Dive Number: 132
Location: Ozone/Dominion
Date: 27/03/11
Max Depth: 2.8m
Dive Time: 58mins
Temp: 19C
Visibility: 10m
Time In: 20:40
Tide:
Thermal: Drysuit
Weight:
Buddies: Sas
Haven't been doing much night diving lately and I have been wanting to do this dive at night again for a long time.
Surface was dead flat with no wind but the air was quite cool. The dive was quiet pleasant but there wasn't a lot of life around. There were some garfish swimming close to the surface on our way back in which seem to be attracted to our lights.
This dive was a little disappointing with a lack of things to see, although a definite highlight was finding a spectacular nudi which resulted in the dive finishing with a happy ending.
Unfortunately I forgot my camera!
Showing posts with label Ozone/Dominion wrecks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ozone/Dominion wrecks. Show all posts
14 Apr 2011
4 Dec 2010
Ozone anchor search.
Dive Number:112
Location: Ozone/Dominion
Date:27/11/10
Max Depth:4.3m
Dive Time:70mins
Temp:17C
Visibility:6-8m
Time In:14:36
Tide:Low 13:03 0.5m
Thermal: Drysuit
Weight: 27lbs
The original plan was to dive Point Lonsdale again, the timing for slack water was good, swell wasn't too bad but the wind was a strong Southwesterly. Conditions were quite messy on Lonsdale reef but under the pier they looked diveable albeit with a bit of wave action and moderate surface wind.
We decided to give it a go. Entering over the rocky entry with the waves was tricky but not the most challenging entry I've had. Once in the surface swim was difficult and Phil got quite a way ahead of me. I decided to drop to the bottom as I find it much easier to swim under water than on top. Viz wasn't very good at all, no more than a few metres and I must have swum right underneath Phil without seeing him and upon arriving at the end of the pier realised we were separated. Wind had swung around to the south now and the wave height had increased noticeably, it was difficult not to get blown away from the end of the pier. When we finally found each other we decided to call the dive. Used 70 Bar and got 6 mins dive time!
We decided to try somewhere else but didn't hold out much hope with all the rain we had been having over the past few days. St Leonards was blown out but, surprisingly, the Ozone wreck looked quite good. The tide was on the way back in and the surface was flat, viz looked pretty good considering.
The dive plan was to try and re-discover the 2nd of the Ozone's anchors which I had stumbled across one other time. We swam out past the wreck into the grassy areas to where I thought the anchor was but alas we couldn't locate it. With 6-8 metres viz, we could have been quite close and swam straight past it.
The incoming tide was noticeable out beyond the wrecks but not uncomfortable. We finished the dive by swimming around the wrecks, there's always so much colour there and the fish have re-emerged now the water is warming up. We both used the same tanks we had done for a first (attempted) dive and after 70 mins we had pretty much sucked them dry! Really good dive.
Location: Ozone/Dominion
Date:27/11/10
Max Depth:4.3m
Dive Time:70mins
Temp:17C
Visibility:6-8m
Time In:14:36
Tide:Low 13:03 0.5m
Thermal: Drysuit
Weight: 27lbs
The original plan was to dive Point Lonsdale again, the timing for slack water was good, swell wasn't too bad but the wind was a strong Southwesterly. Conditions were quite messy on Lonsdale reef but under the pier they looked diveable albeit with a bit of wave action and moderate surface wind.
We decided to give it a go. Entering over the rocky entry with the waves was tricky but not the most challenging entry I've had. Once in the surface swim was difficult and Phil got quite a way ahead of me. I decided to drop to the bottom as I find it much easier to swim under water than on top. Viz wasn't very good at all, no more than a few metres and I must have swum right underneath Phil without seeing him and upon arriving at the end of the pier realised we were separated. Wind had swung around to the south now and the wave height had increased noticeably, it was difficult not to get blown away from the end of the pier. When we finally found each other we decided to call the dive. Used 70 Bar and got 6 mins dive time!
We decided to try somewhere else but didn't hold out much hope with all the rain we had been having over the past few days. St Leonards was blown out but, surprisingly, the Ozone wreck looked quite good. The tide was on the way back in and the surface was flat, viz looked pretty good considering.
The dive plan was to try and re-discover the 2nd of the Ozone's anchors which I had stumbled across one other time. We swam out past the wreck into the grassy areas to where I thought the anchor was but alas we couldn't locate it. With 6-8 metres viz, we could have been quite close and swam straight past it.
The incoming tide was noticeable out beyond the wrecks but not uncomfortable. We finished the dive by swimming around the wrecks, there's always so much colour there and the fish have re-emerged now the water is warming up. We both used the same tanks we had done for a first (attempted) dive and after 70 mins we had pretty much sucked them dry! Really good dive.
5 Nov 2010
Ozone and beyond.
Dive Number: 102
Location: Ozone and Dominion wrecks, Indented Head.
Date: 08/10/10
Max Depth: 4m
Dive Time: 65mins
Temp: 13C
Visibility: 6-8m
I really like this site, there is generally so much to see and is only a short swim out from the beach. Both wrecks can be seen quite clearly on googlemaps. Being my first post about this site, I will provide a little history on the vessels.
The Ozone was a paddlesteamer that used to take day trippers around Port Phillip Bay between 1886 - 1925. It was stripped and sunk to form a breakwater at Indented Head. It didn't sink in it's intended location but blown inshore with a strong wind and settled in shallower water. Here's a link to more info.
The Dominion was a barque. I can't find a lot about this vessel but in its later years was used as a coal lighter around Port Phillip before bought to be sunk along with the Ozone to form a breakwater. It was set on fire by vandals and sunk in its present position.
We swam out passed the wrecks to start with today to check out the sea grass meadows and hopefully spot some pipefish. There wasn't much life about but we did find a few pipefish (which I had never seen before), we also stumbled across the second anchor for the Ozone which must have been used during the sinking. The other one is on the hill as a monument.
We finished the dive on the wreck, although it was difficult because by this time a group of snorkelers were there stirring things up.
Location: Ozone and Dominion wrecks, Indented Head.
Date: 08/10/10
Max Depth: 4m
Dive Time: 65mins
Temp: 13C
Visibility: 6-8m
I really like this site, there is generally so much to see and is only a short swim out from the beach. Both wrecks can be seen quite clearly on googlemaps. Being my first post about this site, I will provide a little history on the vessels.
The Ozone was a paddlesteamer that used to take day trippers around Port Phillip Bay between 1886 - 1925. It was stripped and sunk to form a breakwater at Indented Head. It didn't sink in it's intended location but blown inshore with a strong wind and settled in shallower water. Here's a link to more info.
The Dominion was a barque. I can't find a lot about this vessel but in its later years was used as a coal lighter around Port Phillip before bought to be sunk along with the Ozone to form a breakwater. It was set on fire by vandals and sunk in its present position.
We swam out passed the wrecks to start with today to check out the sea grass meadows and hopefully spot some pipefish. There wasn't much life about but we did find a few pipefish (which I had never seen before), we also stumbled across the second anchor for the Ozone which must have been used during the sinking. The other one is on the hill as a monument.
We finished the dive on the wreck, although it was difficult because by this time a group of snorkelers were there stirring things up.
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