# Kayak Diving Club



## gunner44 (Nov 13, 2007)

Hey guy's and gal's,
My name is John and I'm intrested in starting up a kayak diving club in Melbourne and it would be great to hear from anyone who might be intrested in joining. 
I've been diving and fishing of my kayak (Malibu X Factor) now for about a year and a half now. I have a mate who has been diving and fishing with me and we thought it would be a great idea to start a club with others that enjoy fishing and diving from a kayak.

If your intrested drop me a line

Regards

John


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

what...and swim in water below the tropic of capricorn....you are nuts..... ;-)

i was a spear fisher for many years when i was lad and have been thinking of trying off the yak....but i need a complete outfit and my spare $$$ are going to the AI fund


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## abercornmick (Oct 10, 2006)

G'Day Gunner

Just browsing the forum and came across your post. I haven't dived for a while but I reckon its a great idea to start a kayak fishing and diving club in Melbourne. I'm in if you want to go ahead...let me know and I'll get my gear serviced.


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## deano (Nov 26, 2006)

pity you aren't in Sydney - you'd definitely have at least one recruit.


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## ELM (Jul 14, 2008)

Hi gunner44, if you are coming down onto the Peninsula for a yak dive give me a call I may be interested in a dip.


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## matcoburn (Feb 6, 2009)

Hey gunner,
i reckon diving with a buddy is a safe idea........do you go for crays?


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## gunner44 (Nov 13, 2007)

Hey all,
Well so far we have a couple of guys and gals that are keen to go diving from their kayaks. So this is what I propose....how about we set a date to all get together and catch up and maybe go for a paddle. A little "team" bonding, check out each other yaks and see how everyone is set up.

I'm keen to go paddling, fishing, diving and spearing if anyone's interested.....although I'll need to get some gear for anyone wanting to go spearing.

So Im willing to bring my kayaks up to Melbourne from Geelong anyone else feel like making a date of it and having a bit of fun?

Anyone want to have a crack at coming up with a name for the club?

Regards,
John


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## zipper (Feb 27, 2008)

i wouldnt mind doing some spearing off mine if there are others keen, diving i have never really done so i dont think i will be giving that a crack till i have got my license and what not.
club sounds shweet!


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## gunner44 (Nov 13, 2007)

Hi Matt,
Yeah I generally always dive with a buddy unless I'm getting the itch really bad and nobody wants to scratch it with me. I have done a couple of great drift dives across Kelp Beds and Boar-fish Reef in PPB.

As for crays...........Oh yeah, but not around PPB as the traffic and the tidal movement can be a bit of a P.I T.A. but outside the heads along Ocean Grove, Anglesea and Torquay generally is the pick of the sites.

If your keen to go for a dive let me know, I've been out of the water for a while with a busted leg but I'm ready to go if anyone interested.


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## gunner44 (Nov 13, 2007)

Hey Zipper,
If your keen to get your diving license, a good mate of mine owns a dive shop and I'm sure he'll look after you if you want to get it. 

That way then you can go for a few crays, scallops and spear a couple of fish.....make it a real seafood banquet. :lol:

Regards,

John


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## ELM (Jul 14, 2008)

Hi John, have you been getting in the water of late? Vis has been up and down a bit. Rye and Blairgowrie piers on the Peninsula have been going off with big schools of fish, penguins, seals and Rye on several occasions now has been visited by a 2.5 meter Wobbygong shark. Scallop diving has also been very productive, one of my dive mates being circled 3 times by a large 7 gill before it took off while out, no sign by time I got in (bugger it) even tried smashing some scallops to no avail. 
There have been a few opportunities to dive the back beach as well, but I have not made the most of these opportunities (need a good kick up the rear end).
Do you normally scuba or free dive?
Where do you plan on having a meeting/get together?


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## matcoburn (Feb 6, 2009)

Hey gunner,
bACK in the 90's i used to teach diving down at Lorne but now i dive mainly around Cape Woolamai, Portsea backbeach, Kilcunda and Phillip island anywhere where there is some wave action. Crays are generally my target .....im a little nuts about em! Hey.. im happy to catch up and dive down your way...i havent been down that way for a while.
Mat


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## gunner44 (Nov 13, 2007)

Hey Eddie,
Finally got back in the water for a dive with Henderson Dive out of Queenscliff today. Sure is good to be back in the water!
I'm planning on going out on Monday for a paddle and dive and most likely a fish just for the sake of it. As for setting up a time to meet How does Saturday the 28th sound around lunchtime? Any one thinking of a meeting place. Jason, Airynne and I will be coming from Geelong so where would everyone like to meet?

Also how's it all going over at the Scuba Doctor? I've been meaning to get a couple of the new Miflex hoses of Pete. 
Are you heading up OzTek?

