UECWA Newsletter
29th January 2025
Upcoming Dives
Dive Report - Friday 24th January
The weekend didn’t look great for diving, yet again, so Carl and I decided to offer a Friday dive. Conditions were questionable earlier in the week, but on Thursday we decided to go for it. Numbers were small, likely because some people needed to work, and it was short notice. The first dive was great; everyone loved the spot (un-named because it is a huge place to explore). Divers reported great Vis; around 20 metres for this dive and great swim-throughs, ‘lovely country’ was reported by all. Sebastian couldn't speak highly enough of it. A large wobby, rays, plenty of fish and crayfish. Mick Dewer is still getting a handle on using the loop, but is persistent, so I am sure he will be one of the star-crayfishers with more practice. John on the other hand, bagged out with 8 crayfish, one a monster, John being John made sure that he shared his spoils with those onboard who can’t catch crays. I would have been happy with just the legs of the monster cray.
The second dive in the same spot; because there were so many directions the divers could go, wasn’t quite as good. It was still 10-15 metres vis but very choppy on the top, thankfully though only a little swell, but the wind did pick up to 22 Knots (recorded on Garden Island) while we were out there. It was a bumpy ride home and a bumpy time for the crew sitting on top, but it was a short ride home, so as I always say, look for the positives 😊. Thanks to all the crew, especially Carl for jumping in at the last minute. I switched my dive from Saturday to Friday, hoping to get a dive in, but unfortunately, there were not enough crew onboard. Never mind… next time 😊
Donna Gratton
Dive Report - Saturday 25th January
Photo credit - Kathleen Elizabeth
It was drizzling with rain as I drove to Port Coogee on Saturday morning and the sky did not look too promising. However, 12 divers came out on Cape Cruiser to make the best of the day, and it did improve as the day progressed.
With Jeff Weston Skippering, Filip Welna as Trainee DO, Beth Jones from Curtin University, doing her research study, myself as DO and a passenger for the day, Antonin Aune, a guest from France on board, we headed out to the west end of Rottnest.
However, when we got there the conditions were less than favourable, to say the least, 16+ knots of wind on a 2 to 2.5 metre swell and super lumpy, we headed down the North Side of the Island to Blue Grouper Cave. I am not familiar with this site, but at least it was diveable.
We anchored in about 20 metres of water and got everyone into the water. All the divers got into the water, while those of us on board didn't have the most comfortable conditions to contend with, but it was ok. The vis apparently was not great, but by most accounts the dive site wasn't too bad.
Once everyone was back on board, we headed to calmer waters in Geordie Bay for lunch and so Beth could continue her work monitoring the Divers.
We then went out to the Geordie Bay Caves for the second dive, very shallow, so an easy dive, except for the people on boats coming and going from Little Parakeet bay who have no idea what a Dive Flag means. A very scary place to be and I would not recommend diving there if an alternative site can be dived. However, not a great dive site any way, by all accounts.
Unfortunately, the anchor snagged there, badly, and with a huge effort by Taryn Schuster to untangle the mess, we finally retrieved the anchor after close to 30 minutes, or what seemed like 30.
Once underway, we had a fairly smooth ride back to Port Coogee, unloaded the divers, and Jeff, Filip and I got the boat back in the pen, washed her down and put away for the day.
Sunday's dive was cancelled due to poor conditions.
Tom Bassett
Australia Day Sky Show 2025
Photo credit - Will Glendon
It’s always great to share the experience of Cape Cruiser with family and friends of the club; we once again offered a great night to 23 of these people on Australia Day.
We left Coogee Marina at 6pm and then picked up more travellers in Fremantle. While it was a very bumpy ride (in fact the ocean looked a little like a washing machine) 25 Knot winds didn’t stop us from braving the conditions, with John DeBoer and Donna at the helm. We knew we wouldn’t be diving in it, and we only had to hang on tight for the short trip from the marina to the river. After this, it was smooth sailing; the wine glasses and beers were pulled out as soon as we hit the river (except for crew, of course), and the food appeared as soon as we put the anchor down just past the Narrows Bridge. While the drone show was nothing like last year’s (there was only the drone show last year), the fireworks were, as always, spectacular.
It was a much smoother ride home, and we dropped the passengers at Freo without incident. We delivered some tipsy passengers to their Uber vehicles and rides home at around 11-15 pm at Coogee Marina. It was a long night for the crew by the time the boat was cleaned and put to bed. Thanks to ALL of our wonderful crew for everything that they all do on a regular basis, but special thanks to John for going back to the boat the following day to clean the anchor and the anchor well. Yes, the Swan River drags up a lot of black mud, but the Skipper avoids getting down and dirty with the anchor, as his seat is high up on the bridge. Me (crew), however, needed a long hot shower on my return home at about 12am to remove the river mud.
Donna Gratton
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 TWO SPOTS LEFT
2 dives per day, 7 nights accommodation, and tank fills are included. Meals are not included, and only 2 spots are left available. Bookings open now. A $250 deposit is due by 20th Jan, refundable if the trip doesn’t go ahead. Final payment is due on 1st Feb.
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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