UECWA Newsletter

29th April 2026

Upcoming Dives

Skippers Choice Double - Sat 2nd May

Skippers Choice Double - Sun 3rd May

Double Deep Dive (Opera House) - Sat 9th May

Skippers Choice Double - Sun 10th May

Dive Report - Saturday 25th April

Photo credit - Sue Haste

A chilly, overcast start didn’t dampen spirits, with ten eager divers turning up ready to make the most of the day. We took a quiet moment at the jetty to reflect on our ANZACs and what the day stands for before heading out. Morale was high (and stomachs full!) thanks to some home-baked ANZAC biscuits and Sue’s donut holes keeping everyone well fuelled.

Conditions were beautifully flat for the trip out to Rottnest, making for a smooth and easy ride. Our first dive site, Cigar Reef, greeted us with less-than-ideal visibility—though it made for an adventurous feel, and conditions improved slightly in the gullies and caves. There was still plenty to see for those willing to look a little closer, including banded shrimp, hingebeak shrimp, lionfish, sweetlips, and a particularly impressive scorpionfish lounging near the anchor. A special highlight—well hidden and only spotted by Deb and myself—was an adorable spotted catshark tucked away in a hole. We also came across flashes of blue and black flatworms and some hefty crayfish hidden deep within the reef.

Meanwhile, topside excitement unfolded as Dive Officer Trevor launched a mini rescue mission in the dinghy when the dive flag float decided to make a break for freedom. All was recovered successfully. Nice work!

Navigation proved a little tricky in the murky conditions—despite following the anchor chain, my buddy and I still managed to stray slightly and completed our safety stop “in the blue,” only six metres from the boat, it turned out.... A testament to just how limited the vis was!

With the swell beginning to pick up, we relocated to a more sheltered spot for lunch. Skipper Jeff didn’t disappoint, putting on a delicious cheeseboard upstairs—top effort!

Our second dive at The Maze offered slightly improved visibility (though not by much) and a touch more surge. Inside the caverns, however, conditions were calm and beautiful, provided you kept an eye on the surge to avoid being unceremoniously “spat out” of the exits. Marine life was abundant once again, with sightings including harlequin fish, large dhufish, queen snapper, schools of hulafish and pomfreds, feisty little damselfish, curious wrasse, and a variety of nudibranchs adding pops of colour.

Deb practised her navigation and got us back to the boat safely (onya buddy!). Everyone surfaced with smiles all around, though keen for a hot shower and dry clothes. Naturally, the sun decided to make its appearance just as we were halfway back to Coogee!

A warm welcome back to Cheryl—it was fantastic to see you back out boat diving—and a big welcome to new member Joash. We hope to see you out on many more dives to come.

As always, a huge thank you to our volunteer crew for making the day run so smoothly. Another enjoyable day out on the water!

Mel Daws

Photo credit - Trevor Higgs

Dive Report - Sunday 26th April

Photo credit - Troy Thompson

Dive Report - Monday 27th April

Photo credit - Filip Welna

You had to be a keen diver to leave a warm bed on a cold, rainy morning for today’s single dive — but 12 still made it out despite the weather. A great group, with laughs from the moment we left the marina.

With the swell a bit too high for Stragglers, we headed to the Labyrinth. Jumping quickly into the water so we didn’t get soaked in the rain, we were met with an anchor that had not only dropped into a hole, but managed to twist itself up as well.

Once that was sorted, it was time to see what we could find — which, in the poor visibility, wasn’t much. The swell rocked us back and forth, which was actually pretty relaxing.

We made our way into the cave and tunnel systems where the swell eased off, giving us a glimpse of a site that, in good visibility, would have been stunning.

It was all very calm until a couple of large waves came through, creating a tornado of water below. As I watched Mel crash into the ground, I turned to see Avril whisked away — a scene that reminded me of the cow flying through the air in Twister.

With Av nowhere in sight, and Mel and I being pushed up and then slammed back down, we decided it was time to abort the dive. As luck would have it, when we surfaced, our trusty boat was right on top of us. It had dragged anchor about 20 metres — luckily toward us rather than away.

It was a bit of a bumpy ride home, but no one seemed to mind. Jeff certainly didn’t — he was keen to keep the bumps coming as we came into the jetty 😉

Most of the team then headed across the road for lunch, where we were greeted by Helena, who came down to say hi to everyone. Hope that shoulder mends quickly, Helena!

Jen Pryor

AGM Reminder – Friday 3rd July

Our AGM is coming up on Friday 3rd July at 7:00pm at the Swan Yacht Club, and we’d love to see a great turnout of members on the night.

The AGM is your opportunity to hear what’s been happening behind the scenes, have your say on the direction of the club, and be part of shaping what’s next. We’ve had some early interest in committee roles, but there’s always room for more—so if you’ve been considering getting involved, now’s a great time to put your hand up. New perspectives and fresh ideas are what keep the club evolving.

Nomination forms are available to download from the website, and if you’re unsure about what’s involved, don’t hesitate to chat with one of our current committee members—we’re always happy to share our experiences and answer any questions.

We’ll be meeting for dinner beforehand at the club from 5:30pm, so come along early for a relaxed catch-up before the meeting begins. Please register on Member Jungle so we can book enough tables.

Whether you’re interested in joining the committee or simply want to stay informed and involved, your support makes a real difference—we hope to see you there!

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