Anusc T H E A N U

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The ANU SCUBA Diving Club Newsletter Editor/Membership Secretary Harold W. Schranz Email: [email protected] Work: +61 (02) 6249 5988 (ANUSF) ANU SCUBA Club WWW site http://student.anu.edu.au/Clubs/ANU_Scuba_Club/ ANUSC September 1999 Hello (New and Old) Bubble Buddies! Welcome to the Spring Newsletter for the penultimate year of the millennium. Since it has been some time since the last newsletter this bumper edition is simply bursting with goodies! (and goodness, Molkron-enriched!) See what your fellow ANUSC Bubble buddies got up to! Many thanks to our contributors, Anne, Jen, Norm, Matthias for the articles and Ole, and Christine and Horst for the images. (feel free to send articles and images for a future edition!). Additionally this issue highlights the importance of boat licenses, the upcoming AGM where we can choose a new enthusiastic committee, and a new exciting and fully Y2K-compliant Dive Calendar. The Annual General Meeting of the ANUSC will be held from 7PM on November 24, 1999 in the Sports Union Meetings Room (upstairs). Come along and get involved in YOUR CLUB. It is your chance (Active Club Members take note!) to have your say and contribute by volunteering for one of the many official positions on the Club committee. See the Diving/Events Calendar in this issue for more details. As usual, much information is available on our WWW site, e.g. contact information, a membership list, dive calendar, trip information and newsletters (http://student.anu.edu.au/Clubs/ANU_Scuba_Club/newsletters/). Club Treasurer Award Happy Diving! Harry (Bubble Rag Editor). Memories of Musgrave (Harold Schranz) ANUSC AGM, November 24, 1999 from 7PM, Sports Union Congratulations to our Club Treasurer Jeremy Weinman who received the Peter McCullagh Award on Tuesday 4 th May 1999 for services to the ANU Scuba Diving Club. Jeremy with selected ANUSC/SU folk. (Harold Schranz) ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 Boat Use and Licenses Jeremy Weinman The ANU Sports Union insurance will only cover our boats if they are being used in accordance with relevant laws. This means to us that we must ensure that if the boats are to be used at over 10 knots they must be under the control of a person with a waterways boat license. Given that 10 knots is barely over walking speed (actually this is only true if you’re a fast walker, 1 mile in 5.2 minutes, 19km/h, Ed.), this means that we must: a) encourage more waterways licensed members b) make sure we only have the boats used when under the control of a licensed boat driver. ANUpS yCho analysis Anne Mueller The boat … the boat … the boat!!! (apologies to Fantasy Island and the errant plane, Ed.) This is a contribution to give insight into the characteristics and operations of the ANUSC to those members who are new and to those who have forgotten how predictable life can be in this club. I apologize for giving this report rather late, but when you read it you will understand that it took me some time to analyze the events. During the Christmas break, some members from a Sydney dive club enjoyed diving with the ANUSC as guests. Their club usually sets up a Teutonic roster, which tells them weeks in advance the details of their next dive: the day, the time and possibly (I would not be surprised if this was the case) even the expected water depth of the dive. They were quite astonished to learn that, in our club, they did not have to sign a form saying that the club was not responsible for any unexpected events under water. Their club demanded this signature to avoid giving the impression (from the roster) that it was a professional organization. But, as Siggi pointed out to them, we don t have that problem. I think he meant that we would never need a roster to look professional. I was sitting at a cliff around lunch time, reading a book and occasionally enjoying the view on the sea, when a yellow rubber duck came into my sight. 2 Obviously the returning divers from the morning dive. Twenty minutes later, the boat was still there. It then went towards the beach and back, and this not only once. When I finally saw someone jumping into the water (green fins - that must be Ron!), I felt like the coast guard: something about this behavior was suspicious, and something must be wrong. I started running over to the beach, a few hundred meters away, and bumped into Ron. Apart from the green fins, he resembled a seal on a beach walk with water dropping from the (neoprene) seal skin. I was happy to hear that everything was well organized. He was only going to the boat ramp to tell Uli and the other people waiting for the second dive, that it was not possible to get the boat through the surf into the river. The divers had miscalculated the tide or the dive time (or both) and that there was no need to wait any longer at the ramp (I later learned that by that time the boat was late already). Although things were well organized, Ron happily accepted my offer to give him a lift for the 5 km trip. Back at the boat ramp, there was no Uli, and we realized that we actually were not quite sure at which boat ramp we were supposed to meet them and neither did we know where there were any other boat ramps in the area. I left Ron to look after things and went to pick up the divers which would arrive by boat at the other side of the peninsula. I drove the 8 km there, and while I was still looking for the boat ramp and the boat, I suddenly saw two figures walking out of the water with dignity. Among kids with body boards and toys in the shallow water, they looked as if they had just come straight out of the sea (at least there was no boat around). Moreover, a closer look told me that Matthias and Siggi were in a deep conversation, businesslike (surely Siggi’s wet suit just offers the style necessary for that), with