Folks,

Went for a dive today (Sunday).

Weather somewhat overcast, sea somewhat sloppy, sea colour somewhat
green, altogether not a propitious start to proceedings.

I arrived at Roger's a few minutes before 0645 (the appointed time) to
find the boat all hooked up and Roger ready to go. Less than five
minutes later (just a little way down the hill) we were at Terrigal's
"The Haven".

Robb and Lyn arrived shortly thereafter.

We loaded up, Robb drove the boat down the ramp, I unhooked and Roger
duly drove off to pick us up once the trailer (and car) had been
parked, so off we went.

Halfway across the bay Roger turned and said "It's Christian's call".
Hmmm, uncommonly decent of him I thought. I reflected on requesting
"The Pinnacle" but I know that Roger actively dislikes that site. Robb
said "How's about the Pinnacle?" Roger, knowing that I do like that
place said "Fine" and that was that.

We arrived, I threw the anchor, well, sort of since it's not really
throwable, and we picked in. Nobody had said anything about the water,
which was either good or bad but, probably because of the previous two
dives which were 30 metres plus viz, bad.

Roger and Lyn got in first, said nothing. Robb and I fell overboard
and I looked down to see Lyn's yellow fins on the bottom, probably
atop the rock pile at about twenty metres.

We descended and there was the Pinnacle as I know and love it. The
resident Blue Gro(u)per came towards me virtually yelling "FOOOOOOD",
the nudibranchs were everywhere, the viz was at least 20 metres
(65ft), the Cuttle Fish was standing station, as it were. I gave him a
pat as I went past, later I found that the other two (Robb was
camera-carrying) had done the same.

So I went along, clockwise around, remembering past visits,
re-discovering nooks and crannies, plenty of those, until I came back
to the Cuttle Fish. First time I've ever used a living creature to
tell me where the anchor was and, yep, there it was.

The Groper came towards me again yelling, yes you got it, so I
overturned a couple of rocks and he went, quite literally, "Chomp".
This time, for the first time ever, I also heard the grinding as he
munched on what he had sucked off the rock. Spectacular, and I learned something.

I went up to the top of the rockpile to find that the rather wonderful
growth of Gorgonians there, in a patch, was no longer. Sad that, and
probably the fault of us divers and our anchors, anchor chains and line.

And so back to the anchor and up. Before I did I looked around to see
bubbles from two directions (Robb was using a Re-Breather) and
rejoiced in the viz and warmth (23C, 73F).

Surface to Surface 26 minutes, not much for a 2000 litre tank (70 cu
ft) by my standards but 53 bar (780psi) of reserve air.
Maximum depth 25 metres (82 ft).

The others went into deco (except Robb on Nitrox) and came up rather
later than I did. Roger got out with barely a breath of air left in
his tank. Good, he enjoyed it and, just maybe he'll be more happy to
return there another time.

Please folks, no silly stuff like he should have not done that. We had
hookah air to the shotline at twelve metres and he'd finished his deco
without needing that.

The main reason for this story? A couple of you know that I had a
health issue last April.

This was my first time back in the water, health issue fixed. Am I
happy? You bet.

Cheers,

Christian