Dive sites in the Waitemata.

[uxb]

Hi all!!
I've got a good mate with a boat who has kindly offered to take us out for a dive. He's a mad keen fisherman so it would be fitted around a fishing trip somewhere out of Auckland. Just wondering if anyone has ideas on spots worth diving or for that matter places worth avoiding. We'll probably look at fishing around the Noises or perhaps the back of Waiheke.

Many thanks!!

 

[Azza]

Gannet rock is supposedly ok as are the Aha's. Packhorse knows all the good spots in the inner waitemata harbour.
I have alerted him to this thread

 

[Packhorse]

To be honest there are no good dive spots in the Waitamata. There is too much tidal flow for good vis.
But there are spots that arent as bad as others.
I like Gannet rock. Apart from being the closest reasonable site from my place you get to see a bit of a variaty of fish life.
Kingis can be found there this time of year. There are crays if you look hard enough and lots of goat fish and Hiwihiwi and a ship load of mussels. There are also quite a few Nudis to be seen. I have seen 4 diffrent species on a single dive.Im not much of a fisherman but have caught a few snapper just off Gannet aswell. After Gannet I usually pop over to Hooks bay on Waiheke for a scallop dive (better be quick season ends on 14 feb. More scallops can be found off Pakatoa.
The Noises ,Ahaahas and Durvill can also offer some diving spots too.
PM me if you need a buddy.

 

[uxb]

Guys!

Thanks HEAPS for the advice.....!!!!
We ended up heading out to the Noises to a partly submerged rock between Zeno rock and the David rocks. Although not mind blowing it was still a good dive, The terrain was quite diverse and varied within a short distance around the rocks. Plenty of hides and crevices adorned with common kelp for the many red spineys we didn't see. And a few fins away large expanses of sandy bottom with a few undersizes scallys tons of cockles and clusters of mussels where the rocky outcrops met the sand. We saw plenty or juvenile snapper, a couple of schools of mackerel, some Hiwihiwi, a huge inquisitive red moki, a couple or cruisey stingray, etc etc. So there was heaps to see.
Vis. was better than I expected around 4 to 6 metres and the temperature varied quite a bit too. A bath warm feeling 19 degrees mostly and then suddenly chilly bits dropping a couple of degrees just when you least expect them.:11:

A fantastic day was had!!

I'm hoping to get out to Gannet rock next week on your recommendation so I'll let you know how I get on!
Again many thanks.

PS a fantastic day it was except for the Sony cybershot p10 camera and it's housing that I usually take with me suffered a terminal flood! Any one got any good suggestions for a replacement!

 

[Azza]

Well i'm glad you had a good day outr diving.
Sorry about the camera

 

[Packhorse]

Bummer about the camera dude. Had that happen to me to.
Can you claim insurance and upgrade?

 

[uxb]

I stripped it down and gave the "wet" bits (thankfully the optics missed the bath) a good soaking in fresh water. AMAZINGLY it's fired back up and seems to be going...... so fingers crossed if may have only been a Near death experience.......and will have a long life of snapping ahead of itself!?!
Do you guys still shoot??
I'm guessing Packhorse by the beautiful shots in the gallery you still do........

 

[Packhorse]

After my flood my screen stoped working. After a few pressure tests I used it again and again it flooded ruining the camera.
I claimed insurance and got a replacement but was weary of using it in the same housing.
One night I totaly stripped the housing down to individual parts (except the hinge and lens) and got a small beach worth of sand out of it. I relubbed the orings and re assembled it. Since then It has been to 38 meters with out issuse except for the last dive to 20m where it got a couple of drips. Not sure if this was a hair or grain of sand in the main O ring or not. I will pressure test it again before I use it.

Oh when I say pressure test I just dive with an empty housing. You could also tie a lead weight and rope to it and throw it over the side of the boat if you like.
Sony say to pressure test in .5m of water. Apparently if it will leak it will leak regardless of depth. Obviously it will leak fast if deeped.
Good luck.
As for my "Beautiful shots" I think they look like snap shots. Some of the others seem to have a certin edge mine lack.

 

[uxb]

Is your UW housing a Sony as well??

I am so going to "pressure test" the housing again before I take the camera down again. This isn't the first time I've had that horrible sinking feeling upon noticing condensation inside the housing at depth. The second of two seals on the housing I use expanded due to "non Sony silicon grease"???! being used to seal it. So I looked at replacing it with a Genuine part from Sony which was going to cost an arm and three legs. So I sourced a second party replacement from Aus which was a fraction of the cost. Now I just hope it was just dirt or sand that caused it to leak this last time and not because I've got a tight ....... wallet and went for a non OEM part?!?!?
If yours is a Sony Packhorse? if so what model is it and how did you go about stripping the buttons and seals out of it??

 

[Packhorse]

No. Mine is a Canon. The buttons are held in by circlips that can be carefully levered out.
Sony may be diffrent. Post in the photo forum and Im sure someone can run you thru it.

I got a fright when my housing foged up one time recently but it was just condensation from having it open on a humid day then submerging in cold water.