Moving to Oz

[Far_X]

Having experienced New York diving at its best, and worst, it seems that I am being transferred to Oz most probably March next year. It will almost for sure be Sydney as one of my work colleagues already lives in Malabar.

So, the question is, what can I expect in the way of diving? I am advanced nitrox and deco certified and would be looking for both beach and wreck diving. Is access to the beach pretty easy and do you need a drysuit over winter (I do have one)?

Obviously I'll be shipping my gear over and have both yoke and DIN tanks - are both of these used in Oz? Or would it be better to buy secondhand tanks and sell my doubles and singles over here?

What can I expect to see in the way of wildlife?

I think I am more excited about it than when I moved to the USA from England!!!

 

[alcina]

Congratulations on the upcoming move! You're going to love Aussie diving - make sure you plan some time to get further afield than just Sydney...there are awesome diving spots all over but they take some planning to get to!

I'm sure the East Coasters will be on soon to offer lots of local tidbits!

 

[Sas]

Hi Far_X, cool to hear about your move. I don't live in Sydney so can't answer the majority of your questions well, but I will give it a shot . But I think if you have a drysuit definitely bring it, Sydney can get coldish over winter (I heard 13C the other day), but I think usually it is about 16C in winter. Someone will correct me if I am wrong.

Wildlife - well I have no idea really but I know there are grey nurse sharks, which I love

Wrecks - Sydney has a bunch of wrecks, but I think they are usually outside recreational limits - 40-60m.

Shores - I have heard there is lots of shore diving and it is not too difficult to access dive sites.

Tanks - I know both yoke and DIN tanks are used, at least in Melbourne, as I get asked which one I want to hire, and I have seen lots of DIN tanks on the boat. Anyway, Australia is fairly expensive for buying scuba gear so I'd take a guess and say it might be better to have your tanks shipped over, but I guess that depends on how much shipping is. I think for a 12L steel tank, it is about $350 at the cheapest. Other sizes I have no idea sorry!

This site www.diveoz.com.au - The Biggest Site for Australian Scuba Diving Info has info about Sydney dive sites/charters/clubs if you go to 'Info Directories' in the side menu. Also more Aussies on those forums than here so you might want to ask questions there as well

 

[justleesa]

WHAT!?! you're moving to OZ?.....hope you make a stop here before you go....You going alone or Alma joining you?

 

[Far_X]

Thanks for the responses!! Litres?? I have been living in the States for seven years - I have forgotten what litres are. And centigrade. Well hopefully work will be paying for moving costs, all if not most, so I don't mind throwing them in there. I should probably dismantle the doubles and pack as singles.

I am covered to 50m if they accept TDI cards. Is Trimix expsensive? I think the USA has a monopoly on Helium and heard that it is expensive everywhere else. Might we worth investing in a rebreather.

I'll check out that site.

Cheers

 

[Far_X]

WHAT!?! you're moving to OZ?.....hope you make a stop here before you go....You going alone or Alma joining you?

Yes, hopefully Alma will be joining me. Have to see about getting her a visa. I am getting one through work and she's seeing if she can get a transfer also. Hawaii may have to wait - got Mexico to visit November and December.

 

[Sas]

Thanks for the responses!! Litres?? I have been living in the States for seven years - I have forgotten what litres are. And centigrade. Well hopefully work will be paying for moving costs, all if not most, so I don't mind throwing them in there. I should probably dismantle the doubles and pack as singles.

I am covered to 50m if they accept TDI cards. Is Trimix expsensive? I think the USA has a monopoly on Helium and heard that it is expensive everywhere else. Might we worth investing in a rebreather.

I'll check out that site.

Cheers

Ok I am not sure what 12L is converted to. Like standard steel tanks are 10L, 12L or 15L, so yea, what is the middle one over your way? Actually I am not sure about HP or LP and how that affects it too, so sorry!

13C is 55F, 16C is 60F. If you type in '13C in fahrenheit' (or 50F in celsius) into google it will translate it for you

TDI cards are accepted I think pretty much all the major agencies are accepted, or if you can prove experience at the type of diving you want to do, that is ok at most places also.

And Helium is expensive I believe. I found this calculator for a Melbourne diving shop that does Trimix fills, I'd say Sydney is fairly similar in pricing: The Scuba Doctor - Trimix Calculator - Empty Tanks - Calculate the price of your trimix fill of an empty cylinder. I hope that what you mean, I don't know anything much about trimix...

 

[justleesa]

Yes, hopefully Alma will be joining me. Have to see about getting her a visa. I am getting one through work and she's seeing if she can get a transfer also. Hawaii may have to wait - got Mexico to visit November and December.

Silly....lay over....it's on the way

 

[Far_X]

Thanks, Saspotato - useful information.

I don't understand HP and LP either!! I know my HP 120s are about the same physical size as my LP 98s but I can get a lot more gas in them!! Ok, I looked them up: my 120Hp holds 14.8L, the HP 100 holds 12.2L, and the LP 100 holds about 15L too but at a lower pressure than the HP 120s. Now I have to figure out bar.

Water temps seem great!! I was doing 49F last winter in a 5mm wetsuit. I lasted about 40 minutes. Of course, in the summer 5mm does it too. I was a tad cold with a 2/3mm.

 

[Far_X]

Silly....lay over....it's on the way

Ahhh, good thinking, Batman. Did you see it yet, btw?