Wall dive Ansell place

[askdjasd]

All i hear is horror stories for the walk to the shore. are they true?

I'm doing my 6th dive tomorrow with my instructor, I've never done a wall dive and I'm looking forward to it.
What can I expect?
I know my bouyancy will be needed spot on. but I think we're doing the 35ft wall.

 

[TheWetRookie]

The hike is only a touch worse than doing the cut at Whytecliff. Take your time and you are fine. wooden stairs on the top half. dirt path with stone and wood "steps" down lower. Landing at bottom with lots of room for setting up and stuff.

35ft wall??? Hmmmm. From the entrance to the water...

Right side - slope ground with some small walls on the far right, wolf eel at 70' under large rock, octo in or near large vertical crevice just after you drop at about 40'.

Middle (straight out) - vertical wall that at the bottom of it, starting at about 40', is an large undercut that slopes down to about 100' or so depending on tides. Everything above the undercut is vertical wall until you get into the shallows. Very nice dive. Lots of life on this dive.

Left side - steep slope wall to vertical. Shelf in the shallows (-20') which I have found octos in the open. Not a bad dive but I prefer the right and middle.

There is lots of life in the shallows so hopefully the vis is good. Look for seals. I have had some good encouters here.

 

[nessum]

You know, I'd hold off on Ansell until you've got a few more dives under your belt.

It is one of my favourite sites, but it is an advanced site. The wall doesn't have much in the way of ledges, so it is essentially a 'bottomless' site.

The hike to & from the entry point is pretty infamous. It depends on what kind of shape you're in AND how used to hauling dive gear around AND whether you have gear that is somewhat comfortable on the surface. But it has quite a few stairs and then a fair walk down a trail. It is being cleaned up quite a bit, but it's still a little treacherous. As are the rocks at low tide.

Rereading my post, I realize it sounds pretty negative, but like I said, I really like Ansell. I've had some excellent dives there and some really cool wildlife encounters, but I think for now you'd probably get more out of doing another site with less, um, "character". Have you done Porteau yet? There's also the VT100, which is a short walk, but a little treacherous in its own right... however it has a nice slopping bottom.

Wherever you go, i hope you have a nice dive.

 

[Hyper-limits]

It is one of my favourite sites, but it is an advanced site. The wall doesn't have much in the way of ledges, so it is essentially a 'bottomless' site.

That should make him feel comfortable, good way to work on your buoyancy if you don't want to end up in the bottomless pit.

 

[TheWetRookie]

Ahh, Just throw him in, sink or swim

 

[DaleC]

As it is your sixth dive (with an instructor) you are probably just doing the north wall.
Relax, have fun and let us know if you spot an octopus!
PS. Reports of a largeish Octo under the ferro sailboat hull at porteau recently.

 

[Skookumchuck]

Just off the starboard stern of the Granthal is one of the white markers, under the concrete block its attached to is a (soon to be) giant pacific octopus.

 

[DaleC]

We looked today but couldn't find it. Did find a mother ____ing big ling cod though!
Beautiful vis (for Porteau)

 

[tkdgodess]

wrong thread sorry

 

[Julian55]

Yes we saw the octopus!! right under the Granthal. Mid September.