Every diver has a wish list of dive locations that they want to see. Pete Bucknell of the Ocean Awareness Community who is an underwater film maker, a dive instructor and technical diver, is currently diving and exploring one of the number one favorites on everyone’s list. Yes that’s right you guessed it! AUSTRALIA, the perfect diving destination. The diversity of scuba diving in Australia is amazing. This beautiful continent offers something for every taste and sense of adventure. There is a lot to be explored Down Under!
“Australia has some hidden gems ” says Peter Bucknell…. “of course everyone knows about the Great Barrier Reef, which is a must see, and there are a few ways to go about it. The live-aboard experience for 3-7 days aboard the ‘Spirit of Freedom’ or with ‘Mike Ball Dive Expeditions’ will satisfy most dive junkies, especially if the weather’s good enough to dive out on Osprey Reef. If you like bigger animals, try coming in June for Minke Whale season, but the cod hole is year round, and the ‘potato cod’ are so used to divers that they almost know how to pose for photos.”
Pete lives in New York City and dives the wrecks there, also traveling frequently to warm water locations as a videographer for Oceanblue Divers, but he’s been in Sydney this year on assignment:
“Visiting Sydney for six Months, I’ve been shown some of the local diving. Surprises lie just off the beach! Unlike in the Caribbean where divers swarm in to get a picture of a lone seahorse, Sydney’s seahorses are in abundance, and if you really slow down your diving and eye movements, you start to see them everywhere, along with the cuttlefish and other camouflage experts:
The water can get chilly, so a 7mm wetsuit, or drysuit are the way to go if you’re down South.
Wreck diving in Australia is popular, and worth doing some research. Most popular is the wreck of The Adelaide which is a few hours drive from Sydney, followed by a short boat ride. There are several other wrecks too. Last weekend I was filming a wobbegong shark at 150 feet (46 meters) on a wreck called “The Tuggarah” just off the coast of Sydney.
Being out on a dive boat with a bunch of Aussies again was pretty funny. They are a surprisingly laid back, but hard core crowd, quietly appreciating the humpback whales, dolphins and seals swimming past the dive boat as everyone donned their double tanks and deco bottles to dive in a 1.5 knot current. And the Captain brought everyone sushi for lunch!”
Peter has traveled, dove and filmed many locations around the world, spending time in the Red Sea, the Caribbean, and both sides of the Atlantic, but favoring Cozumel for its drift diving, which no doubt makes shooting video very exciting. Here’s a look at a week with his favorite dive operation, Aldora Divers, Cozumel:
You can find more of Peters work at: http://www.youtube.com/how2scuba
Ocean Awareness Community”: https://www.facebook.com/oceanawareness2012?ref=ts&fref=ts
