Steve Dillon
- Steve Dillon's trip Australia
2019-01-04 - The Gutter, Bass Point, Australia
18m - 45 min - Dived with Bob Mc Kee from Shellharbour Scuba Centre
Visibility was terrible. I give it 3m at its best. There was no current to speak of, but there was a lot of tidal movement even at the deepest part of the dive. This was my first time wearing such a thick wet suit as well, 7mm. I think I would've been comfortable with a 5mm, but no complaints. We ran across a 2 ft blue groper midway through the dive and again on the return trip. He was friendly and not afraid of divers. He seemed to respond to the same motions you'd use to try and pet a stray cat and he didn't mind me petting him either. It was Brian's 3rd OW dive so it was cool to be a part of another certification, but hopefully conditions improve.
2019-01-04 - The Gravel Loader, Bass Point, Australia
10m - 50 min - Dived with Bob Mc Kee from Shellharbour Scuba Centre
Visibility started out pretty good at the gravel loader. It deteriorated quickly as we approached the pier though. There were lots of nudibranchs and schools of fish, but the highlight of this dive was the 8ft grey nurse shark that glided 15ft in front of me. It was majestic and he seemed to be as interested in me as I was in him. I felt like he was watching me the entire time. Not bad for a 10m dive. As we made the return trip, it became evident that I was underweighted. I had to keep swimming to prevent myself from floating up. I'd guess another 2-4 pounds worth of trim weights would have done the trick.
Hyams Beach is beautiful. The walk across the beach with all the gear was arduous. A short swim to the east put us over the kelp beds and then on to the rocks. Black sea urchins occupied every crevice. All kinds of fish swam through the kelp beds. Bigger fish swam around the rock shelves. There must have been hundreds of rays in the sandy areas. We left the rocks and turned to the south for a little exploration...and to shorten the walk on the beach. More rays. Soft corals(?) popped up through the sand in single feathery arms. At 100ish bar, we turned back toward the beach and ended the dive. All in all, it was fun. If I go back to Jervis Bay, though, I think there's much more to see elsewhere.
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