Clover Point (Victoria)

[MarkH]

I had a great dive today for once at Clover Point. The current tables were cooperating so I went in to take some macro photos of the brooding anemones and hermit crabs on the eelgrass (for an eelgrass restoration group). After a bit of that, I decided to follow the sewer pipe out and see what was there. The pipe is buried under a mound of boulders, rubble, gravel. and what looks like cement. Eventually I reached 60-70 feet deep (it was a long swim). There was an area with big boulders swarming with a school of over 100 (seriously-over 100) copper rockfish. They were the biggest rockfish I've ever seen. There were also a few vermilion rockfish, Ogden Point-sized lingcod and 4 big cabezon guarding eggs. This is in addition to the usual sponge/anemone/tunicate colour you get with decent current. On my way back, I finally found the seapens. They're well off the point on the left (when you're looking out). Most of them were only an inch or two high, but there were 2 adults. The sand around them was covered in "trails" from the moon snails and fist-sized hermit crabs. I'll have to go back with the wide-angle camera setup on another day with minimal current.

 

[ChillyWaters]

How do you predict the currents at clover?


I'm currently illiterate...

- ChillyWaters

 

[MarkH]

How do you predict the currents at clover?


I'm currently illiterate...

- ChillyWaters

I use the Race Passage current table. I usually minus 1/2 hour or so (better to go in early than late). Today, even when slack was over, the table showed hardly any current during the next period of maximum current. This gives me a 2-3 hour window in which to dive. On normal days, you might only get 1/2 hour (if any) of current-free diving.

 

[MarkH]

For the record, I find hitting slack here can be difficult. A couple times, I went in at the published slack and ended up pulling myself along by the stalks of dead kelp. It's not that strong (2-3 knots max, I'd guess), but it's strong enough to mess up a dive.

 

[ChillyWaters]

For the record, I find hitting slack here can be difficult. A couple times, I went in at the published slack and ended up pulling myself along by the stalks of dead kelp. It's not that strong (2-3 knots max, I'd guess), but it's strong enough to mess up a dive.

Thanks. I usually end up diving higher current places (namely 10 mile) when there is a long slack. I've yet had to dive around the corner at 10mile, and usually have hardly any noticeable current.

I keep meaning to do Clover... soon... It's on the TODO list.

- ChillyWaters

 

[MarkH]

I find slack at Ten Mile is pretty easy to predict. -Never have much of a problem there. Now if only I could figure out Enterprise Channel.

 

[MarkH]

I came back to Clover Point today. It wasn't a "good current day", but I made what I could of it. I dove near the "Race Passage" slack, but there was still enough current to make you feel out of shape. I tried for the rockfish on the deeper sewer pipe reef again and just barely made it. The current was a bit much for my usual "self portraits with whatever" photos. The rockfish weren't schooling this time, but were behaving like proper copper rockfish and hanging around the rocks. I don't know if this area is worth the 20-minute surface swim back though. The wind picked up when I was down and the breakers rolled me the last 20 feet or so back onto the shore. It was quite the tourist attraction. I hope I looked graceful. I added the photos to my website at the bottom of the "Clover Point" page.http://www.victoriadiving.50megs.com/cloverpoint.html

 

[MarkH]

Visibility was around 15 feet, by the way. Erin from Ogden Point said there was 50 feet-plus vis at Race Rocks, but that would have been quite the swim.