UECWA Newsletter

18th September 2024

Upcoming Dives

Sunday 22nd September

Kerry's Cavern & Crayfish Canyon

Monday 23rd September (Public Holiday)

Skippers Choice Single Dive

Dive Season is Officially Open!

Fill your tanks, ring your buddies, dust off the cobwebs and service your gear!

The dive calendar is officially open from this weekend so what are you waiting for?

Sea Trial Dive Report - Saturday 14th September

Some of the committee and crew set out from Port Coogee for a dive on Cape Cruiser this weekend as the repairs, new engine installation and upgrades are completed.

9 of us in total on the boat and Steve Day skippered her out for a shake down trip and a couple of dives off Parker Point on Saturday morning in a fairly fresh East South Easterly breeze. Martin Smith came out as a passenger to see how the boat performed.

The wait, the time and money have been well worth it. Once the engine was up to 75 deg Steve opened up the throttle to 2700rpm and we were skipping along at 18kts.

The new engine is noticeably quieter than the old engine, within reason, and she is more responsive to the helm. Even at that speed, we used less fuel than the old motor.

While there wasn't a great deal of swell, it was choppy due to the wind as we anchored off Parker point. We did see some Whales on the way out, they were great to see so they are out there now.

We anchored outside the Sanctuary Zone so Jeff, John and Francois and Steve could go hunting for Crays and Mel Daws as Jeff's dive buddy. It is a lovely dive site as well with interesting terrain to explore.

Steve and I dived after the others were back on the boat and enjoyed the dive, but unfortunately Mel succumbed to Sea Sickness. Most unlike her.

Our second dive site was Yellow Buoy Shark Cave, and this time Liz and Michelle also dived . The 'vis' wasn't particularly fantastic descending, but once at the bottom it was quite good and such a lovely area to explore. In total 20 crays were brought on board for the day, and once we were all back on the boat after our dives, and the wind had all but dropped out, we had a smooth, quick trip (compared to the previous times it took) back to Port Coogee. John took the helm for the trip home. The boat is so good now, faster and more fuel efficient. 

I am sure those diving this coming weekend will see and feel the difference. Hopefully, many more hours and years of diving to come for the future off Cape Cruiser.

Tom Bassett.

UEC's 70th Birthday

Tickets are now available for $100 each under Events.

Important Information for Dive Bookings

All members who have paid their fees for the year 2024/2025 should be able to access the dive calendar on the new website and mobile app. Please Contact Us if you are having any issues.

If you would like notice of dive cancellations during our peak periods, then please contact Donna at divebookings@uecwa.com.au with your name and phone number to be added to a WhatsApp group.

Cancelling a Dive Ahead of Time

Important to note that you cannot cancel dives using the dive calendar. Cancellation needs to be by email directly to Donna at divebookings@uecwa.com.au

Please note our cancellation policy below as per the club bylaws:

Cancellations between 07:45 and 16:00 the day before: 50% cancellation fee.

Cancellations after 16:00 the day before: 100% cancellation fee.

No-shows: Full event fee.

Appeals for waivers due to medical reasons or family emergencies can be submitted in writing to the committee.

If you have any questions please check out our FAQ's, Contact Us or chat to your Committee members when you see us on the boat!

Newsletter Editor

Mel Daws - Public Relations