remainders of dive equipment carelessly hanging in their hands. They did not show any sign of surprise of me meeting them there to pick them up. Something must be true about the German reputation of efficiency, I thought, if it enables them to talk business in any situation, putting aside feelings and emotions ... However, after 6 hours on and in the sea, there were some human responses showing through and they requested coffee and some food. After a few minutes and a short coffee break we slowly made our way to the campsite. A few kilometres further, ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 we saw someone who was taking his tank for a walk. While people in more northern climates consider that, beyond the age of 40, going to parties is out of the questions (a comment made by one of the business divers), people in southern latitudes start their life full of activity just then. We talked Chuck into leaving us his tank for a drive rather than a walk (clearly we felt sorry for the tank), and when we were just about to leave, he even offered us his weight belt. We all continued our way then, the three of us driving and Chuck walking. At this stage I cannot remember whom else I picked up, but I gave a number of lifts to other people that afternoon before finding one of the guests from the Sydney dive club at the beach. He, in his wet suit, was walking towards the camp (5 km again) to get a key (which someone else had in his pocket) to his car (which was standing by the beach where I found him). This was to enable him to offer a lift to Jason who was still out on the ocean, on watch on the boat (but I think Jason needed a rest anyway and had volunteered to quickly drive the boat for the dive without considering a long-lasting exhausting day). The Sydney diver was lucky enough to find some dry crackers in my car (after 8 hours without food) and after chewing them with delight, finding the person with the keys, and getting a lift back to his car, it seems he managed to rescue Jason from his watch at the beach. I still have not completely understood what happened around the boat ramps or in other parts of the peninsula, but as a matter of fact by night time all divers were safely back in camp. And who says that this is not professional. Twofold Bay, Eden Threefold diving. Canberra Day long weekend March 13-15 Jen (“Tarp”) Hines Where to begin eh? This weekend was pretty memorable for some (for those who didn’t go - well serves you right for not getting out of bed to go diving). It all started on Friday, pack at lunchtime, leave late afternoon. Ahhh the joy of flexing on a Friday afternoon!!!!!(The Public Service). 3 Trying to pack all this gear into the Silver Panther was worse than going climbing. After cramming everything in and making sure the popcorn and Gummy Bears were packed, the legendary Panther headed for the far south coast. I had heard many rumours about Matthias’ car and thought it wise to conceal my deep concerns about us arriving at Eden, intact and before 12:00am. Burgers at Bombala with the local police unit scoping us out and then it was time to head off again. Round the back of Mt Imlay and a few hours later we were driving around a dark campsite aimlessly looking for anyone we knew- nope no-one here yet, so we park the car, check out the beach and start unpacking the gear. I was half-asleep in my Bivy bag when I heard a car (this is where Jen thinks oh dear please turn your highbeams off and don’t run over me!!!). Yep, highbeams straight at me and a head sticks out and in a German accent asks one of the more FAQ’s “Are you from the ANU Scuba Club?”. Not another German!!!!! As a new member of the club I had met more Germans in Australia than divers (although I have recently discovered that this is not unusual for this club). Well at least there were some more divers. The weekend was starting to take shape. 6am- yep some of us are keener than otherssunrise (What’s that you say? yeah some of us only see them when we can’t lie there in the tent any longer because we have been busting to go to the toilet since 3am). Matthias did Yoga on the beach, a swim for me and breakfast was Coco Pops. By 10am there was no sight of the second boat and our fearless leader Sam, was missing in action. Jeremy pulls up at the boat ramp, with the second boat at 11:30am. I had been waiting to dive for 5 and half hours!!!!!!! Suddenly it’s all go. Action everywhere as people run around half-naked and the other half Neoprene. Yes this is normal! As there were 3 days of donning wetsuits and stripping off at the end of the dive I thought I would alert the reader to some highlights of the trip: The Tasman Hauler: A fantastic dive in the afternoon (done quite frequently this weekend) with a drink on the top deck for Matthias’ 400 th dive!!! Those of us who were privy to sucking ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 champagne at 15 metres came up burping alcohol at the end of the dive. The second night dive: Thinking about getting ready for a night dive whilst sitting in “the chair” in front of a warm fire wrapped up in my sleeping bag and listening to everyone who had just come back from the first dive, cold and wet. And then actually being convinced by Matthias to do it. On the dive I discovered that my BCD wasn’t inflating properly. But the phosphorescence was fantastic and the colour of the coral was sensational. The safety stop looked like outerspace with divers swimming past pushing the stars away with their fins and hands. I could smell a wood scent in the air as we passed the Mill on our way back to the boat ramp. The tunnel: Sitting in the entrance of the cave at the end of the dive and watching silhouettes of fish swimming by- beautiful. The little blue sea slug: (that looked like a caterpillar). The storm: We knew a storm was brewing on the way out to the dive site, but no one knew just how