Okiwi Bay
10th December 2005
Woe thee who turned their cheek from this dive club trip.
The initial trips, firstly to Abel Tasman, and secondly out of Picton were canned early in the morning due to poor weather forecasts for all areas. As the weather settled and with the passing of a tide to clear the viz, John decided it was worth a trip to Okiwi to try for some scallops for the Christmas table. After a ring around we were able to assemble all the initial starters apart from Mark, who we couldn’t contact, and left early afternoon.
It was a cracker of a day. The usual suspects, Paul Newcombe, Angus Perham, John Hornby and I jumped at the chance to get a dive in. The weather man had it wrong, the apocalypse didn’t arrive as expected and we were treated to a divine day of diving. We left Okiwi on route for a scallop dive. Fifty minutes of diving, Angus and I came up with fifty scallops. We were not worried owing to the fact they were a good size and the viz was excellent, on the other hand John and Paul were down for 10 minutes and got their quota. Still hearing about that one. But as they say horses for courses, or maybe some are a little longer in the tooth than I am, eh, Mr. Hornby.
The coupe de grace came at an unexpected spot. Angus and I headed for our second dive. Immediately were surrounded by a few locals in the guise of leather jackets, it was like diving in an aquarium, great viz and good marine life. We came to halt at 23 metres. Instantly we were encircled by moki and silver cloud whirled around us for a bit. On the return to the surface I found out they were brim.
With Angus leading the charge and his keen eye, we were in to it. What great country, boulders, crevices and crays galore within 20 minutes we were back on the boat, both Angus and I were grinning from ear to ear. I got my first big lady, a 4 pounder. I have the pictures to prove it, although none will see them, due to the fact I was snapped wearing my speedos, they tend to take away the important fact that I am holding a 4 pound crayfish. (Huh Hum… we know how the Irish love to stretch the truth when telling tales, but this is rather extreme!!! – Ed) John and Paul also came up trumps, but Angus and I clinched it.
An awesome day with awesome divers, as good as it gets, and for a few dollars more on the next trip, you can join the likely trio of the good the bad and the ugly, a.k.a Angus, Paul, and John.
Dino