Regards,
John


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## gunner44 (Nov 13, 2007)

matcoburn said:


> Hey gunner,
> bACK in the 90's i used to teach diving down at Lorne but now i dive mainly around Cape Woolamai, Portsea backbeach, Kilcunda and Phillip island anywhere where there is some wave action. Crays are generally my target .....im a little nuts about em! Hey.. im happy to catch up and dive down your way...i havent been down that way for a while.
> Mat


Hey anytime you feel like a dive let me know, I'm happy to travel over your way as well or if you want to do a boat dive I think Steve picks up from Portsea but you may want to check that.

John


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## ELM (Jul 14, 2008)

Pete is heading up to OzTec, I will be at the shop.


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## sinjin (Feb 17, 2009)

I think it would be a great idea, I have a scupper Pro that i snorkel from. But it would be a lot more fun to go with a few others.
I have done any scuba for 20+ yrs but that would be awesome.. Would love to join a group.
Steven


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## Tman5 (Mar 9, 2009)

HI John... Yeah I've been kayak diving in the northern part of Port Phillip Bay for a while now. Was thinking about the club idea, so great to see if your suggestion grows legs. I've got an escapade, the New Zealand sit-on-top designed for scuba diving, and have only slightly modified this, adding a centre hatch so I could in turn add an extra handle... useful putting the thing on top of the car. We have another American Sit-on-top too although this one - a Tarpon 12 footer - is really suited to fishing. My missus and I haven't had much luck with the fishing but I don't think that is a fault of the kayaks!...keep me posted, very interested...Tim


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## azzo (Apr 4, 2009)

Headin down to Portsea this weekend to dive and yak.
cannot wait.


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## fishin (Jan 19, 2009)

Hi Azzo,

did you get down to Portsea or did the wild weather put you off? Any success?

BTW, was it free diving? I want to give it a try some day.

cheers.


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## azzo (Apr 4, 2009)

Nah 
the weather sucked big style
got down to Blairgowrie only to get blown out
cheers


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## fonda (Jun 14, 2009)

Yeh for sure Id be intersted dont know bout a club but Id lov to hook up for a dive...


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## edvanr (Aug 26, 2008)

HI guys,
I have been freediving and scuba diving out of my Hobie Outfitter for awhile now.

I have rigged up tinny little scuba rig which just has a little 5l tank and harness attached to it, nothing fancy, no bcd, 1 reg, no gauge (not neededd, you can tell pretty easily when it is empty ;-)). Its main purpose is for scallop diving in 5-10m and it is really easy to don in the kayak or in the water...

The majority of the time though, i go spearing/freediving out of it. i usually strap my guns on the side and all my floats, weight belts, fins/masks, eski/beer...etc on the back.

I usually anchor the Hobie and take a seperate float with me. Don't want to be draggin the yak around while you are trying to relax for the freedives...

It worked really well for me up in Sydney and now i am in melbourne i have done it a few times in the bay which has been fun.

Anyway I have a mate who wants to give it a try, so the two of us are meeting at Saftey Beach on Sat. Conditions dont look great, but we plan to head towards Mt Martha, then anchor and jump overboard for a bit of a spear. He only has a suf wetsuit so i recon he will be back in the yak pretty quickly but i am ok for a few hours usually with my suit... I spear with the southern freedivers normally... http://www.southernfreedivers.org.au/

So if i can combine my favourite sports of scuba diving, free diving, spearing, kayaking and fishing it would be great... count me in if you start a club...

Anyway if anyone wants to meet us, we plan to get there around 12'ish on sat. Call me in advance if you want... 0401 034 061.

Ed.


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## topgunpete (Jul 19, 2009)

Just found this post, cool. I used to run a dive boat out of Hastings and I have dived from the Prom through to Mornington. I also have a place on Flinders Island, where I have a car/boat/caravan - it would be a long way to paddle - but the crays are huge (I fly normally fly down). Anyway I love a feed of scallops so going for a yak dive would be great. Had a chat on the phone yesterday with sydney yaker who dives off his OK Scrambler, too easy he said.

There used to be some 12v mini hookers that would be a great way to go diving off a yak. Tow the yak around by the hose, and huge bottom time in shallow water. I think you can get to a maximum depth of 10m with 1 diver, or 6 metres with 2 divers. But has anyone tried adding a hose to a normal dive tank and using the BC/reg without the tank attached. Might be a simpler way to get on/off the yak, stay in contact with the yak, and protect yourself from boats when surfacing? Keen to get out on the scallops soon, before the water warms up and they loose condition. Happy to travel to Rye/Rosebud for a dive. Any takers? BIG SECRET BIT COMING UP. I keep all the scallop shells and guts in my chest freezer, they make incredibly good berley when I fish from my boat.


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## topgunpete (Jul 19, 2009)

Hi Ed, just saw you are diving this Saturday at Safety Beach. I dived there once, out near the mussel farm, bottom was pretty soft and muddy, got a few scallops. I don't think I will make this weekend, need to get the gear out and serviced, but it is now a plan.


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## rescueboy (Nov 25, 2011)

hi guys check out these dive yaks they have a huge amount of rear storage and the tray pulls out and drops into the water like a fridge slide so it is easier to load your gear and super stable

Kakadu kayaks Australia on face book


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