Kayak Diving

[Shoota]

Just curious,

How many people on this kayak site actively do scuba diving from their kayak on a regular basis.

Do you kayak dive in a group and where do you dive?

Cheers

Shoota

[gra]

Hi Shoota,

I think there's a bunch of us that dive, but not many regulars who do it from kayaks, certainly not as organised groups it would seem. I think Elm is probably the most regular kakak diver who frequents the forum.

I'd personally love to some time but not sure who I'd do it with.

Gra

[RedPhoenix]

Vis at Peel island is awesome at the moment Gra. Easy 6m, probably more yesterday, which is pretty bloody good for the mid bay area. Still a touch of green in there, so it could probably clear up even more if we get a few more calm days.
The west peel drop-off would probably be real pretty at this time of year.

I reckon north moreton would be crystal, but you'd have to take the yaks on a boat to get there, which sorta defeats the purpose.

Red.

[gra]

Yeah, I dive around the usual North Moreton spots pretty regularly but generally get on Super Cat from Nautilus. Do you dive Leigh? I'm ready to go, just need to pick up tanks from the dive shop down the road and I'm there.

Gra

[RedPhoenix]

Nah, just about everything else involving water (freedive, spearfish, surf, yak, etc), but I've never picked up my scuba license.
I'll blame the missus... she managed to get the flu 5 minutes before our medical, a dozen years ago.

Red.

[gra]

Bummer, must be the only thing you don't do. It's a cheap ticket to do right now in winter, Nautilus have specials for $400.

Gra

[Shoota]

Bummer, must be the only thing you don't do. It's a cheap ticket to do right now in winter, Nautilus have specials for $400.

Gra

Diving isn't cheap.

You speak to anybody who has done it , including those divers with a few courses under their belt plus owns all the gear.

I've done openwater, advanced divers, rescue diver, Nitrox, deep diver and you find these courses can add up, but this isn't the main cost, diving gear plus keeping up with new gear can go into thousands of dollars. I've spent a huge amount on diving over the years and unless your diving all the time , you really need to determine the " financial return on your recreational capital
investment" . I've dived on WW2 wrecks on diving holidays in remote areas and have found this to be a pricey practice also, and have been diving for 15 years.

To be honest it's good if you don't get up in the "'just one more dive course or just another last purchase on flash gear" syndrome it can be OK. I'm not sure if it's been the best value for money over the years for me compared to other recreational past times but have enjoyed diving

Great sport/ recreation but watch your spending

Cheers

Shoota

[gra]

Hahah, that's for sure. I've managed to restrict myself to a reasonable kit-up with mostly everything except tanks, cant see the point in tanks given the need to inspect yearly, the maths doesnt work for me personally as a part time sometimes diver. Oceanic are doing some great deals on BCD/Regs/Computer including parts for life servicing. Good for the once a month diver I reckon, which is me; I do like knowing the history of my breathing bits. Oh yeah, and some nice fins..and a nice mask.. Hmm, could do with a better computer...maybe a nitrox course..

Gra

[Shoota]

I have a 100 instead of an 85 steel tank. Dive computer cost a packet a number of years back but have been peer pressured by fellow divers to upgrade my suunto octopus to something more flash.

Don't get caught up on regs I've had a shop push $1500 regs onto me while still using my current ones, wetsuits well too much of the good living could see new ones having to be bought because you suffer from the diving malady " fat bastard syndrome"

I've been a member of two dive clubs attached to local diving stores and they always make you feel you have to open the wallet.

I have all the gear but refuse to replace some for the sake of replacing.

Cheers

Shoota

[ELM]

G'day Shoota and yes, well up until I had problems after surgery, I was a regular kayak diver down south in Victoria, have not dived or kayaked for almost 9 months now. Not as regular as myself (I don't think), Top Gun (Maverick (on VYAK)) chasses scallops every now and then and Matt also dives, chassing Crays, + one other who does not frequent any forums, and they would be the only others down this way I really know.
Almost all my dives were solo, mostly reef drift or scallop drift dives. As I mostly drift dive with the kayak in tow, it is not really suited to multiple divers trying to buddy (well that's my opinion anyway). In the past, I used to post for kayak diving buddies (mostly local or dive forums) and even now, I have seen others (Mav), also ask, if anyone is interested. It seems hard to get other divers organised to meet for a dive, I am not sure if they also feel the same as myself about dive buddies with kayaks, if that's why they just don't bother I am not sure. Mind you, Mav dived last week, and I loaned my gear to a diver so we may be able to get him interested, he completed his course 12 months ago, has not dived since but was interested in trying, so we just gave him a quick dive in the shallows so he could get re-acquainted with some gear, will organise a couple of buddy dives for him in the coming future, before starting him off a kayak and will try and help if he is still interested.

