Diving in QLD & NSW

[cayal]

My partner and I are planning a little dive trip in QLD and NSW in Septermber. As I am looking at some dive sites I came across this tidbit from one of the sites which says:

"Safety Sausage, Dive Whistle and Divers Knife needs to be carried on all dives in Queensland waters."

Is this true, and is it true for NSW as well?

Also, right now it looks like we will be looking to dive Nine Mile Reef (Gold Coast) and Fish Rock in New South Wales.

Can anyone recommend some other sites in the Gold Coast as we are looking to add another dive there. Preferably one with more wildlife, though happy with a wreck dive as well.

Thanks

 

[phuonguyen]

No that rule is just for QLD. Gotta love QLD WH&S!

If you can, try to squeeze a trip to the exHMAS Brisbane, Flinders Reef or Cherub's Cave if you can. They're all great dive site. Although they're further north at the Sunshine coast and Brisbane.

 

[ferris213]

Yes that stuff is law in QLD. I have been told the water police can board dive boats and start handing out fines if you don't have it! Not a requirement in NSW but it's always a good idea to have it I think.

I would recommend Julian Rocks at Byron Bay Welcome - Sundive Scuba Diving Dive Byron Bay Lots of life and not too far from the Gold Coast.

Cook Island with Cooly dive Diving the Gold Coast - SNORKEL SAFARI GOLD COAST is also nice and local to the Goldie. You won't see the life you do at Byron Bay but it's still a great dive in my opinion.

Hope you have fun up here!

 

[cayal]

Thanks for the replies. I will definitely check those out (I have looked at Cook Island).

 

[Maples]

Believe you may also have to add snorkel to that list of QLD requirements....

 

[Joti]

+1 for Byron Bay

Sundive linked above are great although I prefer Welcome to Blue Bay Divers - Byron Bay's Most Comfortable Dive and Snorkel Boat as Sundive will only carry the 1 tank and you have to come back into shore load the boat up on the trailer and back to the shop for the surface interval and to swap tanks

 

[cayal]

+1 for Byron Bay

Sundive linked above are great although I prefer Welcome to Blue Bay Divers - Byron Bay's Most Comfortable Dive and Snorkel Boat as Sundive will only carry the 1 tank and you have to come back into shore load the boat up on the trailer and back to the shop for the surface interval and to swap tanks

That seems like a bit of a waste of both time and petrol for them. But I guess depends on the size of the boat.

Would you say Fish Rock or Byron Bay? Basically the initial idea of this trip was to see the Grey Nurse Sharks and heard Fish Rock has a lot of them at that time of the year (but I also understand that Nine Mile Reef has them as well).

 

[ferris213]

That seems like a bit of a waste of both time and petrol for them. But I guess depends on the size of the boat.

It can get a bit frustrating, but it does have its' benefits too. They do three single tank dives per day, so you can do only one if you are short for time, or all three if you want to make the most of it. I haven't dived with Blue bay so I can't comment on how they stack up.

I just checked my log book. I dived Julian rocks 11 September in 2010 and saw 10+ Grey nurse around the cod hole. I think they normally arrive around July so you have a great chance of seeing them.

 

[cayal]

Valid point. 3 dives a day is damn good though, I haven't seen one of them since I did my course in Thailand.

 

[Joti]

Haven't dived Fish Rock but if you're looking for GNS you'd very likely see them at Byron also, although it would be a sure thing at Fish Rock