it and was fairly toasty by the end

Sounds like a great dive. I love octopus, I haven't seen any Maori octopus or Blue Ring but plenty of the medium sized varity. They just seem so graceful.

Four of us went for a night dive last night. I won't say it was a bad dive. Vis was about 2m (I could make out my fins, sort of). I got to practice solo cramp removal on the surface in the swell (not fun) and the others got to practice lost buddy procedure (me) as my buddy hadn't seen me signalling that I was going up (somebody had their light in my face when I thumbed it!)

Anyway... a moray, lots of cuttlefish, lots of small fish, some old wives, small rays and catfish. The others spotted a blind shark before they realised I was no longer with them

I took a couple of photos that just showed up as an amazing pattern of backscatter and nothing else.

 

[thanksforallthefish]

:bounce3::bounce2::bounce4::balloons:
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We ditched the wetsuits and went to sharkskins for our dive last monday with bygolly and Acanthrus, water was warm at 19°, and never felt cool for any of the dive.

YIPPEE ... hang up wetsuit for another 5 months

:bounce3::bounce2::bounce4::balloons:

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[bowlofpetunias]

:bounce3::bounce2::bounce4::balloons:
​

We ditched the wetsuits and went to sharkskins for our dive last monday with bygolly and Acanthrus, water was warm at 19Ž°, and never felt cool for any of the dive.

YIPPEE ... hang up wetsuit for another 5 months

:bounce3::bounce2::bounce4::balloons:

​

Yippeee no wetsuit...:dancingsnoopy:..
no weight pockets :cheerleader:

only trim weights :wave:

 

[Sas]

Ok well I saw chilledmammel has put some pictures up from our dive on Thurs Hope I am not stealing his thunder though (he took most of them but I think I took the sand octopus one)... but I noticed he hasn't put them up on Scubaboard yet.

Pot Belly Seahorse in its usual spot (there are a bunch that we see each time at Mornington)

Hmm a bullseye? There were dozens of these everywhere

Jumping blue-ring :shocked2:

Sand Octopus

Aardvark, amazing backscatter is my specialty too!

Petunia, I would love to ditch my 7mm and dive in a sharkskin but would freeze to death I think. Lucky you! I have ditched another 2lb from my 7mm though so now down to 24lb, down from 30lb in OW class

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I couldn't dive in Melbourne in a sharkskin either! It is nice to dive with only 4 pounds in the trim pockets ...... Yipeeeeee! Do I seem pleased??????????