UECWA Newsletter
12th February 2025
Upcoming Dives
Dive Report - Saturday 8th February
The forecast had been good all week and held out for Saturday. Low swell and low winds meant that the scheduled sites of Carpet Emporium and Parker Point were all good to go.
We headed out with 10 divers plus Beth (dive research student) in lovely conditions with Jono on the wheel, Taryn as DO, ably assisted by trainee Filip. On approach to the site we could see UWA gearing up right on the mark. We dropped anchor slightly to the NE on Smooth Slot Cave and the boat slowly drifted around to put us probably just to the east of the Carpet. Meanwhile, another boat had anchored right beside UWA so it was obviously going to be a busy dive.
I jumped in with scooter in hand to check out our anchor. Having done that I was barely 5 minutes into the dive when I saw a nice anchor chain. Thinking it was one of the other boats, I then realised that the piece of rope at the end had some growth on it so had clearly been down for at least a few weeks. Following the chain brought me to a very nice Rocna 6Kg anchor. For those discerning anchor nerds this is definitely one to recover. After untangling the chain, I bunched it all up and filled my BCD. As I did, a lovely Grey Nurse Shark swam past and seemed a bit upset that I paid it little attention, my hands being full. After tying it off to the red bouy, I carried on with my dive.
Carpet Emporium was empty of divers and GNS but still as beautiful a site as ever. All the usual suspects hanging out in the darker releases of the overhang and caves. At least three big Stingrays were gliding around, clearly attracted by all the boats and the hope of manna from heaven (a discarded Crayfish or two).
Back to the boat, weaving through various other boats and groups of divers on safety stops and on giving out my stats, I discovered my computer decided that I had had two dives. Woohoo, that should help my diver of the year bid (I will only log it as a single dive, honest).
We were going to head into Fish Hook Bay as Beth was not enjoying the roll until Geoff pointed out we had one Cray on board, so it was off to Parker Point. This time I decided to swim along the wall to see what was down there. After about 300m I came to an interesting gully and a lovely big overhang cave with a steep sand bank at the front. At the back there must have been 50 Crayfish all looking at me with beady eyes. Heaven if you were a Cray fisherman. Deciding on the obvious name, Sand Bank Cave (rather than Cray Cave) I continued to explore. A lovely small gully with at least two or three other interesting small caves and overhangs so definitely a site worth revisiting. By this time it was time to head back to the boat, so I buzzed back along the top of the wall until I came across the chain for the sanctuary marker which was close to the boat. Not much of the chain left so I suspect the marker will be heading off soon if they don’t replace it.
The last 15 minutes were spent exploring the gully and caves under the boat including a quick look in Carls Cray Hole. A lovely big Blue (green) Groper was hanging out in the cave. Not many Crayfish and I could tell Geoff had already been in.
We pulled anchor and headed home to Coogee, back before 2pm. Big thanks to Jono, Taryn and Filip for a great days diving, and also for dropping us off before refuelling the boat as some of us had afternoon/evening commitments to get to (namely Comfortably Numb, playing at Mundaring Weir Hotel, excellent band for any Pink Floyd fans out there 🎸🎷).
Mike Buchanan
Dive Report - Sunday 9th February
Photo credit - Troy Thompson
Eleven divers set out on Sunday for what had been advertised as "Richards Pot Luck”. However, due to the weather and the resulting sea state, our Skipper Steve made the call to abandon that and instead head for Roe Reef, The Arches, hoping for calmer waters. Once there, we anchored up close to the Blue Destiny which had beaten us to the spot. In hindsight, the seas weren’t a lot better there. However, all divers took the plunge and reported a good dive, if not spectacular. There was one incident when our President, Jen, was in a bit of trouble after entering the water, as one of the exhaust valves on her BCD opened due to the pull string being caught inside the BCD. Happily, she got back to the boat rather than sinking, and the problem was rectified. A good reminder of the importance of buddy checks. On returning, the divers had to be careful approaching the ladder due to the movement of the boat. Our one Nom Diver got sea sick on the approach back. Another two divers felt a bit queasy when they got back onboard.
After the dive, Steve took us into Geordies Bay for a calm interval break, after which we headed for Kingston Spit. Again, Blue Destiny had beaten us to that spot also. Steve then made the inspired call to try a site out at the west end called Jacksons Rock. Seas remained choppy. All divers made it for this second dive, including those poor souls who suffered from sea sickness. By all accounts, this was a great dive site with lots to see. Visibility was excellent. No incidents this time and everyone was very happy.
The trip back to port was uneventful. Thanks to Will Glendon, the trainee DO, who made my job a lot easier. He will be a much needed, great addition to the DO group.
David Kirk
2025 Dive Trips Announced!
We have three exciting trips planned for 2025, with club members receiving priority booking. Details and booking info below and on the website, please contact Donna at divebookings@uecwa.com.au if you have any questions.
22nd - 29th March: Rottnest - $1190 AUD
ONLY ONE SPOT LEFT - BOOK NOW!
2 dives per day, 7 nights accommodation, and tank fills are included. Meals are not included.
9th - 16th July: Halmahera Liveaboard - $4160 AUD (subject to exchange rates)
An 8-day liveaboard to Halmahera, Indonesia, with only 13 spots available. The boat is newly commissioned, and no breakdowns are expected. Bookings open now. Please email Donna.
19th - 25th August: Derawan Island - $2470 AUD (subject to exchange rates)
7 days with 3 dives per day, all meals and accommodation included. There are only 15 spots available. Bookings open now. A $340 deposit is due by 30th April. Priority bookings for club members until 28th Feb. Final payment is due on 30th May.
Important Information for Dive Bookings
All members should have access to the dive calendar on the website and mobile app. If you're experiencing any issues, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us for assistance.
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 during peak periods, please email Donna at divebookings@uecwa.com.au with your name and phone number to be added to the WhatsApp group.
Guests on the Boat
A reminder: For all boat trips (including Christmas lights), UEC members must be on the boat with any guests booked under their membership.
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
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