Looking to spend a specific morning diving in Sydney

[Tyger]

Sorry for starting multiple threads about mostly the same thing. It only occurred to me after the fact I should have brought up multiple related subjects in the same thread, but I didn't want to bury something in a thread with an unrelated title.

As I mentioned recently in my other thread (http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/australia/431613-hamilton-island.html) I have a trip booked to Australia next month, and I'm trying to fit in some more scuba diving.

However this request is very specific.

I'll be in Sydney from September 27th through the 30th... However, the only time I really have available during the day is the morning of the 29th. (Theoretically I could do the 27th or 28th too, but it would have to be an instructional introduction to night diving.)

Since I'm unfamiliar with the area, it would be best if I could find a dive led by someone or a group familiar with the area to lead a dive. Anyone know of a shop, club or group that has an interesting dive planned for Saturday September 29th in the morning that my future wife and I could join? (Between a flight the next day, and plans in the afternoon, I need to be done and heading back to my hotel by 2:00.)

 

[phuonguyen]

Sydney has an abundance of shore diving opportunities, give the guys at Abyss Scuba an email (Contact Details for Abyss Scuba Diving Sydney), they have weekend shore dives and their tanks are always all hired out.

 

[Tyger]

Thanks! I'm hoping to avoid hiring a car so the need to pick up tanks & weights at the shop then take it to the dive site ourselves would be a bit limiting.

I'm looking possibly at Pro Dive in Coogee, which is doing a shore dive off of Shark Point in Clovelly that day. Is anyone familiar with Pro Dive, and is the Shark Point dive worth doing?

 

[clownfishsydney]

Shark Point is a brilliant dive, but it requires a very experienced diver. Make no mistake, unless you are experienced, do not do it. I note that your profile says less than 25 dives, so I would suggest not doing this dive.

Bare Island is the best bet on the south of the city. Where are you staying? You could catch a bus from the city to Matraville and do a dive with Sydney Dive Academy. As it is a Saturday, they will certainly have a dive there. The only cost should be your hire gear and I am sure one of the divers would transport you to and from the site. See my web site Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site for more information on Bare Island and Sydney diving in general.

 

[Tyger]

Thanks, I'll send off an email to Sydney Dive Academy; Bare Island sounds interesting and probably more our speed at the moment.

We're staying in the CBD, so not the most convenient to get to diving, but at least lots of public transportation passes through there.

What is it about Shark Point that is so challenging, aside from the entry/exit? (Apparently I was reading about it on your website yesterday; it was the first hit for "Shark Point Clovelly" in Google, and after that I didn't see the need to look any further.) And would you still recommend against it even with an experienced guide from a local dive shop? You do add "without an experienced person accompanying them" on your page about it.

But you're right, I'm quite inexperienced at this point; I only recently discovered I like diving and got my cert, and by the time I get to Sydney I'll only have 14 dives. (Though most were in 12°C water with 3-7 meter visibility.)

 

[clownfishsydney]

Shark Point entry and exit can be very difficult. More people have been rescued by lifesavers, police etc here than any other dive site in Sydney. It also gets to 26 metres (90 feet), so air consumption needs to be very good.

I would not take anyone there unless I knew they were good on air and also a very relaxed diver. In our club we are strict about this.

Good luck, Bare Island is a brilliant dive site.

 

[Tyger]

Shark Point entry and exit can be very difficult. More people have been rescued by lifesavers, police etc here than any other dive site in Sydney. It also gets to 26 metres (90 feet), so air consumption needs to be very good.

That makes sense, I'll save it for the next trip to Sydney then.

Thanks for pointing me to Sydney Dive Academy, they hadn't come up in my searches before, and after a few email exchanges they seem to be quite willing to work with us as far as transportation. They even asked if there was any dives I wanted to do. Any recommendations?

And thanks for that wonderfully informative website. I was already using it to read about Sydney dive sites before I even posted here. It is quite helpful and informative. (Almost verging on information overload. :cool2

 

[clownfishsydney]

Any of the Bare Island dives would be good, so long as the person leading the dive knows the site (and I think they will). Thanks for the comment about the web site, glad to see it was of assistance.