Nekton

Travelling the world's hidden byways in search of the perfect diving destination, many divers pay little attention to the major cities through which their journeys take them; usually in the belief that such places have little to offer in the way of diving interest.

In Sydney's case, nothing could be further from the truth. Built around the shores of one of the world's most scenic harbours and with more than seventy kilometres of magnificent Pacific coastline and glorious beaches, Sydney offers an outstanding variety of underwater attractions; and all of them just minutes away from the commercial heart of Australia's largest and busiest city.

Now a major stop-over for travellers following the back-packer trail around Asia and the Pacific, Sydney is stepping out from under the shadow of destinations like the Great Barrier Reef to offer a range of diving unmatched elsewhere in the region.

With a large number of dive stores scattered around the city - the majority affiliated with either PADI or SSI - and now catering to an increasingly cosmopolitan audience, many of the leading facilities make a point of employing staff fluent in Asian and European languages.

It's a policy whose spin-off effect has been to attract even greater numbers of divers keen to boost their knowledge by taking part in Instructor development and advanced technical diving courses; including decompression, extended range, wreck-penetration and mixed gas training programmes that have become essential pre-requisites for many of Sydney's more challenging dives.

Although the place where many overseas visitors first choose to learn to dive before travelling north to tropical waters, most quickly discover for themselves just how rich, varied and convenient the diving here can be. And with shore dives, boat dives, wrecks, reefs, a mind-boggling variety of marine life and a temperate climate that offers good year-round diving, Sydney's underwater appeal is to every level of experience and interest.

Unlike many popular diving destinations, going for a quick dive in Sydney is remarkable easy - and inexpensive. All of the dive stores have a full range of impeccably maintained and serviced equipment for rent and most will advise on the most appropriate dive sites according to the weather conditions on that day; give a full briefing on what to look for; and either arrange for visitors to join a group of experienced local divers or appoint a dive guide.

And because of the technical nature of some of the dives, nitrox and trimix are readily available to divers able to show proof of training, qualifications and experience.

Typifying the very best of Sydney's shore diving locations, Shelly Beach occupies a scenic corner of Manly's ocean beachfront. A horse-shoe shaped cove surrounded by flame-trees, tea-trees, wattles and gums, the white sandy beach and natural reef of tumbled boulders and rocks descending to a maximum depth of 18 metres have made this one of Sydney's premier shore diving sites.

The marine life includes regular sightings of the harmless Wobbegongs, Port Jackson's, Cat and Angel Sharks, the occasional Grey Nurse Shark and turtles, fiddler rays, huge Eastern Blue grouper that allow themselves to be petted by divers, wrasse, painted shrimps, octopus, giant cuttlefish, squid, lionfish, gobies, blennies, bright blue damsel fish, huge schools of pomfrets and sleek sea-pike.

Almost all of the dive facilities either own, or have access to, a dedicated dive boat - usually about 7-metres in length - capable of carrying anywhere between six to twelve divers, plus skipper and a Divemaster, who will also act as an underwater guide if required.

With the time taken to reach most of the popular reef and wreck dive sites usually less than thirty-minutes - and more often ten-minutes - away from land, the surface interval for those carrying out multiple dives can be comfortably spent back on shore.

Apart from the skeletal remains of shallow wrecks that mainly lie around the approaches to - and in - Sydney Harbour, there are spectacular sponge gardens; sandstone reefs covered with soft corals and ascidians; overhangs where giant cuttlefish are frequently found; walls festooned with sea-tulips; and - as at 'The Apartments', a few minutes off-shore from Long Reef where huge rocks and boulders lean into the reef at a depth of 22-metres - large swim-throughs whose vaulted ceilings and sides are hidden by masses of small, flower-like, yellow commensal zoanthids.

Although these areas teem with vast schools of yellowtail, roughys' and larger pelagics like kingfish, mackerel and bonito, a major excitement for boat divers during the winter months (June - July), are the sightings of humpback whales. Making their annual migratory passage northwards these huge creatures will often swim right into the Harbour. Although a punishable offence for boat traffic and divers to approach them they will often appear unexpectedly alongside a vessel.

Wrecks

As the oldest settled city in Australia, the Sydney coastline and waterways are littered with wrecks of every description; some the result of maritime misfortune and others that have been purposely scuttled.

In Sydney Harbour alone there are more than twenty-five known wrecks in water depths that range between 8 and 29-metres. Offshore there are an even greater number. Although many of these vessels lie in water depths only accessible to experienced tri-mix divers, others are in shallower waters just metres from shore.

