Cover: Nathan Brejnak captured this photo of the striking colours of a mahi mahi which is no easy task!
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Editorial Big Swell Give It Hell Doggie Fever - Indo Magic Mackerel Bending The Rules Spearfishing The Solomons The Big 5 GreatShot Young Guns
Jamie Ryves ascends from a dive on Norfolk Island. This stunning image was captured by Zach Sanders
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Words by Louis van Senden Pics by Marco Frashetti
T
he trip North from Perth in Winter has become an almost religious pilgrimage for spearos. Leaving behind cold, rough, and green seas for the turquoise, warm waters of the North offers the chance to escape the Southern Winter into a bountiful paradise and claim some of the best diving in Australia. The catch? Countless hours behind the wheel along straight and flat roads, dodging roos, cows, goats, and boredom, often spell disaster for drivers. Many hours can pass before you realise your mind has been out on the water instead of on the road.
A Date To Stick By
Work is always an unfortunate prerequisite to getting out on the water, and with a limited window of opportunity, we had to set a date and stick to it. Murphy’s Law ensured that two weeks of zero swell and calm days were preceeded by 4m swells and 30knot wind predictions a week out from our trip. Any suggestions of postponing the trip were quashed by my dive buddy Marco’s keenness. It was a fool’s errand heading North to dive with a 4m swell on the way. We packed in the fishing rods, allowing for the worst possible eventuality, like being landlocked for the entire time. As the date drew closer, the wind predictions turned in our favour and a glimmer of hope emerged.
The Longest Night
With only three diving days allocated to our trip, it was inevitable that some night driving would be required. Our destination, Coral Bay, is around a 13-hour drive North of Perth.
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Don ald B y Tim Mc
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