Planning a future Australia diving trip....

[Uli Kunkel]

Hey everyone!

Im thinking about coming down to Oz from Thailand in the near future, but I wanted to pick up some more information before I make too many plans!

My primary interest is in finding some Leafy Sea Dragons! Ive read the information here and understand that theyre quite common in the South, but I havent found anything about the seasons? Are they seasonal at all??

Also, which time of year should I plan on coming for the "best" diving conditions?

Im interested in doing a lot of diving while Im there, but I dont really have the budget to stretch it by doing day trips. Is it possible to rent tanks and weights and just solo dive (or with a buddy?)?

Thanks for your help!!

 

[bracko]

yes you can do lots of shore dives around sydney, weedy sea dragons can be found in south sydney and down the coast!

I've only ever seen them in Jervis bay, which is an excellent dive site, but you need a boat for a lot of the better dives.

I believe people do see them in sydney, i will ask around the store.

 

[AndyNZ]

As I understand it, you'll have the most chance of finding them if you head down to Adelaide.

Take the advice with a pinch of salt, it's based on second hand information and I don't really dive in the West Island that much.

 

[Tortuga68]

yes you can do lots of shore dives around sydney, weedy sea dragons can be found in south sydney and down the coast!

Weedy Sea Dragons are very common in Sydney and, to a lesser extent, Melbourne. Leafy Sea Dragons are not - although they can be found around Melbourne, the coast between Adelaide and Perth is more their habitat

I don't think sightings are seasonal, but breeding season is Nov-Dec so you can get some nice pix of the males carrying the eggs then

 

[diver257a]

Hey everyone!

Im thinking about coming down to Oz from Thailand in the near future, but I wanted to pick up some more information before I make too many plans!

My primary interest is in finding some Leafy Sea Dragons! Ive read the information here and understand that theyre quite common in the South, but I havent found anything about the seasons? Are they seasonal at all??

Also, which time of year should I plan on coming for the "best" diving conditions?

Im interested in doing a lot of diving while Im there, but I dont really have the budget to stretch it by doing day trips. Is it possible to rent tanks and weights and just solo dive (or with a buddy?)?

Thanks for your help!!

Hi,

LSDs are very common in South Australia (SA). They can be seen all year at various sites of which many can be assessed from the shore.

Yes, you can hire equipment in order to avoid doing day trips! Some of the dive stores & a number of diving businesses do actually offer specialised LSD tours.

I can give you some more info but I have some other stuff to do that is more urgent - if you look at my previous posts, you should be able to pick up most of the info that I would give you. At a later time, I will check what I have posted on LSDs & add some additional information to this thread.

Regards

 

[bracko]

learn something new every day! apologies i thought the two were words were interchangable for the same animal.

n.b. commerical diver taken off Adelaide on thursday. RIP.

 

[KY]

Leafy Sea dragons - go to South Australia, period. Dive one of the piers there, and you'll see heaps of them

Weedy Sea dragons - Go to Victoria, dive one of the piers (notably flinders) and you'll see heaps there

 

[diver257a]

Hi,

LSDs are very common in South Australia (SA). They can be seen all year at various sites of which many can be assessed from the shore.

Yes, you can hire equipment in order to avoid doing day trips! Some of the dive stores & a number of diving businesses do actually offer specialised LSD tours.

I can give you some more info but I have some other stuff to do that is more urgent - if you look at my previous posts, you should be able to pick up most of the info that I would give you. At a later time, I will check what I have posted on LSDs & add some additional information to this thread.

Regards

Hi Uli Kunkel,

I have updated the information I placed in some earlier threads about diving with LSDs. I trust this information will be of use to you.

There are 2 types of Sea Dragon. Firstly, Leafy Sea Dragons (LSDs) are a relatively common fish found along the southern coast of the Australian continent. Secondly, Weedy Sea Dragons (aka Common Sea Dragon) - these are also relatively common but have a greater range around the Australian continent than Leafy Sea Dragons.

Best places on the Adelaide side of Gulf St Vincent (within 100 km drive of Adelaide) for sightings include Rapid Bay Jetty (shore dive), Second Valley (shore dive with some swimming) and Seacliffe Reef (boat dive). On the other side of the Gulf, best places (within 2 hours drive from Adelaide) are Wool Bay (shore dive), Klein's Point Jetty (shore dive) and Edithburgh Jetty & surroundings (shore dive).

Most dive stores & independent instructors offer day trips to Rapid Bay Jetty for the specific purpose of finding LSDs or just for general diving. Also, Edithburgh is a popular destination where LSDs can be seen. Refer the following for more information (some sites include prices).

1. Adelaide Scuba - Dive Travel > Local - Adelaide Scuba
Divers Delight - Divers Delight . Local
2. Divers Service – refer below.
3. Southern Diving Centre - Dive Sites
4. The Dive Shack - The Dive Shack - Local Dive Tours - Scuba Diving Equipment, Dive Shop & Lessons in Port Noarlunga, Adelaide, Glenelg
5. Underwater Sports Diving Centre - Learn to scuba dive Adelaide, South Australia with Underwater Sports - learn to dive, specialty courses, dive master, equipment sales and service, ex-HMAS Hobart dives.

The 2 following independent instructors also offer day trips:

1. Leafy Sea Dragon Tours | Facebook
2. - Home - Paul does tours in conjunction with Divers Service (Leafy Sea Dragon Toura Guided Dives Professional Photographer - Divers Services).

The dive operator on Kangaroo Island (index) also offers dives that specifically focus on locating Leafy Sea Dragons to show visiting divers.

 

[diver257a]

Leafy Sea dragons - go to South Australia, period. Dive one of the piers there, and you'll see heaps of them

Weedy Sea dragons - Go to Victoria, dive one of the piers (notably flinders) and you'll see heaps there

Hi KY,

We don't call them 'piers' in this part of the 'West Island'; we use the term 'jetties'.

There are a lot of jetties in SA due to their use as part of a once-extensive coastal shipping system. I live near 2 jetties in suburban Adelaide & I reckon one could dive on these for every day of the rest of one's life without ever seeing a LSD. These are just not LSD territory.

LSDs seem to be more common along the mainland coast that directly faces the Great Australian Bight & the coasts (including Kangaroo Island) that face onto Investigator Strait. The first LSD I ever saw was at an open ocean site near Streaky Bay (which is not that far from the head of the Bight but a long way from the jetty sites readily accessible from Adelaide that are touted as LSD hot spots).

 

[Uli Kunkel]

Hey there!

Wow, excellent information! Thanks so much for taking the time to post all that and the links as well.

It looks like I might have a few days of diving around the area this July! I will be checking a few more details but Im getting pretty stoked already! (All this talk of "LSD" doesn't help much, haha!)

On another note- i'd like to know if there are any areas that I should visit that are known for seeing stonefish and/or frogfish? I know it's kindof a strange request, but I have a thing for taking pictures of the both of them and wonder what's there to be seen!

Thanks!