UECWA Newsletter

21st January 2026

Upcoming Dives

Carpet Emporium & Anders Meanders - Sat 24th Jan

Skippers Choice Double - Sun 25th Jan

Stragglers Single Dive - Mon 26th Jan

Parker Point Drop Off & Sandy Cave - Sat 31st Jan

Flat Top and Kerries Cavern Double - Sun 1st Feb

Dive Report - Wednesday 14th January

Photo credit - Mike Buchanan

At Steve's suggestion, we decided to try to slot in a last-minute mid-weeker. The call went out for crew and in no time we had our four crew.
By Tuesday night, it was looking more like a crew training day with six skippers and two DO's booked on along with three other divers.
Given the conditions of relatively low swell and low number of paying customers, the obvious choice was Stragglers, much to Carl's delight. First stop Crazy Wobbie, Carls favourite. A strong easterly gave us a favourable run out but turning into the wind demonstrated that this was not going to be fun for the crew. John & Mike weathered the rolling seas while the rest went cray hunting. As divers came back, a competition of mines bigger than yours started. In the end, I think Shane just got it, but it was a close call. 
Having cleared out Crazy Wobbie, John and I elected to move the boat down to the Ulidia Reef site. I had a beautiful dive around the northern end of the reef with an extensive cave duly marked on the GoPro.
For the next dive, we headed to Stragglers Lagoon and hung back a bit from the reef. Everyone had a good dive either a few more Crays coming back. In the end, I think we bagged 20. 
With scooter in hand, I went searching for the fabled Murray Chambers and to my delight found a cave system in the approximate location that seemed to match the description in Stubbie's book. Definitely worth checking out again.

With anchor pulled, we headed back to port in much nicer conditions. A welcome refreshment at the pub after the boat wash down was enjoyed by most. Thanks to everyone for helping out and making it a most enjoyable day and in particular to Steve, Marcus and Trev for putting the boat to bed.

Mike Buchanan

Dive Report - Sunday 18th January

Photo credit - Kate Dickinson

Mike (Skipper) and DO (Trevor) set off with 14 divers and 3 snorkellers en route to Victoria Station and Grey Nurse Cave via Rottnest. After the Rotto drop off, we made our way to the first dive site.

Conditions were good at Victoria station, average viz of about 10-15m with very little current . There were 2 nomination divers on board today. Welcome to Tim and Brendon. Divers were treated to numerous swim throughs, small caves and a large platform ledge hence the name Victoria station. Western blue devils, angel fish, schools of bullseyes and a couple of small rays featured on the first dive. 

With the swell building on the second more shallow dive at Grey Nurse cave, plenty of the usual marine life, Bullseyes etc, but sadly no sighting of the elusive Grey Nurse. Marie and Damien were the cray catchers of the day and Marie bagged a particularly large one! 

The highlight of the day, by far, was the cray cook-up that Marie and Shane kindly created in between the two dives. Divers were treated to freshly caught cray cooked with spices and vermicelli noodles. Absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection! Thanks to our on-board chefs 🙂 

Steve looked dashing in his borrowed club wetsuit 🙂 and Mike kindly swung past the Sail GP on the way back to see the closing stages, which was very exciting to see. 

Thanks for a great day out as always, UEC!

Kate Dickinson

Photo credit - Kate Dickinson

Australia Day Skyshow - Spots Still Available!
There are still plenty of spots left on our Australia Day Skyshow boat trip this Monday. It’s a great way to wrap up the long weekend—kick back on the water and enjoy the fireworks with family and friends and a couple of drinks. Don’t miss out!

2026 Club Trips

Last chance for 2025 pricing!
We’re heading to this laid-back Indonesian island for crystal-clear waters, vibrant reefs, and the chance to spot big pelagics alongside healthy coral gardens. With uncrowded dive sites, warm water, and a relaxed island vibe, Pulau Weh dive resort is shaping up to be a 2025 favourite. Bonus: we’ve secured 2025 pricing until 24 January — after that, 2026 rates apply, with the base Twin Diver package increasing by $153 per person. Lock it in early to save! Please note this price does not include flights. However, we are planning on doing a group booking to save money, so no need to book your own flights.

Click on Upcoming Club Trips for more information on the website about our 2026 club trips.

Important Information for Dive Bookings

• Please do not book dives for other divers. If we receive double bookings from one diver, the second booking will be automatically cancelled.
• If you would like to receive notifications about dive cancellations, please email divebookings@uecwa.com.au with your name and phone number to be added to the WhatsApp group.
• Important to note that you cannot cancel dives using the dive calendar. Cancellation needs to be made by email directly to 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.

If you have any questions, please check out our FAQ's, Contact Us or chat with your Committee members when you see us on the boat! All current club members are welcome to attend monthly committee meetings. 

Newsletter Editor

Mel Daws - Public Relations