hair- raising it would be. We popped up after the dive and assembled all the gear on the boat, ready to depart. Lightening struck the water on the horizon and we all jumped ten feet in the air. We could see the rain coming in sheets and heading straight for us. Mermaid up, anchor up and as we started to head back to the bay, the site buoy went under the prop. (Matthias and I thought nothing of it as the buoy popped up the other side of the boat). The weather was getting worse by the minute and we headed toward Twofold Bay with haste. The sheets of rain were only a few metres away and there was no avoiding the drenching to follow. Suddenly I felt the rain but it hurt, no not rain, hail both hard and heavy and it soon consumed us. In no time at all we were completely surrounded by hail and wasn’t long before the it started to collect on the floor of the boat. Hoods were donned (if you had one) and Sam and company were using their fins to protect themselves as the hail got harder. It was cold too and the visibility was reduced to only a few metres. No Mt Imlay, woodchip mill or Eden in sight. It wasn’t long before we had no idea where we were or what direction we were heading in. Mitch had to use his mask so he could see in front of him (not much point since we couldn’t see what we were 4 doing anyway). Matthias pulled out the GPS and started to give directions, “Yeah no problems, just keep that course and we’ll be fine”. A few moments later and I was unsure of our direction and Matthias couldn’t believe the GPS. At one point we were riding the waves out to sea. Another check of the GPS and we changed course. A few minutes later the hail stopped and the sky cleared just a little to see Mt Imlay behind us!!! We were actually heading past Eden!!! With this knowledge, Mitch turned the boat and we headed for the bay and the boat ramp, as mooring off the beach was not an option. Closer to the boat ramp, the sky cleared and the pelicans flew and we looked back at the storm we had left behind us. To our delight a double rainbow and calm waters ahead. Fantastic! There were mixed feelings from all the crew about our experience in the storm. Some of us were pale, green and a little amazed by the whole thing. I was just plain excited. So this is what diving is all about!!!! The next morning another ANU group went out to the Tasman. When they returned, discussions were held at the boat ramp relating to the fact that there was no site buoy at the Tasman and that the group had to dive at the Henry Bolte site instead. (oops!). A fantastic weekend with lots of diving, the occasional snooze in the sun, frisbee and hacky sack. Tollgates – Batemans Bay March 27-28 (There was a rumour that there was a dive but since there is no article or photos to prove it, alas it remains a rumour. There were rumours about grey nurses too, but the rumoured divers may have been still narcotic or on the turps. Of course, it is rumoured, that none of these rumours of rumours can be substantiated. So don’t spread it around! Ed.) ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 5 Ode to Bittangabee Bay Norm Schram via Matthias With regard to the problems with the Easter booking (only trailer sites, expensive, and only for whole weeks etc) I received the following word of caution from one of our renowned club poets (Norm Schram): Trust not those rangers in light brown cloaks For they know not the values of finned folks Your hard-fought treasure would they whisk away Chose ye a spot where we seldom pay Be thoust tempted not by the Great Southern climes The water’s flow cold at Easter’s times Rather pin thy fate on the waters blue Of isles and reefs of Montague. With shady camps and ocean vistas Beaches long and beasts a-plenty Space for all, or easy twenty! Auginish Rock calls for inspection the same which did cause severed section of Lady Darling who lies nearby seen by but few, why don’t we try? The dragons lurk in coral gardens The Angel Shark, “Please accept our Pardons!!” from Bermagui an easy journey... OK, the river mouth’s a bit over-turney! At speed off to Bowen Island (Christine Butzer) Anzac – Montague Island April 24th –26th From memory, the first day was undiveable and it was enough to merely set up camp. There were a few successful dives around the island thereafter. Not many seals about until my final dive. Easter Dive – Jervis Bay April 2-5 Lots of fun was had by all (at least all survived the trip) as can be seen from these pictures: Some of the considerable action on day one (Harold Schranz) The Van and the Daf’ (Christine Butzer) Exciting entry to Mystery Bay. (Christine Butzer) ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 Safe at last in Mystery Bay. (Christine Butzer) Sir John Young Banks Expedition, May 8-9,1999 Norm (“The Poet”) Schram “There are things in the depths of the ocean, more bizarre than those of the depths of the mind” (Fox Mulder, ‘The X Files’, May 12). 6 The crackle of communication equipment punctuated the engine’s pulse on each craft, occasionally interspersed by guarded comment from one or other of the crew, made with reverent respect for the task they faced, as the little craft leapt and sliced through swell and chop towards their mystery rendezvous. A gentle breeze of Southern climes ruffled the oily swells on their long journey from the far Tasman Ocean to their frenzied end on the graded white sands of Seven Mile beach. The little craft and their pensive riders made little of the chop and swell as they sped in concert to their mutual destiny. Some minutes on, and 10 kilometers from land, against the glare of morning sun on sea, the group discerned another fleet of mixed and motley origin, crewed by creatures of different profile and disposition, and our team nodded knowingly to each other, for the presence of these hunting crews confirmed proximity to the destined target. Some two kilometers