As for diving being cheap/not cheap, it depends just how much you wish to pursue it and expand within it, also just who you choose to train with as well. For me, I have no interest in levelling up, and up, and up. I have completed my Open Water / Nitrox and only did the nitrox because it was cheap and to make up numbers so the course would run for others. Have no need for it, and have only used it once since, my course cost $350, my gear counting dive lights etc $1500 (tops). I completed roughly 170 dives in my first year with 75% of those shore based, 2 charter (to rich) and the rest off friends boats where I chipped in for fuel, my fills only cost $5.00 bucks each, and tank hydro's $100 once a year, so diving to me, was a cheap sport. Well, until I had to buy the AI so I could continue, and am now looking at sidemount so I can again (possibly) continue. But again, once I purchase the gear needed, air fills will cost $5.00 bucks and once again I will lift my 100 scallops per week (hopefully). If I do have to give it up and sell most of my dive stuff, I expect I will get roughly 70% back on what it has cost me (not counting AI, mask/wettie/fins/etc, as I would still keep using them).

There are a few others on AKFF, squidder for one I think who also kayak dive, I am not sure how often now though?

What about yourself, do you regularly kayak dive, or just something you are interested in getting into?

[Shoota]

I dive heaps, have done cave diving in Australias biggest Oceanic cave, up north NSW at South West Rocks - Fish Rock Cave. This is like a small offshore island where go from one side to the other, with Grey Nurse Sharks in the area also. Popular site for bubbleheads and well worth the dive if you get to visit the location. For me it's only 3 hours north, and good for holidays.

I'm hoping to Dive HMAS Adelaide soon which had been recently sunk off the central coast of NSW, I served on this Guided Missile Frigate back in the mid 90's with Ships Flight HC 723 SQN ( helicopters). Looking forward to going back and finding my old bunk after all these years.

I have never scuba dived from a yak ( only free dived), but looking forward to my first experience, most of my diving has been shore dives with a boat dive every couple of months.

Cheers

Shoota

[gra]

I just dived the Brisbane last week off Mooloolabah. Great dive. Funny that we take different things from it all; I was very happy to still be able to see the workings of the ship, other prefer it to become more a marine environment as growth covers it. Great dive right now, would have liked to get down on it when it was first sunk a few years ago.

Have heard about the SWR dive and it's on my list for when the water warms a bit, sounds great. If anybody ever comes up this way give me a yell, I'd love to go out and have a dive shop at the end of the road for tank fills as required.

Gra

[Squidder]

I dived Fish Rock Cave in 2003 during a big East coast SCUBA road trip with a mate – we were there at the wrong time of year to see the Nurses, but the dive was still spectacular with more big lobsters in the cave than you can poke a stick at (Easterns, painted/ornate and we also saw some slipper lobsters). Lots of amazing nudibranchs around the boulders if you’re into them. We also saw a school of metre+ kingies. During that trip we also dived Point Perp at Jervis Bay, the solitaries off Coffs, and spent 3 days on a liveaboard diving the outer barrier reef. Great memories.

I did the kayak SCUBA diving course at Ulladulla dive in 2007 and wrote a review here:
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=8268&p=88065#p88065
Wicked course that I'd recommend to anyone contemplating kayak diving. I assume they still run it but don't know for sure.

However, despite still having my own gear and tank, I’m sad to say I’ve only done a couple of SCUBA dives since that course, and none recently – I still freedive reasonably regularly to spear a feed, or search for abalone on the South Coast.

[BigGee]

we also saw some slipper lobsters

Me too

Lobster Slippers

Sorry ... I'm bored.

[Shoota]

we also saw some slipper lobsters

Me too

lobster-slippers.jpg

Sorry ... I'm bored.

GOLD!!!!!

Lol

Shoota