UECWA Newsletter
27th November 2024
Upcoming Dives
Mandurah Double Dives - 13-22/12
Dive Report - Wednesday 20th November
With the weekend diving cancelled due to high winds, a desperate yours truly decided to see if we could cobble together a mid week special. Enter Carl and Trev with kind offers to crew making it a goer. The forecast did deteriorate a little as the day approached but overall the weather was pretty nice with lowish winds and swell. With a couple of cancellations we were down to six layabouts who prefer diving to work.
We set off in a northerly wind with a view to diving Stragglers, but Carl, our Stragglers expert, decided it was just a wee bit too choppy and swelly so we headed for the Crystal Palace in the lee of the island. We dropped anchor on Mikes Cave, set back a bit from the usual caves, and, in my opinion, the best spot to do Crystal Palace from. This is an area of undulating reef with lots of caves and beautiful reef to explore before ending up in Crystal Palace before heading back to the boat.
Viz was excellent, as it has been for the last few weeks, and the dive did not disappoint. I ended up going through Baby Jackson Tunnel towards the end of the dive, with, true to name, two baby Port Jackson’s at the mouth of the tunnel. Thought it was my lucky day when I found a cray loop on the bottom near the boat but, as I suspected, it was one of ours so Dan now owes me a pint (or two :).
Back on board, Carl took us into Porpoise Bay for lunch and it was idyllic sitting on a mooring in the calm lee of the island. Back out and around to Parker Point Drop Off. It’s a long time since I’ve actually done the wall as the best diving at this site is north towards the island. Again lovely viz and although a wee bit surgy, a beautiful dive. Found a lovely cave system well north of the boat in a swirl storm of sand so named it Sandstorm Cave.
On the way back I finally found Carls famous crayfish hole, and at one end, it was just a mass of feelers, but I suspect a bit out of reach to anyone Crayfishing. We did bag eight for the boat which as probably on the low side given we had both Damo and Craydrian onboard.
Nice run back to Coogee with the wind picking up just a little. A quick wash down and into the pub by 1pm for a refreshment. Overall a lovely way to spend a Wednesday morning and a big thanks to Carl for giving up his golf to skipper and to Trev for DO’ing.
Cheers
Mike
Dive Report - Saturday 23rd November
Photo credit - Helena Forsyth
14 divers set out on Saturday with Skipper Steve and DO Taryn enroute to Seaward Reef and Stragglers on yet another lovely day out on the water. With the time of year there were plenty of cray pots out and Steve did a great job navigating them all.
At Seaward Reef, divers were treated to decent dive conditions below with about 8-9m viz, minimal surface current but a bit of surge noted between the caves. Mike was quoted as saying “it was one of the most beautiful sites he had ever dived” whereas other divers had said it was surgey with not a lot to see. Mike enjoyed exploring the caves and his highlight was spotting a large school of baby bullseye at one of the entrances. Our cray divers did well catching 11 crays at this site.
As we headed over towards Stragglers the wind noticeably was picking up so the decision was made to head towards Mini Swirl. A couple of other dive boats had the same idea so we diverted across to Long Tunnel. Surface conditions gradually got worse with the wind changing into a SW direction and white caps building. A strong current picked up during the dive with viz deteriorating to less than 5m. Our divers got a good workout with a longer swim getting back to the boat. Our cray divers caught another 6 crays at this site.
We were back by 1:30pm and refuelled the boat. Easy clean up for me as we left the boat all ready to dive again on Sunday. Thanks to Chris and Mike for their help through the day. Much appreciated!
Cheers
Taryn
Dive Report - Sunday 24th November
Third day out for Cape Cruiser in the past week. It must be nearly summer, right?
Much quieter on the boat compared with Saturday with just six divers heading out, but good to see some new faces joining with two nom divers onboard.
Skipper Mike opted for a repeat of last Wednesday with Mikes Cave at Crystal Palace, followed by Parker Point. Conditions were lovely, although the swell was about at its maximum range for diving in these locations, so conditions underneath were on the surgy side.
A pleasant lunch was had in calm Porpoise Bay and the boat headed back home as the wind started to pick up as forecast. All the divers enjoyed their dives and the noms were keen on joining the club.
Thanks as always to our volunteer crew Mike and Donna, and anyone else willing to lend a hand throughout the day.
Mel
Reminder: Using Your Dive Credit
For those of you who have accumulated club dive credits, here’s a quick reminder on how to use them when booking your next dive!
When booking your dives, please select the “Direct Deposit” payment option at checkout. Once you’ve arrived on the day of your dive, let the Dive Officer know that you’d like to use your credit. This will ensure that your credit is applied correctly to your dive fee.
Unsure if You Have a Credit?
If you're not sure whether you have any credits available, don't worry! You can easily check with our Treasurer, Francois. Simply email him at treasurer@uecwa.com.au, and he will be more than happy to confirm your credit balance for you.
Christmas Family Boat Trip - Fully Booked
Join Us at the Pub!
Our Christmas Family Boat Trip on Sunday, December 8th is now fully booked, but we’d still love for you to join us at the Coogee Boathouse Pub at 3:30 PM!
If you’re not on the boat, come for drinks, catch up with fellow divers, and kick off the festive season with us. We can’t wait to celebrate together!
See you there!
Mandurah Dive Spots Still Available
Cape Cruiser is back in Mandurah for a festive season of adventure from Friday, December 13th to Sunday, December 22nd. Enjoy double dive excursions during the day and scenic canal cruises in the evening to admire the dazzling Christmas light displays. Spots are limited, so be sure to book early to secure your place on these popular holiday activities. Don't miss out on the festive fun!
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
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