Breaker Bay on sunday
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Diving
Forum Name: Spearo's Corner
Forum Description: Free-divers & spearos chat about their sport
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10871
Printed Date: 05 Nov 2026 at 10:20am
Topic: Breaker Bay on sunday
Posted By: Eric de Vries
Subject: Breaker Bay on sunday
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 10:26am
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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.   ------------- http://www.southernbluefins.co.nz/ |
Replies:
Posted By: johnny mullet
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 10:43am
Well done guys. Roll on summer I say
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Posted By: Blue Asparagus
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 10:46am
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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. ------------- Ultimate GAME Fishing Adventures. Northland |
Posted By: Manaia
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 11:17am
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yeah mate great read. Have just started getting crays on the snorkle and find it much more interesting. wouldnt want to be head first in a crack when a 1.5 meter swell crashes through. ------------- [IMG]http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b206/Matariki/21.gif"> |
Posted By: Bull
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 11:19am
| 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. |
Posted By: legs
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 12:49pm
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yep, I admire all those who can dive through crapp in the water, seeing nothing but milky soup, dive down till they hit the bottom....brrr......I'm just not confident enough. I like to see the bottom, rocks, weeds or sand! thanx for the story. me too, like to read what's happening with other spearo's. makes me feel good, when my day wasn't that good eighter. the swell, I don't mind, if I'm not between rocks.......hey, what's your technique to grab a cray? sometimes, I just can't get the grip right ??!! cheers |
Posted By: KeriBOI
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 12:57pm
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distract the crays feelers with one hand, and go hard with the other hand. I have more trouble finding them than grabbing them :) ------------- Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes; after that, who cares?! He's a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: Eric de Vries
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 1:48pm
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Legs. Diving in roughly 9 metres is not too bad. Diving amongst the large strands of kelp which are attached to the top and sides of the bommies gives you an indication where you are. Then swimming out from there, either on the bottom to reach the sand or on the surface gives you confidence. And as most people have said in the past, you can't beat diving in clear conditions to gauge how deep you need to go to reach/target the bottom. ------------- http://www.southernbluefins.co.nz/ |
Posted By: case
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 1:51pm
| i got out and grabbed a feed of scollies on sunday ,the vis was terrible. |
Posted By: Eric de Vries
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 3:11pm
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Case. Are they still around in good numbers? ------------- http://www.southernbluefins.co.nz/ |
Posted By: Bull
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 4:05pm
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With all the rain I'll leave them for a little while longer. |
Posted By: case
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 7:05pm
| there getting thinned out now. have to go a long way between each one. |
Posted By: Moocha
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 8:28pm
| 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. |
Posted By: chong
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 9:09pm
| nice one Eric, I always feel so sharkey in bad vis .. mind starts playing ... hate the dark days and bad vis ... bbrrrr ... give me 6 metres vis minumum, specially if I am diving alone. |
Posted By: Moocha
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 9:30pm
| 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.......... |
Posted By: Lethal
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 10:49pm
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yep i have always said you mad crazy Wellintonians desever every fish you get and then some.... every person ive ever met from your neck of the woods if they are into diving or fishing they dont do it by halfs you always go the full hog..... i take my hat off to you guys your a bloody keen bunch.... keep them coming love reading about it and sure wont stop now..... |
Posted By: Moocha
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2005 at 11:07pm
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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. |
Posted By: legs
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 10:41am
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outsch, those bloody kina spikes.......not good.......I still have one stuck in one of my fingers, probably for life. thanx for the hints and tips, take it to my heart. it is silly really to be feeling sharky, but everybody has it, it is there! yep, these wellingtaniens, awesome guys!! cheers |
Posted By: bluefox_13
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 11:53am
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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...... ------------- Yes its cold... no I dont care that you feel the cold easily... no we can't get out.... |
Posted By: Eric de Vries
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 12:21pm
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Chong. The only time I felt odd regarding the danger from the deep (read shark) was when we did our Oakura trip north about a month ago. We were diving the outer side of the BOI, 'Deep Water Cove' to be precise. Paul telling us that its not far from the Brett and that the only large critters one has to worry about was bronzies especially during the summer months. Well this stuck like mud to me. Bronzies!!! Never payed much attention to it untill then. Anyway we were diving the above mentioned bay and I decided to follow Paul around after having lunch in the boat. (almost lost the boat in that bay too, but thats another story) I swum to the far corner of the bay to cross over to Patuhataha Island. The gap between the island and the mainland was only like 40 odd metres if that. It was overcast and the odd rainsstorm was creating and certain atmosphere. It gave me the ****s. The water was murkey and depth 18m+ in some areas. The current was running and so was the adrenalin. I ventured out there to hopefully see some trevs or even a kingi. No avail. However I became more paranoid swimming back to the mainland. I swam back high speed as if I was being chased. Armed with the gun tight accross my chest, just in case there was going to be an attach from 'down below' . What utter crap! The only place to feel remotely threatened around Wellington (for me) would be at Fisherman's Rock or Hunters Bank. Well, by the time I dive there I have completely forgotten about the 'down below' creature and the adrenalin is only working by the sheer beauty of the surrounding pinnacles and seeing the large kingies come in. ------------- http://www.southernbluefins.co.nz/ |
Posted By: JoshW
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 1:10pm
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EDV: Off the back of that island, Dad had a 10ft bronzie swim past the back of the boat while he was getting his suit on. He didn't get in after that. Nice to see you've been through the gap. Its nothing realy iv'e crossed it hundreds of times without a hiccup, my bigest fear when crossing that gap is the boats that sometimes come through. You should try spearing a kingi , getting towed out of the deep end of that island into 30m+ water on a dark midd winter day with black skies and dark blue black water. Bobbing around out there with a float line angling straght down into the depths. now thats scary. By the way i was spearing on the island to the south last summer when a 7-8ft bronzie swam past, came up and had a look at my flasher then carried on.