further on, the depth profiling instruments on each little vessel shrieked their warnings to their excited crews, as indications plummetted 80, 70, 60, 33, then rose again through 38, 40, 45, stabilising thereat as the little craft wheeled in response and sought the 33 meter level by traversing and profiling with their depth profiling instruments. The Yellowfin at Currarong. (Ole Nielsen) The fleet at Currarong. (Harold Schranz) The last vestiges of the morning’s sea mist clung to the clifftops to the South of the sleepy village of Currarong, having given way to a few streaks of May sunshine which dained to pierce the leaden sky, as three vessels of like kind, carrying 16 determined adventurers accelerated into the refracted Southerly swell to the pleasing drone of their powerful two-stroke engines. Clear of the reefs and breaks of the continental isthmus, the little fleet stood a bearing of North by East, following their electronic instruments towards an unknown point far off in the vast ocean, whereat they hoped to explore the very depths of Poseidon’s lair. The view from the Eastern approach saw the broad sea surface to the West of the little fleet assumed an ominous calm, devoid of chop, which clearly showed the step in depth confirmed by instruments. One little craft attempted to grapple the 33 meter hillock, but the steel anchor clunked and banged its way across the flank of that mighty feature, to fall so spurned into those uncharted depths, whereat it snagged and halted fast retreat of that one of three. Using the now stationary boat as reference, the remaining boats set anchor on that ocean summit, and then too late the truth became revealed!. The evening’s moon, barely one-fourth way into it’s wane, was summoning the ocean to ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 7 recede by flowing South to skirt the continent, and with such force that fingers trailed were fibrillated, with bubbles formed and cavities downstream. The crews consulted!, to penetrate the surface would certainly, cause loss of mask or life or both!. Deferring to such reason as must prevail in such circumstances, the crews tried, with all available resources, to recover their respective grapples from the depths. In their endeavours, all observed the warmth and aqua clarity of those seas, but though the lure was strong, the crews spurned those sirens of the deep, and focussed on their labours of retrieval. Two anchors of three eventually released from the 60 metre depth, but one could not be budged, and remains an artifact for the next generation to find. Tantalised, but unfulfilled, the little fleet bore South, to intersect the continental cliffs at a point where natures forces had carved sea stacks. Beneath those stacks known thereabouts as Drum and Sticks, the crews new of another vessel, which had succumbed to overwhelming forces some years before. The ‘Wandra’ lies at 25 metres depth, at interface of rock and sand, but a reflection of her glory days, and our crews soon located most of her remains, now sanctuary to Cod and Sea Dragon. But as is oft the case with adventurous soles, one pair failed to locate that crusty iron, and on the surface the story did unfold “If Bill would only LISTEN to what he’s told!”. A scheme was hatched, over pots of amber ale, required to flush the palates of the crew most who, dined at the local Bowling Club whereat, some trophies from the briny deep displayed what might be seen if Poseidon’s game be played! (sorry!) Knowing the action of the moon and tide, the crews committed to an early morning ride, which would return them to that very spot from which the oceanic forces, had that day repelled our sturdy team from their intended courses! (sorry again!). But, whilst reposing in their camping tents, the crews were waked by stamping hooves and rents!... “A possum huge”.. retorted young Danielle, on hearing Jerry’s clapping as from hell..... “It’s a Horse” said Marty, having cleared the tent.... “Who told that Horst to wake ME so hell bent” retorted our Danielle emerging from deep sleep... “Why can’t I be gently woken like Bo Peep?”. (Geez, this is getting REALLY bad now!). (A Horst is a Horst of course of course, … unless of course it is an Evil Horse ..., Ed.) The Evil Horse and not so evil Horst! (Ole Nielsen) The horse, it so transpired, sought only food, and couldn’t be dissuaded from it’s mood, of following each sole who took repast... it could not be outrun, so strong and fast. Then poor Ursula, whilst running from the beast, was pushed and trampled for her simple feast!. Though bruised and battered, bodily and pride, she soon recovered and we hope will ride, another horse in full time and straddle.... when her legs grow long enough to span the saddle! (Actually she’s been riding somewhat betterbehaved horses for years! Ed.) (OK, ... will try to return to former ‘style’ from here!). Once more the little fleet, bore North by East, now traversing a modest sea backdropped by dark clouds and rain to the East, through which the early rays of sun proffered hint of greater comfort given time. This day no fishers worked the sub acquatic hills and ridges around the target area, but boobies skimmed the wavetops, and the shrill cry of a lone tern heralded arrival over the 33 metre hillock. Not so this day, the delineation of deep ridge and cliff by current-flattened swells, those rolling consequences of distant winds and pressures continued their Westward journey unimpeded by the submarine geography they crossed. With comparative ease from the foreday’s perspective, the 2 of the little craft still equipped for the task, secured themselves to or about the 33 metre feature, and lo!, the current proved benign, scarcely half a knot. With the third craft drifting behind as ‘pickup’, held station by balance of wind and tide, Jerry and Jeremy quickly kitted and hauled themselves down the long rope, to find their grapple scarce bit on a small ridge at 52 metres, near bottom of an Eastern facet, which descended in steep staircase from the 33 metre mount, and with poor prospect of improved hold on the remaining drop, for vision’s ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 limit of 25 metres, afforded clear view of the boulder strewn seafloor some metres beyond. 