Hi All,
Jorge and I are running a trip to Portland/South Australia over the Anzac
day long weekend (23rd - 25th of April) with SO MANY DIVING POSSIBILITIES!
I have never been diving in the area but here are a few of these said
diving possibilities...
*Freshwater diving:*
- *Ewenâs ponds (main reason I want to make this trip!)*: 3 pristine
freshwater ponds connected by beautiful lilypad-lined creeks. Ponds are
about 10m deep with crystal clear water!!
- Picanninie ponds: snorkel only, no scuba diving allowed. Also freshwater
ponds with crystal clear water and the "chasm" which is a limestone feature
that apparently goes ...deep.... Snorkeling slots need to be booked and
paid for prior to arriving ($15 for a snorkel permit)
***The average water temperature for Ewen's ponds is 10-15 degC so you will
need to have experience diving in cold water, and a good wetsuit or
drysuit, plus hood booties gloves etc and anything else to keep yourself
warm.
You will also need to have EXCELLENT buoyancy control to avoid damaging the
fragile environment and covering everyone in silt. Recognizing that this is
freshwater and your buoyancy will be different than in the ocean :)
*Ocean diving: *There is the possibility of using a club member's Dad's
boat to get out and do some ocean diving if the weather agrees. Some sites
include (from Niki's last trip email):
- The Emily S: 30m long fishing trawler sunk in 24m of water, 10-15 mins
boat ride from the Portland harbour.
- Lawrence rock: covered in smelly birds but surrounded by abalone and
crayfish! If itâs a really good day we might even make it into the nursery
which is a protected side of the rock.
- North shore reef: 12-15m, just out of the harbour where you can find
fossilised shark teeth! And wobbegongs⦠So be careful where you stick your
hands.
- the quarry: around the corner near the smelter: excellent cray and
abalone spot
- Lee breakwater: from 10-14m deep and very easy to navigate, best done in
daylight with fish and chips and a relax on the rocks afterwards, but you
can do it in the dead of a cold raining windy night if you donât mind the
police showing up to see what youâre doingâ¦
- lots others, we can decide on the day :)
I would guess the ocean temperature would be around 15-17 degC.
*Carpooling:* The plan is to head over on Friday arvo/evening. It's a 4.5hr
drive, so carpooling and pitching in for gas money are pretty essential
(over 1000km return trip). *We will also need someone to tow the compressor
for this trip to happen* - my car and Jorge's car are too small and weak.
*Accommodation*: We will be staying in a house in Portland for the weekend.
We will each need to bring sleeping bags, mats, and pillows. We will be
leaving a $5 donation each per night.
*Food:* We will be organising group dinners for Saturday and Sunday nights.
It would be GREAT if someone with cooking skills could organise and cook
these :) Breakfast and lunches will be on your own, there will be
opportunities to buy lunch but dependent on where we are for the day (i.e.
I wouldn't rely on buying lunch).
*Main costs will be:*
- Food - group dinners will be split ($10-15 each), otherwise BYO
- Gas (~$100 each) for the return trip along with getting around outside of
Portland. It will be up to the drivers to keep track and then will be split
between everyone.
- Gear - you will need to organise your own gear (full kit and 2 full tanks)
- Accommodation - $5 per night
- Compressor use - $5 per day
- Diving TBD depending on boat use
- Snorkel permit - $15 per session
You will need to be a current member of MONUC to come on this trip.
Membership can be arranged and paid for on the trip. As with any other dive
trip, you must be capable of taking care of yourself, especially on boat
dives as there are no divemasters just a bunch of friendly people enjoying
some diving.
If you are interested in attending, please fill out the form here
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fBHY-2p6AA68fnxH0ZzhqpX1XVfP4CxbtQoL2t27tUY/viewform>
by *Friday 15th of April* in order to make bookings based on the final
numbers.
Let me know if you have any questions and look forward to hearing from you!
Cheers,
Katie
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