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Posted By: legs
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 1:23pm
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that's the thing, usually they just have a sniff and off they go. i do like the story eric.....know exactly how you felt. it is a mind game, as soon as I see fish (for the table) I'm FINE and the killer instinct comes out. stupid brains! playing all these games..... cheers |
Posted By: Paul M
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 1:32pm
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I think my words Eric were, the only critter to worry about out here in winter would be the great white or whites that are seen around percy island now and then. I don't think bronzies are going to be that active in that colder water.
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Posted By: Eric de Vries
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 1:45pm
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Josh. If only I had seen one I'd be OK with that.  Cool place tho. Would love to sneak around the corner to The Brett. ------------- http://www.southernbluefins.co.nz/ |
Posted By: Bull
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 2:22pm
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Just recently you had those saffas attacked in 6meters of water earlier this year. I have seen a 10ft white cruise into the harbour here in Welly. Swiming out wide anywhere on the south coast in low vis sometimes gives me the shiiiites. Good vis and I am not too worried given GW are visual hunters. Hunters is alright because of the good vis but when it closed down to 6 meters the other day Eric the mind wandered a few times. |
Posted By: Eric de Vries
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 2:38pm
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Bull. I know they're there especially Red Rocks, where the seals haulout is. I've seen sharks thrashing on the surface out at Hunters too. Never paid much attention to them in that way. I was in the boat tho  ------------- http://www.southernbluefins.co.nz/ |
Posted By: Paul M
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 3:14pm
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Boxing day 3 years ago, me and my younger brother were suiting up ready to jump into some particularly dirty water up the north end of Kapiti around the cathedral when a fishing boat drifted past us and showed us half a kingi. Story was they were pulling in the 20kg ish king when a pack of approx three bronzies went to town on it. When they pulled the head clear of the water the bronzies went ape**** and attacked there motor, not 5 minutes prior to us arriving. Thats why I hate landing kings out there in dirty water. We ended up drifting the bolder bank in poor vis and I can tell you my bottom times where rat**** that day. |
Posted By: legs
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 4:26pm
| FAAAAAAAAAR OUT!!!!!!!!!! |
Posted By: Moocha
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 5:03pm
Yup I remember a trip out to White rock surfing (before I was converted to the dark side ...Spearo) out the back there yakking with a big seal colony just on the inside of us. When woa be-tide me one of the boys a keen fisherman starts talking about a trip on a boat not too far north of our location where they hooked into a big Noah ..read White pointer and that some big ones have been landed in this area. Talking away when F*&K me dead a seal brushes my leg ...playful begger nearly gave me the mother of all heart attacks. Moral of the story being if they have been hooked up over at White rock, then wellyWood is not too far for them to swim I am thinking 
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Posted By: Moocha
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2005 at 5:16pm
| Athough In checking out the nz records it seems most White pointers have been landed north of the Bombay Hills ..four in the Manukau Harbour...evil looking buggers |
Posted By: legs
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2005 at 11:48am
| how do they look like? hmmmmmmm.....seals are great aye, I love them to bits......... |
Posted By: bluefox_13
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2005 at 1:06pm
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I love them in bits........... Preferably steaks............... ------------- Yes its cold... no I dont care that you feel the cold easily... no we can't get out.... |
Posted By: Rusky
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2005 at 1:19pm
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Smelly little criters they are
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Posted By: johnny mullet
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2005 at 1:27pm
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My mum held a tupperware party and this walrus turned up. Said he was looking for a tight seal |
Posted By: legs
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2005 at 3:46pm
never had seal steaks........ ...... ????
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Posted By: Eric de Vries
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2005 at 5:08pm
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Johnny LOL should be in the humour forum. ------------- http://www.southernbluefins.co.nz/ |
Posted By: Moocha
Date Posted: 06 Oct 2005 at 6:53pm
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i hope you stepped up and "Took one for the team" Johnny
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Posted By: bluefox_13
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2005 at 6:01pm
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Too true rusky..... Very good call Johnny..... Thats brilliant.... ------------- Yes its cold... no I dont care that you feel the cold easily... no we can't get out.... |