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#356
Australia diving question
dale9958 - 12/19/2012 2:29 PM
Category: Travel
Replies: 11

All -

It appears I am going to get the opportunity to travel to Sydney on business, currently guessing late February, early March 2013. This assuming the world does not come to an end on 12/21/12, which would be a real bummer because then I would lose the chance to dive Australia.

Anyway, will be in Sydney working, planning on staying an additional 4 - 5 days for a short vacation and of course the plan is to dive. Looking for some assistance/direction in determining where to stay, where to go, how to get there.

Would rather not do a live aboard as I want to see what the night life has to offer. I will be traveling (scuba trip), alone so where ever I go buddies will be required.

I have done a fair amount of web search’s and thousands of options appear, but would really rather get some trusted direction from this forum.

Any assistance would be appreciated...
#255
Subscribed
brixn - 12/19/2012 3:39 PM
With only four or five days in Sydney your best bet is to contact http://www.scubamunkies.com.au/ - Matt Hopkins, - one of the best in the business, is the owner. ’Scubamunkies’ operate dive-tours to the most interesting local dive-sites off Sydney.
Regards and enjoy !
#1555
Jase - 12/19/2012 5:23 PM
Hi Dale

there are plenty of places to dive in that area, just a few hours drive north of Sydney

you have a place called Forster, I would contact www.actiondivers.com.au and another

hour north contact www.scubahaven.com.au . check out their websites. If you do make it

this far north, drop me a message and we can try and organise a dive.

Enjoy
Jase
#38
Eddiei - 12/19/2012 5:26 PM
Hi dale9958

I ve over 1000 logged dives however not familiar with Scubamunkies dive operation maybe they may operate from the northern side of Sydney and possibly associated with a local dive shop
There are only a few commercial dive charter boats that operate on the southern side of the harbour and nil out of Port Hacking
Moorish Idol is a excellent commercial Sailfish usually used by Snorkel Safari dive shops , Prodive Manly have their own , Hoochimumma? believe is charted by Abyss at Ramsgate & Aquatic Explorers of Crunulla , Voyager & Southern Cross Divers who are tek RB divers come to mind
I haven’t dived from any of these boats as I am member of St George Scuba Club , an independent dive club not associated with any dive shop.Our club has its own Website and is on Facebook.It is a very active & largest dive club in Sydney and possibly Australia with a membership of approximately 170.
Excellent shore diving at places like Bare Is, Shiprock,Shark point, Kurnell & Cronulla are a few that can be easily accessed free. Hopefully you will see a Weedy Sea Dragon during your dives
1 of our members is from the US and flies in for work a few times a year
More than 10 of our members own their own compressors
Bring you gear & your welcome to borrow 1 of my tanks and plus weights
I recommend that you check these links
http://www.michaelmcfadyenscuba.info/news.php
http://www.stgeorgescubaclub.org.au/news.php

http://www.facebook.com/groups/208786489161552/

You may even find me

Regards

Eddie

#147
broncrider - 12/19/2012 6:18 PM
I would love to help you out with your question, however I lived on the gold coast for a year. my diving in oz was up and down the gold coast I never made it down to Sydney or that area. If you are interested in traveling up north then i would be happy to help if I can.
#22
Subscribed
Bazz - 12/19/2012 7:12 PM
I would seriously think about traveling up north between or including Townsville and Cairns and do the barrier reef. Flights are pretty cheap and well worth it! I’m on the West Coast (Perth) and we have some pretty awsome dive sites too. I’ll be off to Thailand for some diving end of this week whoooooo hoooo! Happy Diving people. Ps I havn’t dived in Sydney yet so not sure how good the dives are. If you not keen on traveling take some of the guys advice above, they seem to know some contacts. Enjoy mate!
#32
divebuddy01 - 12/19/2012 9:37 PM
If you do venture north to Townsville the SS Yongala is a very good wreck dive site, as well as the Great Barrier Reef

http://www.adrenalindive.com.au/
#241
downunder1957 - 12/20/2012 3:22 AM
Dear Dale,

forget the rest dive with the best.Best city dive shop last 4 yrs DIVELOG magazine Best asia pacific dive shop PADI a few years ago Best PADI diveshop the" WORLD " last year www.abyss.com.au This was my work place a few years ago (divemaster) Dive Botany bay and checkout there website for anything else ,you will not be disappointed.Lots of dives in Sydney and lots of nightlife as well.

regards downunder1957
#356
Subscribed
dale9958 - 12/20/2012 7:08 AM
I have no issue traveling north to ????. Have to dive the Great Barrier Reef as I am not sure if I will ever get another oppertunity.
#79
Subscribed
Bundy - 12/22/2012 1:02 AM
Hi Dale, the question really is what do you want to see? Most people read and hear about the Great Barrier Reef and want to see that, as you have stated. You are best to hop on plane and go straight to cairns or Port Douglass where you can get on any number of day boats to the outer reef. The diving there is warm( 28oC+ ), easy and reasonably clear water. You won’t need your own buddy as all dives are guided. You can find options for two or three day live aboards that will get you to the better reefs off shore. Someone above mentioned the Yongala out of townsville but it is a long boat ride. You can do one from Ayr (30 min) and it is an amazing dive (depth 30m). Night life in Townsville, Cairns and Port Douglass is good.

If you wish to dive in Sydney there are a lot of interesting places both from shore and by boat that you can visit, the climate is more temperate than tropical and water temp is around 22 Degree C mark that time of year. Sydney has a lot of wrecks but most are at or below the 45m depth range. I run a dive charter service in Sydney but spent 15years diving in Queensland. Any other questions give me a buzz.

Chris
#34
MartinBooth - 2/01/2013 9:50 PM
Dale, I live in Sydney’s eastern suburbs (Bronte) and I would personally have some dives in Sydney with Dive Bondi - but then for your 4 to 5 days vacation I would fly to Gladstone and then get a boat to Heron Island. Its the only place you can stay actually on the reef, which means you can fit in three great dives each day if you want to - then have a cocktail on the beach at sunset and watch the fins of the little white and black tip sharks as the clean up the shallows.


Enkoy, Martin.