diving in Brisbane

Hello all...

i need some advice. i am planning a business trip to Brisbane next month and i am hoping to get a few dives in while i am there. what kind of diving is there to be had in brisbane and more importantly do i pack a macro lens or WA? i will not have much room for UW camera so i will want to bring one or the other ... but i am sure i will try : ) i also will not be bringing my own gear so i will have to rent.

thanks...

Alastair

G;day Alastair,

Not much shore diving options in brisbane. Mostly boat dive are done. You can go down to the gold coast ( about 1 hr drive south ) for a shhore dive or if you are heading down that far then i would highly recommend diving Byron Bay with http://www.sundive.com.au/

There are coral reefs as far south as brisbane but i don't think to the extent of the barrier reef.

You will have the choice of both macro & wide angle depending on what site you visit.

They do get manta rays, leopard sharks & grey nurse sharks so wide angle is definately an option.

How many diving days do you have?

Cheers Pete.

thanks pete....

not sure but i am betting two at the most....

byron bay was where i had in mind and if it is worth it i don't mind spending time on a boat or a car. Will probably stick to wide angle....

thanks for the link - once i have all my itinerary sorted out i will drop sundive a line..

Byron Bay is worth the effort. Depending on where in brisbane you are staying, it could be a 2 hour drive. You will want wide angle for byron.

I would jump in the car & head to byron in a heartbeat.

Sundive are a great bunch of guys & girls & giac is the owner. Real nice guy. They are actually running an annual photo comp there very soon i think.

Cheers Pete.

If you want shore diving, the only options are the Gold Coast Seaway, or head south to the Tweed Heads estuary.

Stradbroke Island and Moreton Island are boat diving options out of Brisbane. Out of Tweed Heads, Cook Island is suppose to be good. But Byron Bay is probably the best option, and its a fairly smooth 2hour drive south of brisbane, and then only a short boat trip out to Julians Rocks. Great dive for Wide Angle...

What do you want to shoot? Grey nurse sharks(they will just of arrived by late april) or do want to get portraits of reef fishes with the 60mm?

I am local and have a small cuddy cab boat, we start to dive about mid april as the viz gets good again, flinders reef and flat rock/boat rock are the pick of the bunch for dives here, small boats can check out the lill trawler wreck back of flinders hustler 3, it gets some leopard/zebra sharks there....

What days are you here?