Perth/Adelaide - January 2012

[dodofish]

Hey guys!

This is my first non-greeting post.

I am travelling to Perth and Adelaide this end Jan/early Feb to Perth and Adelaide respectively. I was wondering how is the diving during this period at the said locations.
My concern:-
1. I am being told of increasing shark sightings and news reports of sharks attacking divers. What is the local diving community's opinion on this, and how do you increase safety? I have never encountered any sharks so far in any of my dives (lucky? unlucky?)
2. Is Rottnest island any good? Other suggestions for Perth?
3. What about Adelaide?

Thanks alot

 

[300bar]

Do you have any news links on those Diver attacks ??

Sharks don't tend to attack divers, swimmers/snorklers and surfers yes.
Divers. Never heard of any

 

[Kern]

In fact, over the years, several divers have been attacked by sharks in Oz waters.

Abolone divers & spear fishes have been attacked, & while not all have died some have been hurt badly.

In 1993 a diver was riped in half by a 5mt GW at Julian Rocks off Byron Bay.

Not long ago a Navy diver was attacked while at the surface in Sydney harbour.

Recently a diver was taken at Rottnest Is.

Etc. Etc.

Even so, the odds of being attacked whilst diving are so small that it's not something I ever consider while diving. I would consider it if I was diving in waters that were regularly chummed for GW's or if I was near a seal colony though.

World Shark Attack Database: Fatal Shark Attack, Ford 93'

Cookies must be enabled | The Australian

Shark attack: Diver Peter Clarkson had survived brush with great white just months before | News.com.au

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/g...-sets-precedent-fisheries-20111024-1mfwm.html

 

[bracko]

haven't heard of any sightings in Adelaide recently. there was an Abolone diver taken off port Lincoln last year by 2 GW's, but if you're diving with food, IMO you're increasing your risks of a shark attacking you by a huge margin.

A shop which has a good reputation in Adelaide (note I haven't dived with them or anyone in Adelaide yet) is Adelaide Scuba in Glenelg, they have their own well equipped dive boat(s?) which look pretty good. most of the diving is boat diving on tyre reef's and wrecks. there is also a purpose sunk navy boat destroyer around.

>I would consider it if I was diving in waters that were regularly chummed for GW's or if I was near a seal colony though.

for the point of completeness, there is GW cage diving in port lincoln which is about 250km away from Adelaide (as the crow flies) and there are seals there as well I believe

Adelaide dive environment has conditions which sees large schools of snapper and similar fish running, which can bring GW's, but from what the owners of adelaide scuba say, in the 4? years they've been running the dive shop, no divers (or skippers) have seen a GW.

 

[dodofish]

Hey Bracko thanks for the useful info

So this Port Lincoln is all the way across the bay from Adelaide. Quick check on GoogleMaps shows if I go by land, it's >7hrs drive and almost 700km distance in a big detour. Do they have boat rides from Scuba Adelaide directly to the cage diving? I want to spend 1 day diving and hope to make the most of it (3 good dives in a single trip)

 

[dodofish]

Hm I discovered Scuba Adelaide publish their dive sites on Google Maps:-
Adelaide Scuba Dive Sites - Google Maps

One thing I really enjoy about Australia in general is how Google Maps is made very good use of- I can find them at bus stops!

 

[bracko]

Hey Bracko thanks for the useful info

So this Port Lincoln is all the way across the bay from Adelaide. Quick check on GoogleMaps shows if I go by land, it's >7hrs drive and almost 700km distance in a big detour. Do they have boat rides from Scuba Adelaide directly to the cage diving? I want to spend 1 day diving and hope to make the most of it (3 good dives in a single trip)

as far as I'm aware they don't. also the suggested time for cage diving is 3 days to (normally) ensure you at least one sighting.

morally i don't agree with cage diving as it screws with the migration patterns of the sharks, but if you want to do it, then have fun

 

[SCUBAMoose.au]

Shark Boy and I have just spent a few days diving in Adelaide.

Four dives on the ex HMAS Hobart (a Royal Australian Navy destroyer), Rapid Bay Jetty and a site called Lasseter's Reef. All are located a short distance off the north coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula. The penisula is the bit of land that juts out from the coast, south of Adelaide. If you put "Fleurieu Peninsula" into Google maps it should take you there.

You can dive Rapid Bay as a shore entry. Access is from the new Rapid Bay Jetty. The other sites need to be accessed by boat.

We dived with Underwater Sports in Adelaide (www.underwatersports.com.au) and highly recommend this outfit.

 

[dodofish]

I came across Rapid Bay somewhere on Internet. The jetty pictures look amazing. Do you come across anything such as seals and dolphins?

See, because I was considering the "Swimming with Dolphins" in Perth at Rockingham- BUT I thought it was expensive at >200AUD JUST to swim with them. Compared with typical 2 dives costing from about 150AUD...

 

[Ste Wart]

I came across Rapid Bay somewhere on Internet. The jetty pictures look amazing. Do you come across anything such as seals and dolphins?

See, because I was considering the "Swimming with Dolphins" in Perth at Rockingham- BUT I thought it was expensive at >200AUD JUST to swim with them. Compared with typical 2 dives costing from about 150AUD...

You can see Dolphins for free down in Bunbury, they come into one of the bays. I wouldn't recommend swimming with them, but they are there.

As for your question about Rottnest. It is will worth trip. The dives tend to be quite shallow, great little caves/swim throughs and awesome scenery.

If you can take a day trip (or 2) out of Perth. The Busselton Jetty is highly recommend (not just because I used to work there) and the HMAS Swan, the first prepared Navy wreck on in Oz. As she's been down longer than the Hobart, Brisbane etc she's a little bit more interesting.
See either the Dive Shed or Cape dive for details.