8 perch, a wobbiegong, and yes, the omnipresent wrasse. Upon return to the former place of uneasy anchorrest, and finding the lifeline vanished, all teams embarked upon the long swim upwards, in trepidation of a long drift seaward, whilst body fluids purged themselves of gas released. All hoped that the former pair had fully recovered from their euphoric state, and were indeed maintaining watch ‘downstream’. Perhaps the fates had change of heart, or benevolent deities dominate in littoral waters, because all groups drifted past a craft, and gratefully seized opportunity, salvation and rope!. The Giant Anchor Chewing Cuddlefish. (Ole Nielsen) The pair were greeted (or so it was reported!) by a specimen of Sepia Australis (Giant Cuttlefish) of Jules Vernian proportions. Returning as must, to the natural ethers, the pair espoused rapturously on the wonders to be found in the very depths of that ocean, but little else coherent could be learned, such that their topside crews sniffed cautiously at the remaining air in their cylinders, and wondered if such psychological incongruity was a consequence inevitable upon submersion into that deep lair! Lionfish wanting a (Danish) cuddle! (Ole Nielsen) All adventure had not passed however, for once again the depths refused to yield-forth an anchor... it seems they’re either impossible to set, or impossible to recover, and given the high gas loading of all on-board, and the 60 metre depth, there was little option but to sacrifice more ground tackle to the spirits of the deep. Feeling blue in the blue …. (Ole Nielsen) Nonetheless, and oblivious to the continued eulogising of those first returned, the remaining teams drew themselves down the ropes, against growing tidal ebb, through the azure upper waters and into the green of depth. Thereat, the grapple’s delicate hold, the knotted chain, and wall bereft of slot or ledge, could plain be seen, and, reasoning that it had held thus far, would likely hold some minutes more, set off to explore the fine delights of that huge cliff-face. A wondrous sight it proved, atopped by kelps a metre long, bejeweled with anemones, seawhips and candelabra, some tiny Sunset over Currarong. (Ole Nielsen) Technical Points: Dive the Sir John Young Banks at, or a few minutes before, high tide at Fort Denison (Sydney). ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 9 Have a pickup boat available, or a substantial buoy so that the anchor rope can be tied off in emergency. The site dived is 12 km NE of Currarong (“Outer Banks”). Charts and GPS coordinates are available for the “Inner Banks”, 6km from Currarong and rising to 15 metres. Thanks: Organising this dive was VERY easy, because most chores were attended to before I even thought of them. Yellowfin’s lost anchor was replaced from contributions from attendees. Gang at the Kioloa boat ramp (Harold Schranz) Bonza Brush Island May 29th -30th This was an amazing dive trip with fun dives at the Boiler and The Pinnacles and a great last dive at Bawley Pt. In between there was lots of socialising with the residents of Pretty Beach, multimedia extravaganzas via Horst and Christine and Ole. Enjoy the pictorial survey below. Hmmm ... I thought Denis wasn’t here ... (Christine Butzer) Skippy enquires about Club membership. (Christine Butzer) Horst and feathered friends. (Christine Butzer) Kioloa boat ramp. (Harold Schranz) The Mighty Puffer’ ... ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 Bristol Point, Jervis Bay June 12-14 Matthias (“Kapitan”) Regner Pufferfish at Murray’s Beach . (Christine Butzer) Traditionally the JB long weekend in June is the best opportunity to dive the fabulous sites outside the bay, mainly because at this time of the year Westerlies are the predominant winds. This usually gives nitrogen addicts feasible access to sites such as Crocodile Head (you have to be narked, though, to see any Crocs there) or Stony Creek. For others, it’s the Humpback whales who then frequently enter the bay to get some rest on their long northbound migration... ...and to give us divers a rendezvous with these amazing creatures. But hold the horses, my impatient daily check of the weather forecast for the South Coast forebode lesser excitements and made me think twice about the goodies mentioned before: during Friday a Low in the Tasman was about to throw a gale along the South Coast, getting winds to average 65 knots and the beating the seas up to 5-7 meters inshore!!! Now this was by far the worst forecast I’ve had before a diving trip so with a sigh I resigned myself to the prospect of at least spending the nights around a comfortable warm camp fire after diveless days. However, on Saturday morning the sky was blue but beaten by blowing blasts (don’t you just love these poetic ambitions in the ANUSC-Newsletter). Undeterred we spitefully set out, with eagles soaring high above our heads, quite obviously enjoying the chilly gusts underneath their wings. The swell had abated a little, now being a diveable 3m, or so we thought. Bowen didn’t look too good, Point Burp was hardly any better, but the last resort under virtually any conditions, The Docks, was the worst of all: The south easterly swell 10 smashed the breakers right into the slot, making even diving in shifts a very unattractive option. So we returned to Bowen North where we did a rather unspectacular dive with limited visibility and considerable surge down to depths of 20m. Still, I was fortunate enough to spot a free swimming PJ, playing with