On Fri, 16 Mar 2001 Reef Fish <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>>On Friday, March 16, 2001 2:54 PM, Krazy Kiwi wrote - in response
>>to John Bird:
>
>< BIG SNIP >
>>> Or, like what has happened to me twice now ... the Skipper had NO
>>> idea exactly where the dive spot was .. but he said we were in the
>>> vacinity of so-in-so. It became an adventure dive ..
>
>You have skippers like THAT in OZ?   Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh!
>If they can't afford a CHEAP GPS unit, at least they should have
>the skill for visual triangulation like boat captains in Cozumel do.

Well the skipper wasnt running a dive business in the first instance. It
was a supply vessel for the crayfishing (lobster) business. We just hired
him as a skipper, with deckie & cook. We took our own compressor, filled
our own tanks, did our own dishes, and had our own dive tender for
emergency pickups. The supply vessel started up a side business of taking
folk fishing off the Abrolhos Islands during the off-season. We were not
interested in fishing and as he knew where the more frequented dive spots
were for the locals, and had the more comfortable boat to sleep on, we
tried him for the first time.

Unfortunately, due to a cyclone up north, the usual dive spots that he knew
exact co-ordinates for were undiveable for the first day or so due to very
high winds & seas so we had to try other less frequented spots.  So, we
arrived in the dark at a spot safe enough to anchor overnight, in the lee
of one of the islands. 6 folk wanted to go in for a night dive, me one of
them. I dropped a line with weight attached overboard to check on the
current. To swift for this gal so I pulled out. In the end everyone decided
to give it a miss for safety's sake as we didnt know that particular area
at all. Even Bill (who is a wreck freak) wasnt interested in getting wet
though there was a wreck at 25 metres.

The next morning was a different story as the anchor came up around 6am &
we motored closer in to land for a wall dive. Before breakfast we all got
wet. Current was still tough. We literally jumped in swimming to the bottom
fast as possible then turned in to the current. Amazing how relaxed the
fish look in a current when you are finning your guts out to get beside
them. When we got to a certain point on this wall the current calmed down.
It was a great spot for fish life and where we took most of our uw pics on
that dive. To get back on board the boat we followed the anchor chain back
& rode the current back under the vessel to ensure we didnt miss the dive
ladders. I didnt consider any of the diving we did there to be beyond the
capabilities of our group (like I would have for the disasterous Leeman
dive trip). All very experienced divers who dive year round regardless of
the weather, in all conditions - the cold south, the warm north, drift
diving, wreck diving, reef diving, limited cave diving, etc.

>"No idea where the dive spot was ..."  I still can't believe that
>operation is still IN BUSINESS and people dive with it.

Well you if saw some of the usual dive spots that any of the boats up that
way take divers you would love it .. anenome patch is huge. Its one of the
most talked about dive sites at the Abrolhos Islands. But if there is a
severe wind warning out its undiveable due to it being out in the open.
We had to make do with second best on the first day due to a 3 metre
swell .. but once that calmed down we moved in to the more shallower areas
where all the dive boats go. So, as long as the weather is kind to you the
dive boats/supply ships can get to the frequently dived spots marked on the
maps.
Viv