Trip Report Sydney, Australia-April 2024

[justinthedeeps]

Melbs vis beats Sydney any time, right?

 

[happy-diver]

It's about getoutability

So I am next to my ute fully geared a magnificent day in a puddle of water at Koonya dead calm
and the dude comes up and asks me if I've been in or going in and comes out with how's the vis

Well it is after all our secret divers greeting used by divers non divers and general diver groupies

so I tell him "Who cares about the vis, look at the Ocean!"

and when the weather is still magnificent, in that micro climate that is the Mornington Peninsula
but generally rough in the water you've got Flinders, east side of Cape Schanck and any number
of piers, junk and bottle collecting at Sorrento, if you like current the best scallops you have ever
tasted off the shore in the Sorrento channel and if you like current go flying diving and the most
prolific sponge life and tool collecting, at the Blairgowrie breakwater, or grab a boat and explore

I'm exhausted

All in some of the cleanest pristine most magnificent water you will find

and if it's a bit rough or not there, that boat can take you just around the corner to do incredible
10-20-30-40-50-60-70-80-90-100 metre dives

to rub yourself on rusting steel

 

[clownfishsydney]

When in April did you dive? As pointed out earlier, the weather has been atrocious here for the past 8 weeks or so, with almost record rainfall and huge seas. I have only done 3 dives in the past month since returning from a dive trip to Bali. Normally I would do 10 to 12 at a minimum.

As to the operator, I know that he goes out in conditions that I have cancelled dives on my own (private) boat.

The diving in Sydney is world class and with so much variety. However, you need to know where to go, especially considering the forecast weather conditions. What can be good at one site can be rubbish at another. Anyway, for others thinking of visiting Sydney and diving, don't judge it by the OP's experience.

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

Melbs vis beats Sydney any time, right?

And Hobart beats both of them

 

[DiveDiversions]

And Hobart beats both of them

Would agree with this, Eagle Hawks nest is spectacular diving

Melbs vs Syd, this I wouldn't agree with.

Have spent 12 months living and diving in Melbourne pre Covid lockdown, when Melbourne is good it it good, when it's bad it utter rubbish!
It's considerable colder above and below the water then Sydney, and this is why they get the better vis at times, but they also go through worse weather spells then Sydney (although of late I think both are on par)

And Melbourne's shore diving is basically shallow piers, of which only a couple are decent (Flinders, Rye and Portsea)
Whereas Sydney's shore diving has various topographies of beaches, bays and the harbour that provides a lot a variations to your diving.
Melbourne also has crabs (and they lock down the slightest hint of a virus)

Melbourne does have more wrecks then Sydney does (ex HMAS Canberra is an awesome wreck), although most are not recreational accessible due to depth.
Critter wise, I'd say Sydney is slightly ahead thanks to the warmer water.
In whale migration season, you can hear the whales singing out while doing a shore dive.

As Michael said, "diving in Sydney is world class", easy accessibility and great diversity!

 

[happy-diver]

For a diver, the best diving is where they live

As I say, the diving where I live is world class, with good accessibility and great diversity most of the time!

As it must be for all the divers the world over

mornington peninsula shore diving - Google Suche

and from a diver that before meandering to different pastures, dived Melbourne for thirty years you




and bought a car instead

The diving in Sydney is world class and with so much variety. However, you need to know where to go, especially considering the forecast weather conditions. What can be good at one site can be rubbish at another. Anyway, for others thinking of visiting Sydney and diving, don't judge it by the OP's experience.

as it is Melbourne or wherever in the world you may be

 

[justinthedeeps]

Sydney people can get to Nelson Bay/Point Stephens and Southwest Rocks without too much trouble, which is cool for the nursey sharks

 

[DiveDiversions]

Sydney people can get to Nelson Bay/Point Stephens and Southwest Rocks without too much trouble, which is cool for the nursey sharks

Also Narooma for the Australian and New Zealand seal colonies on Montague Island
And not forgetting Jervis Bay

 

[clownfishsydney]

I never said it was the best in the world, just world class. Pretty sure no other major city in the world has such good diving within 15 minutes of the city centre, let alone within 30 minutes. Melbourne certainly doesn't nor does Brisbane. Long distances to get to the ocean for both.