an agile Cuddlefish and Jen, obviously inspired by the eagles above the water, detected a Sea Dragon under an overhang. The cream to finish off this trip was provided by Konstans who offered a considerable menagerie of breakfast leftovers, regurgitated in intervals of maybe 20 seconds, and with ferocious energy, I may add. Freezing we returned to Murray’s Beach where the next shift was eager to brace the elements. With one of the shortest days of the year at hand the dive mob managed only three dive runs, everyone got in the water and reported pretty much the same conditions. If I may quote from Eden-tale teller Steve Burns: “Night time is the right time” so some of us sought salvation around a BBQ while others cherished the warmth of Huski’s Pizza places. Bristol Point campsite. (Christine Butzer) Next morning Darran and Ole led a group of early risers (well, after Harry’s rise there was no point in trying to get back to sleep anyway) out for a prebreakfast wetting. But this day shouldn’t change our appreciation of the conditions (or Konstans’ seemingly endless supply of “Green Curry Paste”). With Jen and Sonia I seized the Spider Cave, but the continuing swell from South-East made the surge in the cave too dangerous to venture deep into it. Enter next day and the resolve to dive Croc Head on a REALLY early morning dive. I can’t recall what madness had stricken me to pursue this idea in of not having a sounder installed. And then there was the trifle of those nice people from the Ocean Trek (a live-aboard cruising JB and providing us ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 11 with tank fills) telling us about that storm front moving through during the night. Windy it was alright and dark as well. By the time it was light (and we arrived at the ramp) the blue waters of the bay were hidden under a sea of “white foamy bits”. If the trees had grown apples we wouldn’t have needed to climb them, the wind would have been delightfully helpful in bending the branches down into our guts. But lo and behold! the winds were due West. So we (Chuck, Marty, Horst, Christine and me) figured we only had to cross the Bay’s open waters to get to the sheltered down-wind side beyond Point Burp. No sooner said than done and the newly named Pufferfish flew over the calm seas around The Arch, our spirits lifting in the early morning sun almost to those flying buggers above us. Chuck then suggested to attempt Smuggler’s Cave, a site he deemed diveable only once in a Blue Moon (or rather, once in a leap year). more. Down there a Wobbegong flew contouring the rocky amphitheater and I could appreciate why they are commonly called “Carpet” sharks. Bristol Point campsite Part 2. (Harold Schranz) Lady Musgrave Island, July 2-18, 1999 And there its huge entrance lay, waiting to swallow us and the boat and all. It is an X-shaped tunnel with two entrances and two tentacles reaching deep into the rock, one of them terminating in a bubble cave. Marty, after exploring the furthest, narrowest cracks and hassling a huge Wobby, practiced moon walking on the ceiling while I stopped counting the Eastern Blue Devils sheltering in dark cracks. The best part, however, was sitting motionless in the center with two faint blue tongues of light incessantly prodding the black gloom of Smuggler’s Cave. Here I could hear the surge rushing into the bubble cave and rhythmically altering the ambient pressure so as to evoke the notion of powerful explosions, distant yet shaking the whole body. Chuck likened this experience to hearing a Tiger breathe heavily, ready to devour the helpless victim without warning. So much for “Smuggler’s”, the tiger of all caves. After emerging from its guts, reluctant to surface just yet, I had a peep into deeper water, enjoying the view over the rocky slope verging on a sandy seabed deep down below me. Visibility must surely have been 25 meters or Bristol Point campsite Part 3. (Harold Schranz) Surfacing into the cold morning air everyone felt exuberant and we dashed back, only to be hit by tremendous winds once we passed Point Burp. The Westerlies had risen to gale force again and were shattering our faces with ice-cold salt water, making it almost impossible to monitor the waves rushing against us from the Bay. After what seemed an endless “ride” back to Murray’s Beach I think we were all pretty relieved to have solid ground underneath our feet. Anon (or prefers to be ...) (apologies Gilligans Island) Now sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful diving trip That started from this (sub-)tropic port (Gladstone) Aboard this (not so) tiny ship! The mate was a mighty sailor wo-man the skipper brave and sure! 25(?) passengers that sailed that day for a 2 week tour, a two week tour ... The weather started getting rough the (not so) tiny ship was tossed If we didnt keep the horizon in view, the stuff we ate would be lost ... the stuff we ate would be tossed ... Well, it appears that all the LMI castaways did finally get rescued (?) after two weeks of diving, eating, climbing light-towers and frolicking with the natives. (Castaways who can contribute a more (or less) lucid account of the trip or more verses are encouraged to contact Gilligan or the Editor, Ed.) Enjoy the following pictorial survey of LMI1999. ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 The Island (Christine Butzer) Sunset on LMI Part 1 (Christine Butzer) 12 It was this big and it wanted membership! (Christine Butzer) Sunset on LMI Part2 (Harold Schranz) LMI camp (Harold Schranz) Hungry castaways satisfy their urges ... (Torrey Bievenour) Seasnake .. yikes! (Harold Schranz) Horst, Christine the Puffer and LMI. (Christine Butzer) ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 Starfish and black squishy thingy! (Harold Schranz) 13 Naughty folk climbing the light tower. (Torrey Bievenour) In the lagoon (Harold Schranz) Die Kompressoren und unser Ingenieur. (Torrey Bievenour) Working on the chaingang ... (Torrey Bievenour) Trio of happy divers! (Torrey Bievenour) LMI babe! (Harold Schranz) Hyland-C (Harold Schranz) ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 14 The Standard Positioning Service (SPS) available to civilian users should give 20 metre horizontal accuracy, however it is normally degraded to 100 metres (95% of the time) due to Selective Availability (SA). (That is, the reported position will be within 100 metres of the true position 95% of the time.) The vertical accuracy is about 1.5 times worse than horizontal, due to satellite geometry. (Satellites are more likely to be near the horizon, than directly overhead.) On the way home! (Christine Butzer) Trimble Navigation, in their booklet "GPS - A guide to the next utility" give the following error budget for commercial navigation receivers: Satellite clock error Ephemeris error Receiver errors Atmospheric/ionospheric Selective Availability Total (root-sum-square) Sunset over Gladstone. (Harold Schranz) 2 2 4 12 25 15 - 30 ft. ft. ft. ft. ft. ft depending on SA. The predicted accuracy is calculated by multiplying the above figure by the PDOP (Position Dilution of Precision) which typically will range from 4 to 6. This gives accuracies of 60 - 100 ft (30 m) without SA, up to 350 ft (100 m) with SA. The accuracy can be improved by averaging readings over some time. When taking readings for this purpose, there is apparently no point in taking the readings more often than every 15 min, or so. One user reports the following results: Averaging for 15-20 hours: 10 m accuracy 24 hours 5 m 48 hours 3 m Some of the LMI1999 gang. (Christine Butzer) GPS Accuracy Since our club has a handheld GPS for relocating dive-sites, buried treasure (or missing treasurers! Ed.) and good party sites, here is a little bit of information on GPS accuracy. The information is borrowed from: http://www.gpsy.com/gpsinfo/gps-faq.txt and may (or may not be completely) accurate. As usual with such WWW based information, it might not always be up to date, and your mileage (kilometrage?) will vary. The error values are given as "2σ" values - for those (like myself) who don't do statistics, this means that the readings should be distributed as follows (for a 2σ of 100 metres): σ 5% of values are worse than 2σ 32% of values are worse than ( 50 m) (100 m) 1% of values are worse than 2.6σ (130 m) 0.3% of values are worse than 3σ (150 m) Links to more GPS information are available at the following WWW GPS information page (http://www.gpsy.com/gpsinfo/ ). (Less than useless trivia: the GPS derived coordinates of the current master electronic copy of this newsletter are (very roughly) S35˚ 16.990’ E149˚ 6.816’ (inside the ANU Supercomputer Facility), Ed.). ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 Boat Names & T-shirts Our new ANUSC dive-boat (a yellow RIB 5.3 metre NAIAD) finally has a name, The Pufferfish, though, as with the Daffodil which is known as The Daf’, it will no doubt be known as The Puffer’. Thanks to Christine Butzer we are working on some new ideas for the ANUSC T-Shirt. 15 Special Committee Member: Jerry Keating (W) 6280-4499 (H) 6239-7929 [email protected] ANUSC Officers Party Officer: Bill Keating (W) 6208-8738 (H) 6288-2449 [email protected] Gear Issue Officers: Martin Tyson, Sarah Whitfield, Ulrike Mathesius, Rowan McMurray, David Power (see WWW site or last page for contact details) LMI Organiser: Jeremy Weinman (W) 6249x5071 (H) 6254-7502 [email protected] SPARE AIR Top 10 Ways Diving Would Be Different If Bill Gates Were in Charge Some variation of this (should it say ANU Scuba Club or ANU Scuba Diving Club???) may form the basis of a neat logo on the front (ala ANUMC TShirts) and we could have a different image for the back.(http://student.anu.edu.au/Clubs/ANU_Scuba_C lub/ com/ tshirt/). Suggestions from Club members most welcome. Prizes of a free T-shirt to the best ideas! Keep those creative juices flowing! (written by the readers of Scuba Diving Online) 10) You would have to stop diving on January 1, 2000. 9) You could never remove that darn Internet Explorer icon from your dive computer. 8) This year’s new equipment models would eventually be released two years from now. 7) None of your new gear would be compatible with any of your old stuff. ANU Scuba Club 1999 Office Bearers 6) Bill would get all the good gear from other manufacturers and release it 10 years later under another name and call it “revolutionary.” ANUSC Committee President: David Power (W) 6207-1719 (H) 6259-0729 [email protected] 5) When you called Microsoft to schedule a dive trip, you would be left on hold for a long time, and when you finally talked to someone, you would be given a lot of information on diving that was absolutely correct but completely useless. Vice-President (Gear Officer): Martin Tyson (W) 6246-4943 (H) 6282-7590 [email protected] 4) Every dive computer would be from Microsoft and any deaths from them would be explained as a “beta version” problem. Don’t worry we’ll fix that in the next release. Treasurer: Jeremy Weinman (W) 6249x5071 (H) 6254-7502 [email protected] 3) Equipment dealers would be required to bundle a parachute with every scuba package so Bill could eventually dominate the sky diving market (a natural tiein). Secretary/Editor: Harold Schranz (W) 6249x5988 (H) 6242-8716 [email protected] Boat Officer: Peter Liston (W) 6207-2030 (H) 6241-8204 [email protected] Student Officer: Rowan McMurray (W) (041)847-1051 (H) 6230-2420 [email protected] 2) Your air supply would stop and have to be restarted every couple of minutes and you would accept this as normal. 1) Every time you were really close to your destination, your boat would crash. ANUSC Newsletter/September 1999 Diving/Event Calendar Sept.-Dec. 1999 If you want to go on a dive please get in touch with the trip organiser around one week beforehand. 