Sunday Nick and I headed out to Breaker Bay area for shoredive. With the slight southerly breeze and a building rolling swell we managed to drag our asses through the dense kelp forrest.

Sheit, I hate that stuff. Having said that we were well rewarded with the sight of some different fish species. Nick hang into the kelp area for some time, while I headed south into the swell. Diving on the edge of the weed line in about 8 metres. Some schools of small mackerel shot past me on several occasions thinking that kingi time was almost here... Not!

While ducking down and laying on the sand waiting for something to come through I was surrounded by some small cod who kept me company on several occasions all being just legal if any to take home for the pot. Swimming further south I checked some kelp bommies which were covered with small crays hiding in the cracks, with the odd large one lurking behind the small recruits in the foreground. Did manage to get one by swiping them away to get to the big boss. The others escaped but will be there for a future inspection no doubt.

Then the odd surprise while waiting on the sand. Very cool a small group of about 6 large squid swam past me. Them being well out of range. I tried to secure a closer position. They appeared to be on a mission and nothing would stop them.

Surfacing in about a 1.5 metre swell just about loosing my mask, i faintly saw some large kahawai cruising past. The last one in the group falling to the thrashing spear hitting him high-ish just behind the gill plate. This kahawai had an odd twisted tail. Maybe targeted in his younger days by a boisterous kingi

Looking around me to check out Nicks position. He returned to the kelp after seeing him on the outside of the weedline. Later on a I found out that a large school of warehou shot past him while being in a conundrum. Holding a cray in one hand and the camera in the other......... Bad timing I guess. Nice to see that they're coming in that close.

Time to head back. Some moki were seen in the kelp forrest while checking the crayholes one more time.

Viz was close to 3 metres in the best places. Water temp 13C.

Tally of the day: Nick one moki, one small cod, one small kahawai and a cray. One large kahawai and a cray for me.

good stuff guys love reading your stories, love the free diving thing but i doint have what it takes to go to the depths you guys do. very cool stuff.

Eric I took one look at that shiite around our coastline and after several months of 6 meters plus vis I couldn't bring myself to dive in that pea soup. Good on you and Nick for doing the hard yards.

distract the crays feelers with one hand, and go hard with the other hand. I have more trouble finding them than grabbing them :)

i got out and grabbed a feed of scollies on sunday ,the vis was terrible.

With all the rain I'll leave them for a little while longer.

Great post guys nice to see the the someone is doing the wellington crew proud.... yup Legs doing the hard yards in the average to low vis here in well wood just makes us appreciate it when the conditions finally allow us to get decent vis or we travel north to get some.

True I would like the same and it is a dark and spooky feeling......... and you can't help but mentally hum the Jaws theme while your out there..........

MMMM the only thing better than a good wellywood winter dive is the post dive long shower ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Mind you I went up to the coromandel earlier this year (got nothing but thats life.. ohh I tell a lie kina spikes in my hand wish I missed them silly silly boy) the vis blew me away I told the brother inlaw about it and he said that he thought it was pretty poor to average, man he needs a winter wellywood wake up dive to put him back to earth.

Good stuff nick and Eric............. Sounds just like diving out here in the sounds a lot of the time.....

Yep Im another one not so keen on the long surface swims with crappy viz..... Cant help imagining what might be under you......