Because of their attraction most of the dive operators include one or other of the better-known wrecks in their regular boat dive schedules. These include the 'Dunbar' - widely hailed as Sydney's most famed wreck - that smashed onto the rocks at the southern entrance to Port Jackson, on the night of the 20 August, 1857 with the loss of all but one of the 123 passengers and crew.

Although beyond the scope of normal recreational diving limits, these deeper wrecks are often dived by properly equipped and trained technical divers. Even so boat operators pay particular attention to safety, requiring documentary proof of training and experience before allowing people to make these dives.

Temperate water diving

Subject to the vagaries of the weather, diving conditions in Sydney can change on a daily basis - particularly after high seas or heavy rains when the wave action or storm-water run-off from the land may reduce the underwater visibility. Although seldom less than 8-metres, the very best visibility and sea conditions usually occur during the dry winter months (June - August) when the combined effects of the prevailing offshore winds and the "blue-water" currents produce visibility often exceeding 30-plus metres.

Water temperatures reach a high of about 24� C. in summer, (February/March) and drop to 16� C. towards the end of winter (August/September) when more elaborate thermal protection is required. For most people, however, a 5mm wet suit is adequate for use throughout the year.

Marine Life

It is those same temperature variations that - combined with Sydney's close proximity to the deeper waters at the edge of the Continental Shelf - attract a remarkable variety of marine life, including dolphins and whales.

Although different from their tropical counterparts, the reefs around Sydney support a multitude of colourful soft corals, sponges, anemones, sea-squirts, tube-worms and sea-mosses that decorate every surface. Carried southward by the warm summer currents, tropical species often put in an appearance, but it's the temperate water life that is often the most remarkable.

Giant Cuttle-fish, some measuring a metre or more in length, are commonplace, as are large rays and sharks - including lethargic wobbegongs, (a type of carpet shark sometimes three or more metres in length), and Port Jackson sharks that, during their winter breeding season, can be seen in their hundreds lying around on the sand.

Now a protected species that once faced extinction from Sydney waters, the Grey Nurse sharks are again returning to provide counterpoint to the colourful leatherjackets, sea-horses, flutemouths, seadragons, globe

BEARINGS

Getting There
Most International carriers offer direct flights to Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport, just 6 kilometres from the City centre. Depending on the time of day regular shuttle-bus services or metered-taxis will cover the distance in about 15-minutes.
Climate
Temperate, with four seasons. Driest month - August: Wettest - February. Mainly sunny throughout the year with cool, mild winters (June - August) and hot, humid summers, (December - February). Average temperatures range from between 9 - 15 deg. C. in Winter, to 22 - 28 deg. C. in Summer.

Accommodation
Sydney has a full complement of accommodation types, from 5-star luxury hotels, through to back-packer hostels and self-serviced apartments.
For full details of Sydney's amenities contact:- Tourism New South Wales, http://www.visitnsw.com.au/

Best time to Dive
Good, year round diving, but considered to be at its absolute best during the winter months between June - August. Water temperatures range between 16 deg. C. in late winter, up to 24 deg. C. in late Summer (February).

Operators
Major operators include:-
Aquatic Explorers, 40 Kingsway, Cronulla, NSW 2230.
www.aquaticexplorers.com.au
Dive Centre Manly, 10 Belgrave St, Manly, NSW 2095. www.divesydney.com
Dive Centre Bondi, 192 Bondi Rd, Bondi, NSW 2026. www.divebondi.com.au
Dive 2000, 2 Military Rd, Neutral Bay, NSW 2089. www.dive2000.com.au
Frog Dive Scuba Centres, 539 Willoughby Rd, Willoughby, NSW 2068.
www.frogdive.com.au/
Scuba Warehouse, 55 George St, Parramatta, NSW 2150.
www.scubawarehouse.com.au
Southern Cross Divers, 3/235 Spit Rd, The Spit Bridge, Mosman, NSW 2088.
www.southerncrossdivers.com.au
Sydney Dive Academy, 462, Bunnerong Road, Matraville, NSW 2036. www.sydneydive.com.au
Pro Dive, Coogee, 27 Alfreda St, Coogee, NSW 2034.
Pro Dive, Drummoyne, 227 Victoria Rd., Drummoyne, NSW 2047.
Pro Dive Manly, 169 Pittwater Road, Manly, NSW 2095
(For complete listing of Pro-Dive facilities in Sydney, see: www.prodive.com.au )
Deep 6 Diving, 1057 Victoria Rd, West Ryde, NSW 2114.
www.deep6diving.com.au

Prices

Full equipment hire, including full wet suit, booties, mask, snorkel, fins, BCD, cylinder, regulator (with alternate air source, gauges - including computer), weight-belt, etc., averages between AUD$60.00 per day.

Single tank boat dives average AUD$50 excluding gear and AUD$90.00 with rental equipment provided.