16 Help Directory on our WWW site. For example, “The President embodies the life of the Club and needs to be someone who is intimately involved in the Club at all levels and is prepared to lead adventure seekers in the pursuit of underwater pleasure!" Seal dive coordinated by Matthias Regner. Interested persons should talk to a committee member about what being on the committee involves, or check out the committee 'duty statements' and/or the club constitution in the web site help directory. Matthias Regner Phone: (W) 6249x3084 (H) 6247-9178 Email: [email protected] An active diver will get a huge amount more out of their diving by getting involved with the club committee as each little bit they put in helps the club facilitate the sort of diving they want to do. September 25-26 th Seals/Montague Island October 23/24 th Port Hacking Dave Power Phone: (W) 6207-1719 (H) 6259-0729 Email: [email protected] November 13-14 th BelDivers Treasure Hunt A time to hunt treasures with the BelDivers crew, socialise, eat, drink and talk tall tales! Steve Harding Phone: (W) 6247-4911 Email: [email protected] November 24 st AGM, from 7PM Sports Union Meeting Room Active club members should consider running for a position on the committee. "Could this be you? Check out the Club duty statements linked to our December 4-5 Honeymoon Bay, JB Coordinator to be advised. Contact Dave Power in the interim. Dave Power Phone: (W) 6207-1719 (H) 6259-0729 Email: [email protected] December 10 Christmas Party Bill Keating (as party officer) is the coordinator – one suggestion was to have it out at the Cotter so people can have a tent nearby to avoid having to drive home. Bill Keating Phone: (W) 6208-8738 (H) 6288-2449 Email: [email protected] ANUSC Newsletter/December 1998 17 Equipment Rules — Tanks/Vests/Regulators The ANU SCUBA Diving Club has several (about 10) complete sets of SCUBA equipment (tank, reg, BC), together with a number of additional tanks and some older style BC’s, purchased and maintained with a combination of Sports Union grants and Club generated funds. This equipment, stored locked in a cage in the ANUSC gear store (a green double garage) on North Oval, is subject to constant and demanding use so the following hire charges and rules have been formulated in the interests of all club members, of the Sports Union, and of the issuing and maintenance officers. Gear hire charges: Full set for a student Club member on a Club trip weekend $0 Full set for a non-student Club member on a Club trip weekend $10 Full set for any Club member on a non-Club trip weekend $20 or Regulator $10 BCD $10 Tank $5 Deposits are $30. The Rules: 1) One set of gear is provided only to qualified divers who are current members of both the ANU SCUBA Diving Club and the Sports Union. Persons not known to the issuing officer may be asked to show their ANUSC and/or their Sports Union/Student card and may be checked against the list of current members. You cannot borrow a 2nd set for a nonmember. ANU student members can use this set of gear for free on Club outings, non-ANU student members are required to pay a $10 usage fee. 2) Gear is available for use on Club dives as described above - subject to a $30 deposit, refundable when the equipment is returned the next week, complete and unabused, washed and with the tanks full. Borrowers are not guaranteed exclusive use and may be required to share with other Club members on a dive. 3) When not required for Club purposes, equipment may be hired for private use at a fee of $20 per set, plus the usual deposit. Equipment is for the support of diving as a club, and is not available for private use when a Club outing is scheduled, regardless of however many sets appear to be spare. The Club does not accept advance bookings for the use of equipment. 4) Equipment may be borrowed and returned around 5:30 pm on Thursdays, via the rostered issuing officer, who attends only on request. In order to allow everybody fair access, gear must be returned by the Thursday following the week of issue. If you don’t ring a gear officer, or a Club official if you can’t contact one, to arrange return of your gear you must expect to lose your deposit. 5) The member signing for gear remains fully responsible for it until it is signed back in. Negligent loss or damage will be treated in accordance with current policy of the Club and the Sports Union, which retains ownership of all Club equipment. Borrowers are expected to keep track of all gear issued to them, particularly on dives where it is shared. 6) To avoid damage, always remove jacket vests from tanks before transport. 7) After use wash ALL gear in fresh water, rinse out vests internally, and return them half- inflated. Hose down your tanks and tank boot. Ensure that the dust cap is tightly fitted to the reg before soaking. Water in the reg will damage it and can result in total failure of your reg or gauges. Apart from the danger to you or other users, this costs us lots of money to replace. 8) NEVER EVER leave tanks or hoses or vests in your car in the hot sun. 9) In the interests of safety and to avoid inadvertent re-issue, all faulty gear must be labelled as such on return, AND reported personally to the gear maintenance officer by the borrower. Gear Officer: Martin Tyson Email: [email protected] Phone: 6282 7590 (H) 6246-4943 (W) Gear Issue and Return (Thursdays only unless you arrange otherwise) *** Remember, people will only attend if you contact them beforehand *** See http://student.anu.edu.au/Clubs/ANU_Scuba_Club/gearissue.html for the latest roster. Martin Tyson 6246-4943 (W) 6282-7590 (H) Ulrike Mathesius 6249x3087 (W) 6241-5335 (H) Rowan McMurray (041)847-1051 (W) 6230-2420 (H) David Power 6207-1719 (W) 6248-8161 (H) Sarah Whitfield 6281-8248 (W) 6248-8161 (H) [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]