Scuba Diving Perth WA
Shore Diving
POINT PERON
Reef Systems
Point Peron - Cape Peron - Rockingham
GoPro Graveyard
Annexed to Howies Holes
Annexed to Howies Holes
General Information
For Point Peron
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Shore Dive: Limestone Reef Dive.
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Depth: Max +/- 10 meters.
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Dive Conditions: Preferably a maximum of a 1.5 meter swell, 11 second swell period, low easterly winds. Can be dived in 1.8m with a low swell period less than 11 seconds and gentle easterly wind but this is not going to be a very nice dive.
- Perfect day would always be a low swell around 1 meter, low swell period of 11 seconds and gentle easterly wind for a few days prior.
- If you have a small swell with a large swell period you can dive this site but try not to get too shallow as it will break over the reef and move you about a bit, however once you have descend you will generally not be affected by the swell period.
GoPro Graveyard:
- I am going to keep this one nice and simple because you're not going to dive this area in isolation, and I suspect that you will just include it in your dive of Howie's Holes.
- I have included this as a separate section just because if the water isn't calm enough then there is the risk of being pushed up on to the reef itself. The entrance and exits for this site sit very high on the reef and you will swim up to 1 meter from the surface. Where as you can dive Howie's Holes in slightly rougher waters without having similar risk of injury.
- So in a nutshell: if the waves are breaking over the reef or it feels too surgey, don't bother, don't risk it, as even when you get into the chamber the surge through the chamber can be a pain in the backside and potential push you around or into the reef.
GoPro Graveyard: A little bit of history
- One of those amusing little stories that life just gives you.
- For those who know me, know that I take a lot of Sunday shore dives for Dolphin Scuba in Welshpool and it was on one of these dives that a couple of lads chose to join us with there (have you guessed it),that's right there brand spanking new $600+ GoPro, the only reason why I include the price is the irony of it all.
- The lad who will remain unnamed to protect the embarrassed thought that a $35 camera lanyard was a rip off, so decided to tether that brand spanking new camera with a piece of string or rope and go for a dive.......... I really don't have to type anymore do I.
- Anyway to cut a short story shorter... crash! bang! wallop! GONE...... aaarrrrrggggghhhh to put the expletives mildy.... Lost forever in the middle of the reef that shiny, squeaky clean, sparkly $600+ GoPro.........
- We had done a series of dive around Howies Holes and each time in the back of our mind and one eye on the prize of actually finding this camera. 3 months later I was out there exploring with the guys and we found this tiny entrance to a new and un-mapped spot that initially only one of the girls could manage to sneak into (skinny little thing)..... anyway what sitting at the bottom of this chamber..... I really don't have to type anymore do I.
- Unbelievably it still worked and yes it was returned to its owner just prior to his trip off the Great Barrier Reef.
- Moral of the story.......... don't be a tight arse.... and just pay the $35 for a camera lanyard.
Directions
- GoPro Graveyard, like I said you are not going to dive this spot in isolation and I am pretty sure you will just incorporate it in a dive through Howie's Holes if the waters allow. And if you know Howie's Holes then getting in to here is easy peasy lemon something or another.
- Ok plan: you are facing south looking at the entrances to Howie's Holes, when you look up and follow the reef to the surface, it kinda creates a crescent like shape due to a shearing of the reef and in that crescent shape part of the reef there are two entrances.
- Entrance on the right of the crescent is actually really big and just drops straight into the the center of the chamber and as nice as it is, its kinda boring.
- The entrance on the left, I personally think is more fun, and prettier and even in my middle age I love acting like a kid as I squeeze and scramble through this little gaps in the reef. Once you get under and through the ledge it just feels and looks really nice, especially when the light breaks through the weed and kelp. The chamber slowly reveals itself to you as you follow and squeeze along the fissure into the large cavern.
- To exit you can just do a full 360 degrees and exit at the same spot, or if you like on the far side (south side) of the chamber there is a large square opening that you can exit through, you will be on the inside of the reef or the south side. Just a word of warning, if you exit through this opening it can get a fair bit of surge through the opening and actually catapult you up. Now I know this sounds fun (and it is) but just watch you head, make sure you equalize and even though its shallow control your ascent.
Video
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