Bare Island Deep Wall 12-03-08

A dip after work is divine and while we have day light savings Bare Island calls. So Jenny, Wayne and I kit up around 6.30pm for a dive on the deep wall. We got in easily at the back of the island and once Jenny got down (it's only her 9th dive) we headed south. Once past the kelp we came across a fiddler ray resting on the rocks. It was not at all concerned by our presence. On again and down the deep wall to 17m, the deepest that Jen has dived. Viz here was about 10m. We followed the wall west, then cut across to the anchor. Heading on past the anchor we saw a large white shadow looming up. And there she was, the SS Minnow (as we have called her). A half cabin fiberglass boat, about 5m long. It had been stripped of the motor, tanks, electrics, seats and most anything else that was of value. Our guess was that she was stolen, stripped and set adrift with the bungs out. she has settled on the bottom, upright bow pointed approx SW. In time she will become a wonderful artificial reef.

On we went across the reef, around the cave and back along the north side of the reed and back to Bare Island. A lovely 45 min dive, it was nearly dark when we got out. We did do a buoyancy check for Jen and were able to get her down from 18lbs to 14lbs.